


Virgins & Villains

by Emmamama88



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-22
Updated: 2012-07-19
Packaged: 2017-11-08 08:18:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 81
Words: 437,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/441129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmamama88/pseuds/Emmamama88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward Masen, Hollywood heartthrob, meets Bella Swan, shy college student, and the romantic sparks fly. Can they both overcome traumatic pasts and trust issues to be together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Armpits & Coffee Stains

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer.  
> All other characters, and the original story of Virgins &Villains, is the intellectual property of Emmamama88, copyright 2010.
> 
> This is going to be a slow burn, but hopefully you will enjoy the characters as much as I've enjoyed writing them.
> 
> ** This is my first time, please be gentle.

**Tuesday, December 22**

My phone alerted me to an incoming text message.

_**B-** _

_**Meet me in the conference room, 10 mins. Need to talk before meeting at 9:30.** _

_**Rose** _

I looked at the time: 9:10.

_Oh please God, I hope she doesn't expect me to attend this meeting._

Yeah I tend to pray a lot when dealing with Rosalie.

I fixed my coffee and carried it with me towards the conference room. I walked quickly past Mike's office hoping he wouldn't see me.

My hopes were crushed as soon as I heard his simpering voice.

"Bella, Bella, Bella" he called in what I assumed he thought was a 'sexy' tone.

"Hey Mike. I'm kind of in a hurry, catch up with you later?" I didn't slow my pace, while barely glancing in his direction, still making a bee-line for the conference room.

"Sure Bella, I'll be waiting". I cringed a little.

For some reason, Mike Newton had been fixated on taking me out ever since I started working here. I never encouraged it, in fact I actively discouraged it. I've even toyed with the idea of pretending to be a lesbian so he'd leave me alone, but I could see that opening a whole other can of worms.

Knowing my luck, Shelly, one of the sportswriters who already ogles me, would start hitting on me. She was the female version of Mike.

I really couldn't understand why they were interested in me. My brother Emmett got all the looks. I'm plain, boring, and extremely awkward.

Anyway, I've been working at WIRI, Seattle's "up and coming" network-affiliate television station since September. Rose is one of the members of the on-air staff. She is also my brother's girlfriend, and hopefully, after this New Year's Eve, she will be his fiancée. Yep, Emmett was 'popping the question' at midnight.

I'm in my last year at the University of Washington, majoring in English. Rose hooked me up with this part-time job, as her personal assistant, or as I liked to call it her "glorified go-fer".

The job helps me pay the bills, but my true passion is writing. I've loved to write stories for as long as I can remember but, unfortunately, it's not something that I can make a career of yet.

Rose caught up with me as I reached the conference room door, and pulled me inside with her.

"Oh my gosh Bella, I finally did it!" I'd never seen Rose this excited before.

"What are you talking about Rose?"

"I got the interview with Edward Masen. His manager is coming in this morning to go over details" She said excitedly.

"Rose, his manager is your brother, why is  _that_ so exciting?" I rolled my eyes at her giddiness.

"Because Masen doesn't do interviews unless it's to promote a movie. I've been bugging the shit out of Jasper for months to grant me one. I pitched this as 'from hometown boy to Hollywood heartthrob' the Edward Masen story. Jasper called me today to confirm."

"My gosh Rose, take a breath" I giggled at my friend's lack of composure.

"We have a lot of work to do, Jasper and the others will be here shortly."

"Rosalie, what do you need from me? You know how I get really nervous around new people"

I already knew Jasper, but hadn't yet met his wife Alice. Jasper and Alice (who also happens to be Edward Masen's sister), were married last June.

The general public is unaware of the relationship between Edward and Alice, but because of Jasper's position, a lot of Hollywood's elite attended the ceremony. I was invited, but made up some lame excuse. I'm pretty sure that Emmett and Rose saw through me, but they didn't push it.

I could feel my palms starting to sweat, and if I was sweating there, I knew it was ten times worse in my armpits.

_Crap, I can't remember if I put on deodorant today…what a day to forget._

I tried to take a sneaky sniff of my right armpit, hoping Rose wouldn't notice.

"Bella, what the Hell are you doing? Are you sniffing your pit?" I was thankful at least that she dropped her voice to a whisper, and that we were still alone in the room.

"I..I couldn't remember putting on my deodorant if you must know" I whispered.

"Oh jeez" She leaned over and took a big whiff of me, and I could feel the blush in my cheeks. "You smell fine, great actually, remind me to ask what scent that is later. But right now I have to concentrate on getting ready for this interview, and you're going to help me."

My nerves completely took over at this point, and my verbal filter evaporated. Raising my voice I said, "I can't see of what use I could be, except to mumble awkwardly, trip over my own feet, perspire profusely, and completely embarrass you in front of a room full of Hollywood people."

"Maybe I should just strip down to my panties and bra, and parade through the station so I can face all my ultimate humiliations in one day?"

The clearing of a man's throat from the doorway caused me to freeze where I stood.

While covering my face with my hands, I felt the blush course through my body all the way up to my hairline. I peered out from between my fingers in the direction of the throat clearing.

And because the universe hates me, who should be standing there? None other than Edward Masen himself, wearing a wicked grin, and chuckling.

There he stood in all his perfection. From the top of his tousled bronze hair to the bottom of his expensive Italian shoes, he was sex on legs.

I'd seen him in a few movies, and thought him handsome. But, right here, in person, I was stunned by his gorgeousness. And just like the universe, he was standing there laughing at  _me._

_Hey is gorgeousness even a word? I don't know Bella, you're the English major, jeebus._

My fear of wet armpits was immediately replaced with a fear that I was in serious danger of shitting my pants.

_Why-the-hell is it always me?_

I contemplated whether I could make it to the window, open it and plummet to a grisly death below, which had to be better than dying of embarrassment where I stood (then I remembered that the damn windows don't open and the building only had two floors).

I'd probably end up with a broken leg or arm, and turn into a royal inconvenience for Emmett and Rose when they had to help me to the bathroom.

_crap_

I paused from my inner ramblings to actually listen to the conversation going on between Rosalie and the entourage of Edward Masen, which had entered the room while I was distracted.

I immediately recognized Jasper Whitlock. Rose's brother was tall, blonde, and flawlessly beautiful, just like Rose.

Following behind Jasper was a short blonde woman and a medium height blonde man, they were both pretty in a bland Hollywood sort of way, and had very similar facial features. They were introduced as Jane Volk, Edward's agent, and Alec Volk, his personal assistant. Not surprising, Jane and Alec were siblings.

A strikingly beautiful dark-haired pixie-like woman entered next, introduced as Edward's stylist and sister, Alice, whom I recognized from the wedding photos.

The last person to enter was the biggest guy I'd ever seen in my life. Even bigger than my pro-football player brother. This guy was easily 6 ft 7. His name was Felix Morris, Edward's bodyguard.

_Holy crow, I'm glad I don't have to pay his grocery bills, or cook his meals. I seriously have to rethink my belief that no one on earth eats more than Emmett._

Rose hugged Jasper and Alice , then shook hands with Edward, Jane, Alec, and Felix.

"I didn't realize you were all coming down here, I thought it would just be Jasper, Alice and Jane." Rose said, keeping her smile, but narrowing her eyes at her brother.

"Yeah, Edward wanted to meet you before doing the interview, and then everyone else sort of tagged along" he answered nervously.

_Yep, Rose even intimidates her brother._

"Well, Felix, Alec and I are leaving this afternoon to return to our respective homes for Christmas. This is the last day of work with Edward before the new year". Jane was a little defensive.

"Actually, it's a good opportunity to go over a few details" Rose said happily.

Everyone was taking a seat at the conference table, and Rose yanked my arm, forcing me to deposit my butt in the seat next to hers.

The sexiest man alive, took the seat across the table from me.

_Hey if People magazine says so, it must be true!_

Edward proceeded to frown while staring at me. Rose was hammering out the details of Edward's interview with Jasper. "Bella is going to help me come up with a list of questions today. I guess we can do the interview sometime next week."

"Rose, I will need to approve the questions well in advance of the interview, this will avoid awkwardness on both sides." Jasper told her.

"I got it Jasper" then, turning her attention to Edward, who was still staring, sort of glaring, at me "I'm just really glad you agreed to this interview Mr. Masen, I promise you won't regret it."

"Please, Rose, call me Edward. After all, Jasper and Alice have told me so much about you that I feel like I already know you. However, I'm not acquainted with your friend" Edward said while tipping his head in my direction.

"Oh, forgive me, I wasn't thinking. Edward, this is Isabella Swan, my assistant. Um, that sounds so cold, actually she's so much more, she's my dearest friend, and her brother is my boyfriend, so we're very close."

Rose answered while looking at me indulgently.

"I'm glad to see that you are as comfortable with nepotism as I am Rose" Edward stated with a smile.

"Hey, in this business, it's all about 'who you know' right?" she answered.

"Absolutely" Edward returned to staring/glaring at me. "And often 'who you are related to'."

"Well, I'll have you all know that I run a successful business which keeps me quite busy." Alice quipped in her chirpy soprano. "My side job as Edward's stylist is merely so that I can be certain he will dress appropriately for the spotlight" She continued, "If I allowed him to dress himself, he'd never be out of his hoodie, Doc Martens, and jeans"

_A man after my own heart, among other parts of my very sweaty body._

_Holy crap, where did that come from?_

"Oh yeah, Bella, I don't think I ever told you that Alice is a fashion designer. As a matter of fact, she is the co-founder of  _Brandon Miles_ designs". Rosalie said while smiling at Alice.

" _Brandon_  was my Grandmother's maiden name, it's also my middle name." Alice added. " _Miles_  comes from my business partner, Christopher Miles."

 _The media is always going on about Brandon Miles, the elusive designer. Now come to find out_ _**he** _ _doesn't really exist…and one of the owners is a_ _**she** _ _, and the sister of Hollywood's hottest movie star. Shocking._

I giggled to myself, and Edward's gaze turned questioning, as if he was trying to figure me out.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to keep that fact quiet, Bella". Alice smiled at me. "I never wanted to be known because of who my relatives are. I must say that it's quite satisfying to have this extremely successful business, while still retaining my anonymity".

I decide to hide from Edward's watchful eye by taking a sip of my now cold coffee.

I sort of listened to the details of the interview while playing with the rim of my coffee mug, avoiding eye contact with  _ **him**_ _._

It was decided that the interview would be conducted over the span of three days, December 28 through 30 (next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). The first part would be filmed at Edward's suite at the Hotel 1000, the second part at a location around Seattle yet to be determined, and the third part would be filmed in the TV studio.

"I'm in town for the holidays, and will be staying until the day after New Years, so I figured it would be a good time to do this interview. Jasper's been trying to coax me into it for a while now". Edward said while smirking at me.

_That smirk is driving me crazy. I'd like to wipe it right off his face…with my tongue. Once again, what the Hell is wrong with me?_

I started to pay attention to the conversation again.

"Now, of course, I'm aware that your people are all on vacation for the next week or so. I'll be glad to send someone from the station to be your personal assistant for the three days. Rose stated brightly.

"Well, I think I would like to request Miss Swan as my assistant. She seems quite capable of handling my needs".

_Hold the phone. What the..?_

I choke on my coffee, and make an ungraceful show of spluttering, coughing, and then spitting and spilling said coffee all over the front of my shirt.

Of course today I would be wearing a thin white cotton top.

_Fuck my life._

"What the hell Bella?" Rose snapped. "Oh my God, look at your shirt! You certainly achieved the wet t-shirt look, everyone can now see your bra."

I quickly crossed my arms over my chest, but that didn't stop the tears from forming in my eyes.

"Let me see what I can find to keep you from being on public display." Rose jumped from her seat heading for the door.

_Someone kill me now, and smack Rose while you're at it, for adding to my embarrassment._

"Let me help" Edward stated while he started removing his jacket and rushing around the table to me, as I died of mortification. When he reached me, he gently placed his jacket across my shoulders, and turned me to face him while closing it across my chest.

I looked up at him, expecting to see that ever-present smirk, or a cold glare, but was met with a smoldering look in those beautiful green eyes. He was too close, and he smelled too good.

_Mmm, oh my, I really don't want his pity…I want to bite his lower lip…_

_I've never had this reaction to anyone. Not ever….hence my virgin status._

I looked at him again, and his expression mirrored what I believed to be my own gaping, stunned and speechless one.

_I want nothing more than to run my fingers through his messy bronze hair, and give him a smoldering kiss._

_Wow, what is going on with me? I've never kissed anyone before, and wouldn't know a 'smoldering' kiss from a kick in the ass._

"Back to the personal assistant issue." Rose had returned to my side. "Bella is  _my_ assistant Edward. I don't think she'd be comfortable working that closely with you".

Thank heaven for Rosalie. She knows me well. My little innocent self wouldn't survive long in the presence of "Sexy Eddie".

That's the name the National Enquirer gave him last year when he was seen on dates with at least 2 different women in one weekend. None of which, I might add, were his steady girlfriend of the last six years, Tanya Madison, Hollywood starlet. Tanya was also Edward's co-star in at least 4 films from the time they were both 18 years old.

I certainly didn't want to be a notch in his bedpost, even if his girlfriend chose to turn a 'blind eye' to his liaisons. She must have no self-esteem, or Hollywood was a whole different world from the one I'm used to.

_Probably a little bit of both._

"I really must insist on having Miss Swan. This is a stipulation of granting the interview" Edward practically breathed the first sentence in my ear, and turned to Rosalie while stating the second.

_Crap, crap, crap, I feel drunk. His breath is intoxicating me. Stand up for yourself Bella._

The non-intoxicated part of my brain realized that Rosalie was looking pissed, and was about to kill this entire interview.

_Oh no, I couldn't let Rose sabotage her career like that, but could I work for Edward and survive?_

I had to. Rose needed this interview under her belt. She's damn good at what she does, and this could help her move on to bigger and better opportunities.

Rose was fuming, "Well,  _Edward_ , I must insist that you take your stip-u-la-tion and stick it up your.."

"Rose!", I interrupted before this could escalate further. "I'll do it" I said so low that she could barely hear me.

"What? Bella you don't need to do this." Rose grabbed me by both shoulders and turned me to face her. "The interview's not that important. I would never put you in this position". Rose was visibly upset.

"No, Rose, really I'm fine with it as long as you can spare me."

"Are you sure? Bella, I don't want you upset. You'd have to spend a lot of alone time with Edward. Can you handle that?" Rose was now oblivious to the presence of other people in the room.

Edward wasn't glaring at me anymore, but he looked very confused by what Rose was saying.

_It's really unfair to hold grudges against Edward because I have emotional problems._

I felt a little bad for him, then I remembered he was a man-whore.

"I'm good Rose. Just part of my job okay?"

Rose sighed, then glared at Edward.

"Listen here Masen, I don't like this, but Bella is a grown woman and I can't make her decisions for her. Just know this", Rose's voice became low and menacing, "Bella isn't like the females you're used to toying with. She's fragile."

_Oh no, Rose is not going there please! I don't want my dirty laundry aired, not here, not now._

The blush returned to my face as I hung my head and stared at my feet.

"That girl's brother is Emmett Swan, yes THE Emmett Swan of the Seattle Seahawks" Rose was now enjoying herself.

"I know your reputation, and if you cause her any distress, Emmett will not even have the chance to rip your balls off, because I will beat him to it!"

"Oh my gosh, Rose, enough!" This day has been chocked-full of embarrassing moments.  I.  Was.  Done.

I turned to Edward, his green eyes shining, and an amused smirk prominent on his gorgeous face.

"Are we through here?" he asked "Because I really need to see my parents before settling into my hotel."

"Yeah, I guess we're through" Rose was still angry, and not even trying to hide it. She grabbed Jasper's arm while speaking in a low voice with him, leading him toward the elevator.

Everyone else followed. Alice gave me a meaningful look, and smiled brightly before waving and following her husband out.

Edward and I were left alone in the conference room. He was still looking at me, not smiling, but studying my face. He looked puzzled.

"Good day Miss Swan, it was a pleasure to meet you."

I, of course, was rendered speechless by his presence.

He took one more puzzled look at me, sighed, and was gone.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

Surprisingly, Rose didn't bring up the personal assistant issue for the rest of the workday. In the afternoon, having taped her segments for the noon and 5pm shows the next day, we found ourselves in Rose's office brainstorming for the Cullen interview.

"Are you now, or have you ever been a Communist?" I was sprawled across the sofa in Rose's office, trying to come up with the last few interview questions.

"Cut it out Bella! Be serious, we've got to finish this list of questions and have them approved today! I've got a ton of things to do tomorrow, and I'll be damned if we're spending one minute of Christmas Eve in this office."

"I thought McCarthyism was a perfectly acceptable topic. Besides, Jasper won't let you ask anything about Edward's personal relationships. You can't mention his parents or Alice. We're really limited here."

I was annoyed at the many restrictions put on our interview questions.

"Bella, I agree with you about the relationship stuff. But I understand why he wants to keep his parents and sister out of the limelight. He doesn't even use his real last name of  _Cullen_ , opting instead for his mother's maiden name of  _Masen_  to protect their privacy."

"Yeah, but we can't tell the public that either right?" I was still aggravated.

_Who does whats-his-face think he is anyway?_

"Okay, how about  _Where were you/ What were you doing when you learned about 9-11?"_ I asked, trying to get back on track.

"Oh, good one Bells. See, we can work around these restrictions." She beamed at me.

After about two more hours, Rosalie and I had thirty questions to e-mail to Jasper.

By 4 o'clock, Jasper had e-mailed back the list, minus seven questions that Edward found objectionable.

"What the fuck was wrong with asking if he was a cat person or a dog person?" I heard Rose barking into her phone at Jasper.

"Yeah, yeah, don't want to upset the fans, sure. Whatever Jasper. He's a real piece of work if you ask me. Why's he even an actor if he's so hung up on his privacy…seems to be an impossible situation."

"Alright, yeah, I guess that's it. We'll see you and Alice tomorrow night at our place for dinner. Jasper, sorry I was a little harsh, I really appreciate you arranging this for me, it means a lot."

"Love you too. Bye" Rose smiled and hung up.

"Well Bells, are you ready to go? Emmett's got practice, so you're having dinner with me."

_Oh no. Why do I get the feeling that Rose is going to unleash on me about Edward Masen as soon as we're alone?_

 

  



	2. Drunk Ironing & Snark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filling in the details of their past lives will take a few chapters, bear with me.

 

"Hey, Bellaboo, care to tell me why my girlfriend is drunk-ironing?" Emmett was standing in my apartment with two open bottles of beer in his hands.

After handing one to me, he continued. "You know that she only drunk-irons when she's  **really**  pissed off, and I get the feeling that you know why".

When Rose would get really angry she drank tequila. While drinking, she would brood. Then she would drink more tequila and go into Emmett's closet, remove his shirts and pants, and start ironing.

When we had gotten home, I fixed dinner for Rose and I, but promptly left for my own apartment when she pulled out the tequila.

"Oh Em, we met with Edward Masen and his entourage today. Rose will be interviewing him next week".

"Oookay…not seeing a reason so far for Rosezilla to make an appearance" he grinned.

"Masen demanded that I be his personal assistant for the 3 days of the interview. Rose doesn't want me around him alone, and she got kind of angry. I told her it was okay, and that I could handle myself."

My brother just sat there seemingly listening to me, but staring out of the window. When he turned his head to look at me, all signs of humor were gone. He looked distraught.

" _Can_  you handle it Belly? Really handle it?" He choked out. Em was trying not to show emotion, but I could see his struggle. "He's got a reputation with the women, and I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt."

"Oh Em" I set my beer down and crawled into his lap, throwing my arms around his big brawny neck. "Edward Masen is just a man. I know how to handle myself, believe it or not."

Emmett still looked at me with a wary expression. I placed my hands on either side of his face, and made him look into my eyes. "Em, I'm not fifteen any more. Believe me, if I feel uncomfortable, I'll leave. If Masen isn't a complete gentleman, I'll phone you or Rose. But really, Edward's not some rapist or serial killer. I'll be fine."

_Would I be fine?_

"Besides, Rose told him that if he tried anything she'd hand him his balls, before you had the chance to" Emmett grinned from ear to ear.

"That's my Rosie, and precisely why in 10 days she will be my fiancée"

" _ **If**_ she says yes" I tease.

" _ **No**_  is not an option Bellaboo" he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

Emmett stood up and sighed loudly. "I gotta go calm her down. I really hope my clothes survived."

"I made dinner, and left you a platter in your fridge."

"Thanks sis." And he walked across the hall, back to his apartment.

Before I went to bed, I decided to go over there and check on Rose.

"I don't care what you say Bella, I'm really nervous about this" Rose was still upset about the whole Edward issue. She'd finally started to sober up. Emmet forbade her from drinking any more alcohol, she acquiesced and drank a cup of coffee before switching to water.

"Rose, you have nothing to worry about. This situation won't bring back any ghosts. I'll be fine."

Rose's shoulders slumped in defeat, her voice barely a whisper, "You know how much we love you Bella. I just can't bear the thought of anything happening that we could have prevented".

"I'm going into this with my eyes open. And besides, like I told Emmett, I'm not a kid any more. I've got to face my demons sometime."

Rose smiled and hugged me. "Okay, get to bed. We have work tomorrow, and then you need to help me with dinner."

"How'd I get elected to do that?" I couldn't resist giving her a hard time.

"Bells, you know my cooking leaves a lot to be desired. In a word, it sucks" she giggled.

"Goodnight Rose" I gave her a hug.

"Night Bells". I headed back across the hall. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

That night I tossed and turned with my usual nightmares. But after the nightmares ended, I was swept away in a peaceful slumber and dreamt of a beautiful angel with vivid green eyes.

*******************************V&V**************************

Rose looked at me with a smirk, and waved her coffee cup at me. She needed a refill.

We'd been working for over four hours without a break, hoping to get out of the office early today, in order to start our Christmas vacation.

I grabbed the cup and headed for the break room.

_Shit, Mike Newton is in full stalker mode. Doesn't his sorry ass ever do any work?_

He followed me as I fixed Rosalie's coffee. I knew that if I wanted to escape unscathed, I would not have time to fix my own cup.

"Hey, beautiful, how's the day treating you?" he said while trying to reach out and stroke my arm.

I dodged Mike's petting attempt and grabbed creamers and sugar, heading for the door. "Hi Mike, really a busy day, prepping for the Masen interview"

"Oh yeah, cool that Whitlock scored that interview. She's one of the few women around that wouldn't fall for his charms" Mike was studying my face now.

"Yeah, no worries about Rosalie "ball-buster" Whitlock" I chuckled, and made my escape.

Mike followed. "Bella, I heard you're going to 'personally assist' Masen. I have to say, I'm against it."

This halted me in my tracks. I turned to face him, bristling with my anger. "Mike, how is that your concern?"

"Well, I don't think he's good for you. I've read all about how he dates and discards women."

"Oh for heaven's sake Mike, if my brother is okay with this, I don't see why you shouldn't be." I was trying to be nice, but Mike was pushing my buttons.

"I know what would keep Masen in line."

"And what would that be Mike?"

"If you were my girl, Masen would know to stay away from you."

_I think I just threw up a little in my mouth._

I gathered my wits enough to answer him.

"Mike, that's not going to happen. You. Are. A. Co-worker. Period.

None of this is your business" trying not to raise my voice.

"But Bella baby we could be so good together." Mike said suggestively.

I stood there for a moment with my mouth hanging open, not believing what I was hearing.

And then I did it, I took my verbal filter and flushed it down the proverbial toilet. Raising my voice I said, " _Michael,_ that's never going to happen. I can't even pretend that I appreciate your concern. That comment was completely inappropriate. And let me just add this, if I were to decide to have wild unprotected sex with Edward Masen and give birth to his love-child, it  _still_ would be none of your business!"

And for the second time this week, karma reached up and bit a chunk out of the ass cheek of my life.

I heard  _it_. The throat clearing. It was coming from behind me.

I wheeled around to see Edward Masen himself, about four feet away, leaning against the wall, sporting a smirk sexier than ever before.

_If it was physically possible to kick my own ass at this moment, I would do it._

"Hello Miss Swan, happy to see you so…animated today"

_No. No talking with the sexy voice again. That voice could cure PMS._

Summoning my courage, I decided to speak to him. "Hello Mr. Masen, I'll be with you in a moment" I turned from Edward, and faced Mike again.

"Mike, we're done here. I'll be glad to speak with you about work-related issues at any time, but  _this_ subject is closed." Mike finally took the hint I beat him over the head with, and retreated to his office.

Turning back to Edward, "Okay, Mr. Masen, I know you heard what I said to Mike before."

"Yes, that was quite an eye-opening statement, Miss Swan". He grinned.

"Well, here's the thing. Mike can't seem to take a hint, so I had to resort to being an appalling bitch to finally get through to him. I apologize for using your name the way I did, there was no excuse for that."

Edward studied my face for a moment, and then smiled.

We began to walk in the direction of Rose's office.

"Miss Swan, think nothing of it, and please call me Edward, after all we're going to be seeing a lot of each other in the next week." Aaaanndd…the smirk is back. Oh to have that amount of self confidence.

"Then please call me Bella" I tried to smile sweetly, not letting his sexiness affect me. Yeah, lost cause that.

"So, what brings you here Edward? Did you need me to get Rose?"

"No, actually I came to see you."

_?_

"Well, I thought that we should probably get to know one another, since we're being thrown together next week. So….have dinner with me tonight?"

It was more of a statement than a question, and as he spoke he stalked closer until he was only inches from my face, dazzling me.

I took in a deep breath, and momentarily recovered myself.

"No can do Edward. I'm having dinner with Emmett, Rose, Jasper and Alice tonight. And since I'm doing the majority of the cooking, I  _have_ to be there."

"Oh" He looked genuinely disappointed. "Well, how about lunch? Are you free now?"

_No lunch dates with the sexiest man alive, no no no….On second thought, I do have to eat._

"We can discuss my schedule and what I'll need from you". His breath was warm against my left cheek. I couldn't move.

_If I don't eat, I could become seriously ill. Don't want to be sick for Christmas._

"What do you say Bella? Just say yes" He leaned closer and pushed a stray piece of my hair behind my ear "Please" he breathed into my ear.

And my mind continued to make up all kinds of shit it wanted to hear.

_Lunch with Masen would just be protecting my health for the holidays. Even Rose couldn't be mad about that. Could she?_

I couldn't form a coherent sentence, so I said the only thing I could, "yes".

He smiled widely, "I'll be downstairs when you're ready." He reached up and stroked his fingertips across my cheek. "See you in a bit". His fingers left a warm trail where they had touched.

"Bye" I squeaked out.

_Rose is going to kill me_

That was the precise moment I decided not to tell her _._

"Rose, do you need me any more today?" I asked as I handed her the coffee.

"Nah Bells. I've got a couple hours of work left. You can take off."

"Okay, I'll go ahead to the grocery store and get everything for tonight. We can start cooking when you get home."

I headed downstairs, and met Edward in the lobby. He greeted me with an intense look, but then his face was lit up with a dazzling smile.

I agreed to go out to lunch with a guy who was, quite possibly, the most famous young actor out there. A guy who already had a girlfriend.

_What was wrong with me? Bella please don't set yourself up for a broken heart. You've protected it for so many years, don't screw up now._

Although the tabloids made much of the fact that Edward's steady was Tanya Madison, that fact never seemed to stop Edward from being seen with a bevy of beautiful blondes on his arm at any given moment in time.

I decided at that moment that I would need to keep Fast Eddie at arms length. No way was I going to end up as one of his "date whores".

I smiled in greeting.

"Did you drive?" Edward asked.

"No, Rose and I live so close that we walk to work, it's just a couple of blocks. We only drive if the weather is really nasty."

_Why exactly am I telling him my life story?_

"I have a car and driver that I use when I'm in Seattle." He said, just as a black Mercedes pulled up to the curb.

I pulled my hat down over my ears as we exited the building.

"Do you like Chinese food?" Edward asked as his eyes danced over my face.

"Yes, I love it." I answered quietly.

Edward's driver greeted us both with a smile while opening the back door.

"Sidney, we need to return to the hotel please" he said to the driver.

I froze.

_Why was I going to Edward's hotel? O dear. I don't think I can handle this. Deep breaths._

"Bella, I took the liberty of having the concierge order our lunch. It should be delivered to my suite soon after we arrive."

_What's he talking about? Food…o yes, lunch…that's right, we're having lunch._

My dazed and confused mind struggled to catch up with Edward's talking.

He must have noticed my muddled state.

"Is that a problem Miss Swan? I thought we could discuss things a little more comfortably at my hotel rather than in a restaurant."

_Oh jeebus, where is my inner bitch when I need her?_

"That sounds okay. I really don't have a lot of time, but that's fine."

_Oh for cripes sake. Way to control the situation Bella._

The rest of the drive to the hotel was spent in silence. Edward was on his phone texting, so I didn't interrupt him with idle conversation.

When we arrived at the hotel, I noticed several photographers congregated outside. Sidney escorted us to the lobby, while blocking them from getting too close. They snapped a few photos as we passed. Edward led me through the opulent lobby to the elevator.

"Wow, your driver is really helpful" I said.

Edward gave me a puzzled look.

"I mean he kept those photographers from getting too close."

"Oh yes. Well, Sidney is ex-military, and I also count on him as a bodyguard when I'm in town. I don't seem to need one as badly as I do in L. A. , but you can never be too careful."

The suite was beautiful, of course. I put my things on the desk against the wall, and sat down on the sofa.

Edward went to the mini bar. "What would you like to drink Bella?"

"Just a coke would be fine." I smiled.

He returned with a cup full of ice and a can of coke. Just then there was a knock on the door.

_The food._

The delivery girl was sufficiently star-struck when Edward opened the door. I wouldn't have believed her smile could get any bigger, but it did when Edward handed her a hundred and told her to keep the change.

We moved to the dining table, and began to sort the food.

"My gosh Edward, what army were you intending to feed?" I asked.

"Now Bella be reasonable. I didn't know what you liked, so I ordered four different dishes, egg rolls and soup. It's really not that much."

It grew quiet as we started eating. Edward studied my face, and then spoke.

"I don't know what it is about you Miss Swan, but I seem to be drawn to you for some reason. I thought that spending time together would help me solve the mystery."

"Oh so I'm some kind of experiment to you?"

"No, no, you misunderstand me."

"Enlighten me then  _Edward._ " I really didn't mean to sound as sarcastic as I did but, again, I couldn't help myself.

He leaned across the table until his face was within a foot of mine. "Ever since I saw you yesterday, you've been on my mind constantly. That's never happened to me before."

_Oh my gosh, he's as affected by this, whatever it is, as I am._

"I'm at a loss. I just want to get to know you. Please?"

Even though I knew this probably wasn't a good idea. Even though I knew that if Rose found out she'd kill me or Edward or both. Even though I knew that I may be left alone and heartbroken. I couldn't say no.

"Okay. But can I ask one thing?"

"Of course."

"All I ask Edward is that you be truthful with me."

"I promise Bella." he smiled.

After that we fell into easy conversation. Edward told me about his and Alice's childhood in Chicago.

He told me that his father took a position as doctor of surgery at Seattle General and moved the whole family here the summer Edward turned ten years old, in July 1995.

"That's funny." I said

"Funny?" He tilted his head while looking at me with a puzzled expression.

"I meant strange. You moved to Washington in July 1995, and I moved away from Washington at the same time."

I thought about this for a minute before changing the subject.

"So your Dad's a doctor?" I asked. "Did you ever consider following in his footsteps, or was acting always your dream?"

"I always assumed I would be a doctor." He hesitated, deep in thought, then continued. "I kind of fell into the acting thing. I did high school theater. Then, when I was seventeen, a friend signed me up for an open casting call for a movie they were filming in Vancouver. I went, and the director wanted me to come back for an audition."

"A couple months later, I got a call from the movie studio. They didn't need me for the movie I auditioned for, but for another one. I went to Hollywood for a screen test just after my eighteenth birthday, and never left. Although I do come home to visit of course."

"That's kind of sad Edward. Wasn't it difficult to move so far from your family?"

"Yes, but I found ways to keep busy, and Alice went to college in California, so I got to see her quite often."

"From that point on, if I wasn't filming, I could go home, but it was never for more than a week or two at a time. The studio kept me very busy."

"In California, my mother and Alice came to stay with me during that first summer, and I stayed with some friends of the family during the rest of that first year. Mother hired a tutor to teach me while on set, and that's how I finished high school."

"I moved into my own apartment, spending my spare time taking acting classes and college level courses. That was how I earned my Business degree from UCLA."

"Wow, Edward, how did you find the time to do that and still have your amazing career?"

"You'd be surprised how many hours are left in the day to study when you don't have much of a 'social life'." He answered with complete sincerity.

_That didn't make any sense. He was always attending this premiere or that award show. Always with a different female, or with Tanya. He was either one hell of a liar, or something fishy is going on in Hollywood._

"Enough about me now, tell me about  _your_ past Bella."

_My past. Something about the phrasing of that sentence bothered me. I definitely wouldn't be sharing all the details of my past with Edward._

"I was born in Forks, but my parents split up the summer before my eighth birthday. Like I said, it's funny Edward, the summer you moved to Washington was the summer I left."

"Anyway, I moved with my Mom to Phoenix, initially, and my brother Emmett, who was thirteen at the time, stayed with Dad."

"Initially?" He questioned.

"My Mom was a free spirit; we started in Phoenix, but moved around a lot."

"That's kind of sad Bella." He said with a slight smile, mimicking my words from before.

"Yeah, but Dad always made sure that Emmett and I spent every summer, and holiday together, we still do, we're very close."

"What prompted you to move back to Washington?"

_Ugh, we were now treading close to dangerous territory._

"My mom died when I was fifteen, so I moved back with Dad. Emmett was at the University of Washington at the time" my voice had fallen to a hoarse whisper as I forced the words out.

_I seemed to have lost my appetite._

"Oh, I'm…..so sorry Bella." He spoke quietly and reached over placing his hand on top of mine. There was an inexplicable electric current in his touch, but that touch was also gentle and soothing. I didn't pull my hand away.

I was so confused. For the past almost seven years, I had cringed away from the touch of any man, with few exceptions. These exceptions have been Charlie, Emmett, and Father Pat, our Parish priest. For some reason I couldn't pull away from Edward. I felt safe with him, more than safe, his presence both calmed and excited me at the same time.

Edward watched me for another moment. I'm sure he could see the worry and confusion, and decided to let drop the subject of my childhood.

He didn't ask any more questions, but I decided to "fill in the blanks" with information about my life in Washington.

I explained that by the time I moved back to Forks, Rose had been dating Emmett for about four years. From that moment on, Rose, Emmett and Charlie became the most important people in my life.

I also explained that I decided to go to UW so I could be close to Emmett and Rose.

_I didn't tell him that there was no way I would be able to live completely alone._

"Emmett got me an apartment across the hall from them, so I didn't had to stay in a dorm."

"He and Rose are very protective huh?"

"Yes. They love me." I stated simply. "Emmett and I had a very difficult time when our parents divorced and we were forced to be separated."

"You sound like Alice and me. We were separated because of my career, but somehow remained very close."

"Yeah, Emmett is sometimes hard to take though. He is 'wide open' most of the time, you know running in fifth gear? During Christmas it's the worst, he completely regresses into a little kid again."

We both laughed.

Eventually, he began to discuss my duties for next week. It sounded a lot like what I already did for Rose.

After about an hour, I had to go. I knew Rosalie would be leaving work soon, and wanted to beat her home. I refused to let him walk me down because photographers were sure to be camped out. We exchanged cell numbers before I left.

"I guess I'll see you Monday then Edward." I said at his door.

"Maybe sooner than that Miss Swan." He said. And then he winked at me before I walked to the elevators.

Being in his presence was so intense that I was suddenly very glad to be going home for Christmas, even if it was just for two days.


	3. The Snowman & Midnight Mass

 

I was still a little dazed as I made my way through the grocery store.

_I could easily fall for Edward Masen, or Cullen, or whatever. Yoohoo, Bella, did you forget he has a girlfriend? A very well-known girlfriend. And you are, sorry to remind you, a nobody._

Just like that my former happy mood disintegrated.

While I stood in the frozen food aisle, Rose texted to say she was just leaving work and should be back to the apartment in about twenty minutes. I texted back asking her to pick up the cannoli I had ordered from our favorite Italian bakery.

I booked through the checkout and headed toward the apartment building, reaching the elevators just as Rose arrived.

"Wow Bells, you were in the grocery store a long time."

"Oh, I decided I was starving and grabbed some lunch first." I said as I handed her a couple bags to carry, and we headed upstairs.

I already had a fresh batch of homemade spaghetti sauce in my frig, so I had decided lasagne would be the best dinner choice.

I left Rose chopping vegetables for a salad in her kitchen, and went to mine to prepare the lasagne. Once it was in the oven, I went back over to Rose's to make the garlic bread. She was on her phone when I got there.

"No, that should be fine. Jazz, I'm not a total bitch; I can be a good hostess. Okay, see you in a couple of hours."

She looked at me and said the two words I never expected to hear.

"Masen's coming."

I worked robotically while making the garlic bread, trying not to think about what that man did to my insides.

Once all the food was prepped and/or ready, we went to get dressed. Everyone always said I looked good in blue, so I chose my favorite royal blue satin dress with a black sash.

I went back across the hall so Rose and I could do each other's hair and makeup. Forty minutes later, we both looked sassy and fabulous. Well, Rose more so than me, but even I didn't feel quite so plain.

I helped her straighten up their apartment, preparing for the guests. Her and Emmett's apartment was enormous.

Originally, they wanted me to move in with them, but I didn't want to impose on their time together, and I also didn't want to be an up close and personal witness to their private life, ugh. So, I refused to move in with them, opting instead to take the little apartment across the hall that became available the summer before I started college.

Emmett insisted on paying my rent. After much begging and pleading I acquiesced, but made sure he knew that once I graduated and got a job, I would take over that bill.

Emmett arrived home as we worked.

He wolf whistled at us. "There are my two favorite girls looking gorgeous, bon chicka bow wow!"

We snickered as he headed back to shower and dress. He came out about fifteen minutes later looking like a model for GQ.

The tree was lit, as were all the other Christmas lights in the apartment. While Rose and I went around lighting all the candles, giving the space a warm Christmas glow, Emmett began rifling through his DVD collection.

"Emmett, we've got guests arriving in about fifteen minutes. Why are you looking through those?" Rose was starting to get a little stressed.

Emmett just gave her a cheesy grin. "I gotta watch it babe, it's a tradition!"

"No Emmett, not tonight. You can break your tradition just this once."

Emmett looked completely dejected, but wasn't backing down.

"No, you don't understand. If I don't watch it, my Christmas will be ruined." He whined.

Rose relented, and I realized at that moment how much she truly loved my brother.

"Okay, but I am NOT explaining to our company why my 28 year old boyfriend has to watch  _Frosty the Snowman_  instead of greeting guests at the door."

"Hey babe, be glad that it's Frosty's night, if this was last night I'd be watching Rudolph, and you know that shit always makes me cry."

Yes, my big goofball of a brother has a Christmas DVD favorite assigned to each night of the week from December 19th through 25th. Luckily, Rose made him limit his choices to seven, one DVD for each of those nights.

So far this Christmas, I'd already had to sit through Home Alone, the Grinch (the cartoon, not the movie), Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and of course Rudolph (last night while sobering up Rose). Tonight, it was Frosty's turn.

Just as Frosty hopped on a freight train with Karen and Hocus Pocus, the doorbell rang. Rose got up, put on her most welcoming smile, and answered it.

She ushered everyone into the living room where I was sitting with Emmett. My breath caught when I glimpsed Edward in his suit.

_Gosh, I thought he was gorgeous before._

Once again, the expression on his face seemed to mirror mine as he took in my appearance. "You look lovely Isabella." he murmured.

_How does that man manage to make me feel so pretty?_

True to her word, Rosalie looked at Emmett (completely engrossed in the adventures of Frosty), and didn't explain a thing.

Rather than stand there feeling awkward, I decided to take the initiative.

With a straight face I began "Emmett will be with us in a few moments. He has to watch this every year so he can be sure that the ending hasn't changed. I believe he thinks that Frosty needs his moral support to make it safely to the North Pole."

Everyone looked from me to Emmett and back to me before bursting into laughter.

"Shhh." my brother exclaimed "Have you no respect for Frosty's dilemma, we're at the point of no return here people." he shouted as Karen cried over Frosty's puddle.

This brought about a second round of laughter.

_My brother, the ice-breaker._

When the show was finally over, and we'd all sung the closing song, at Emmett's insistence. Emmett got up and shook hands with everyone, and became the perfect host. More importantly, he became the perfect bartender. I needed alcohol to survive this evening.

I placed my iPod in the port and started my Christmas play list. Soon the soothing sounds of a Sinatra Christmas were wafting through the apartment.

After my first rum and coke, I was feeling a lot better. By the time we sat down for dinner, and I was drinking my second one, I was brave enough to hold actual conversations with strangers.

I learned that Alice and Jasper were as easy to talk to as Edward. I kept having to remind myself that they lived in Hollywood because they were so down to earth.

I had met Jasper before, many times, but seeing him with Alice was hysterical. They'd been married for less than a year, but Alice was already finishing Jasper's sentences.

As for Jasper, he watched Alice as she interacted with everyone else, and you could see the adoration in his eyes.

"So Bella, do you intend to stay in the Seattle area after graduation?" Alice asked me.

"I'm pretty sure I'll stay in this area. Actually, I love to write, and was thinking about going into teaching because it would give me enough free time to pursue my writing."

_Wow, I can't believe I just shared that with a roomful of people without feeling awkward._

Rose smiled at me, proud of my confidence, as she stepped into the kitchen to open the wine.

"You could do that anywhere Bella. Do you love the cold weather so much that you haven't even thought of leaving? Or is it a young man keeping you in Seattle?" Alice asked with a grin.

_I'm pretty sure Alice is only about three years older than me. Who says 'young man'? She sounds like someone's Grandma._

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Edward tensed.

_What the Hell did it matter to him if I had a boyfriend? Doesn't he have a girlfriend, or twenty._

"No. No young man keeping me here, and I actually hate the cold. The only good thing about this time of the year is Christmas. After that, I'll be living every day anxiously waiting for Spring to arrive. My favorite day of the year is when I see the first tulip in bloom."

"Well, during Spring break, you could always come to California and stay with me and Jazz. We would have a great time; I could show you around the area." She said as she practically bounced in her seat. "We could go shopping!"

Rose returned with the wine.

"Wow that's so generous of you Alice, thanks." But I didn't say I would take her up on her offer.

"Bella, did Alice just invite you to California for spring break?" Rose asked.

"Yes" I glared at Rose, wanting her to drop the subject.

"What a fantastic idea. You should definitely go, there's nothing keeping you here." She deadpanned, looking me straight in the eye.

"Yay! Then it's all set. Let's exchange cell phone numbers, and you let me know the exact dates as soon as you can. I'm so excited!"

"By the way Bella, that color blue really suits you. I've sent several of my fabric creations to Rosalie. I'll have some made up for you during your visit."

_What the fuck just happened? I thought I'd dodged this trip, and now I'm not only going, but I'm practically bff's with Alice._

"I don't know what to say. Thank you?" I answered nervously.

_Edward is staring at me again. I can't tell if he's happy I'm going to California, or if he's angry._

"No need to thank me. I'm really good at reading people, and I know we're going to be great friends. I'll come up with lots for us to do." She stopped bouncing for a moment, and looked back and forth between me and Rose.

"As a matter of fact, if I could talk you and Rose into it, I'd love to have you both model for a magazine spread I've got coming up. Maybe you could spare me a couple days during spring break too Rosalie?"

"That sounds fantastic Alice!" Rose answered excitedly.

"What?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Alice, no, thank you, but no. I'm not exactly 'model' material."

"Oh posh Bella, you obviously don't see yourself clearly. You are a very stunning young woman. Believe me, I know these things, it's what I do." Alice replied.

"You have no idea Alice. Bella actually thinks she's plain. Can you imagine?" Rose answered incredulously while shaking her head.

Thankfully, my bladder gave me a convenient excuse to leave the room. "Excuse me, I'll be right back." I made a quick exit toward the nearest bathroom. If I could have, I'd have run across the hall to my apartment, and never come back.

Not a good idea because Rose would have hunted me down and bitch slapped into next week.

I ran cold water on a cloth, and held it on the back of my neck while trying to calm my breathing. I needed to regain my composure before going back out there.

_I just wish I knew what Edward was thinking. Does he now realize I'm a complete idiot or does he want me to come to California?_

After a few minutes, I was able to calm down enough to rejoin the others.

"Bella, the lasagne is delicious." Jasper remarked as I sat back down. Everyone else was nodding and voicing their agreement. I appreciated his changing the subject away from 'model Bella'.

"Thanks, I make my own sauce. I love to cook when I have the time."

After the meal, and the cannolis, we all went to sit in the living room.

It was lovely in there. The only lights were from the Christmas tree and the candles that Rose and I had lit earlier.

The drapes on the floor to ceiling windows were open, exposing a breathtaking view of downtown Seattle all lit up for the holidays.

Edward made sure to sit next to me on one of the sofas.

Alice and Rose were talking fashion, while Emmett and Jasper spoke about the Seahawks' dismal season. That left me with Edward.

"I find it curious Bella that you can easily accept compliments about your cooking, but not about your appearance." He stated. "Alice is right though, you don't see yourself very clearly. You have natural beauty, a rare thing these days."

I could feel the blush in my cheeks, but was unable to respond.

"Don't get me wrong" Edward continued, "I find your attitude quite refreshing. You would understand if you had to deal with the vast number of conceited, arrogant and plastic people that I have to on a daily basis."

"Most of them don't have any reason to be conceited. Their looks are rarely natural, and their personalities are sufficient enough to destroy the illusion of any outward beauty."

_Like the girls I see you with in the tabloids?_

"Wow, is it that bad?" I asked.

"Worse. In my REAL life, not the one you see in magazines that is, I try to surround myself with those people that can work in the system, but haven't been corrupted by it."

"But enough of Hollywood, I don't want to think about it during Christmas." He smiled.

"Are you going to your father's for the holiday?" He asked.

"Yes. Emmett, Rose and I are leaving here at about 11 tomorrow morning, and driving to Forks. We have to come back on Saturday morning though, because Emmett has a game in Wisconsin on Sunday."

"How about you? Christmas with the parents?" I asked him.

"Yes." He smiled broadly. "I haven't had a Christmas at home in a couple of years."

"Why did you come here tonight, instead of spending the evening with your Mother and Father?" I asked, a little afraid of his answer.

"Well, they had to attend a charity event."

"Oh."

"And, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see you again before Monday."

_Oh._

My eyes widened, and he chuckled.

"To be fair though, I'll be staying with my parents for the next two days."

"Why are you staying in a hotel for most of your holiday?" I asked.

"I only stay in a hotel to keep the paps away from my parents' home. I don't want my fame to ruin their lives. So far it has worked."

_I decided to ask the million dollar question, and test his promise to be truthful while I was at it._

"Edward"

"Hmm?"

"Why aren't you spending Christmas with your girlfriend?"

Edward froze, a deer in the headlights had nothing on him. The room seemed to grow quiet and all eyes were on Edward.

Rosalie had an eyebrow quirked, and the biggest smirk on her face.

Edward cleared his throat. "Suffice it to say Bella that things aren't always what they seem. Hollywood survives by creating illusion."

_What the heck does that mean?_

And that was the exact awkward moment that Alice decided it was late, and time to go home.

We all exchanged goodbye hugs, and wished each other Merry Christmas. I couldn't tell if Edward was angry with me because of my question, but he remained distant as we said our goodbyes.

After closing the door, Rose leaned against it with her arms crossed over her chest, regarding me curiously.

"Well, well, well. It seems that our little Bella is growing up. I couldn't believe you cornered him like that. I'm proud of you Bells!"

Emmett just shook his head and chuckled. "Hey, I really like the guy. I never got to speak with him at Jasper and Alice's wedding. He seems really decent."

"Except that he supposedly has a girlfriend, and goes out on the town with a slew of different women. It's disgusting Em." Rose was clearly still a bit angry.

"I don't know about any of that" I challenged. "I'm just going to do my job, nothing more, nothing less." I declared.

_I actually sounded like I believed that._

Rose's smile got bigger. "Glad to hear it. Well, off to bed with you Bells, we've got a long day tomorrow."

I attempted to help her clean up the table, but she shooed me away.

"Goodnight Rose….and Emmett." I yelled to Em who had disappeared back towards their bedroom.

"Night Bellaboo, I  _love_ you." He called back to me.

I laughed and hugged Rose goodbye.

I set my alarm for 8am, knowing that any later and Emmett would be pounding on my door.

Just before I fell asleep, my phone chimed with an incoming text:

_**Bella-** _

_**Spending the evening with you brightened my holiday considerably.** _

_**-Edward** _

_Guess he wasn't mad after all._

_-Thursday-_

In the morning, I was busy tossing clothes into my suitcase when there was a knock on the door. It wasn't Emmett's usual "shave and a haircut…", Roger Rabbit knock.

Turned out that it was a delivery guy with a package for me.

When I opened it I was shocked to find more than two dozen tulips in every color imaginable. The enclosed card said it all.

_**Beautiful Bella,** _

_**Here's hoping these make the winter a little more bearable, as you long for Spring.** _

_**E** _

_How sweet. My gosh, that boy's a charmer._

I looked under my sink and brought out the biggest vase I owned. I was standing there admiring my flowers when my door flew open.

"Bellaboo, I just packed a bunch of gifts in the hummer. I'm here for your suitcase. And why the HELL wasn't your door locked?" Emmett said all that without taking a breath as he burst into my living room.

"Oh I must have forgotten to lock it after the flowers arrived."

"Whoa." Emmett's eyes were bugging as he caught sight of the tulips. "Bells, um, you don't date, so who sent those?"

The card was lying on my coffee table. I wasn't fast enough as I lunged for it. Emmett held me back easily with one arm as he read it.

After studying it for a moment, he spoke "Okay, so, I won't tell Rosie about this, if you let  _me_  choose the music on the ride to Forks."

"Oh Em, you don't fight fair. Besides she's going to find out eventually."

"Yes Grasshopper, I am aware. But wouldn't it be better for her to find out  _AFTER_ Christmas, rather than  _BEFORE_."

 _I had to agree with that logic_.

"Okay." I said, defeated. Emmett grabbed my luggage along with his and Rosalie's, from out in the hall, and literally danced toward the elevators. I watched in disbelief as he gyrated his hips while dancing to the music in his head.

If his football career failed, the boy could get a job as an exotic dancer. I'm just sayin.

I grabbed my purse, and the pies I baked for Christmas dinner, and exited my apartment, shutting and locking my door just as Rose was coming out of their place, carrying more gifts.

"No Beastie Boys!" I shouted to Emmett.

Emmett's laugh echoed back up the hallway to us.

An hour into the ride, and I couldn't take any more of Emmett's music choices. I was forced to put my ear buds in.

I actually kind of enjoyed the funk music he first played, and was grooving right along with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. But once he started playing the Beastie Boys and various and sundry Rap artists, I felt my nerves unraveling. No amount of begging or pleading would get him to stop.

With my ear buds firmly in place, I was listening to the soothing sounds of Snow Patrol, when I decided to text Edward.

I couldn't thank him for the flowers with a phone call, not with my nosy family sitting nearby anyway.

_**Edward-** _

_**I just wanted to thank you for the flowers, they were beyond beautiful.** _

_**-Bella** _

After a few moments, my phone chirped back a response:

_**Isabella-** _

_**I'm so glad you got them before you left. The florist assured me that they would stay fresh for several days. They can never compare to your loveliness, but I tried. How is your trip?** _

_**-E** _

_That man can melt me with a text. I really don't know how I will survive next week._

_**E-** _

_**Let's just say that Emmett is more in touch with his inner child than usual. I'll be glad when we arrive.** _

_**-B** _

I realized that Rose had turned her head, and was looking in my direction.

_Crap. I hope she's not on to me._

_**B-** _

_**I understand. I love Alice dearly, but she too has never lost her childlike wonder….especially at Christmas.** _

_**-E** _

_I chuckled. Rose is staring again. I am so busted._

_**E-** _

_**That's a lovely way to phrase it. In Emmett's case, it's more like he morphs into a 'pain in the ass' five year old.** _

_**-B** _

_I'm scooting over behind Rose's seat so she can't watch me. So far so good, make it look like I'm stretching out my legs for a nap._

_**B-** _

_**HaHa. Speak of the devil. Alice is calling. I have to go. Have a wonderful Christmas Bella. I'll see you soon.** _

_**-E** _

_She's still watching in the side view mirror. Maybe I can pretend to mess with my ipod instead of my phone._

_**E-** _

_**You too. My best wishes to your family. See you after Christmas.** _

_**-B** _

After what seemed like forever, we finally pulled into my Dad's driveway. Charlie was out the door before Emmett turned the engine off.

He had a look of pure joy on his face as he hugged each of us. "Merry Christmas kids. How was the drive?"

"Long." I was still irritated about Emmett's so-called music.

"I would rather Emmett had farted all the way here if it meant I didn't have to listen to his lousy music."

"Hey, that's a stellar idea Bells. I'll remember that for the ride home." He replied with his cheesiest grin.

"Don't you even think about it Emmett Swan, or your ass, and your farts, will be riding on the OUTSIDE of the hummer!" Rose had reached her limit of patience.

My Dad just laughed. He adored Rosalie. " Emmett you need to behave, you have a game Monday. I'd hate to see Rose incapacitate you beforehand."

The best way to describe my Dad's house would be "comfortable". It felt like home to me, my safe zone. Nowhere else that I had ever lived with my Mom ever felt like home. We moved so often that I never put down roots anywhere but in Forks.

"Okay kids, you know the drill. Emmett, you stay in your old room. Bella, you and Rose will bunk in yours."

"Aw, come on Pops, Rose and I live together. Don't you think it's time you gave up that tired old rule?" Every year they had the same argument.

"Maybe you're right Emmett." Charlie said as he grabbed Rose's left hand. "Let me see, no, I still don't see a wedding band. I guess you are 'shit out of luck' again this year Emmett." Charlie chuckled, slapped my brother on the back, and grabbed a couple of suitcases to take inside.

We followed him into the house as Emmett mumbled.

"There goes another chance to fulfill my adolescent fantasy."

"Do I even want to know what you are talking about Emmett?" Rose asked.

"You know, every guy's fantasy? Having sex with a hot chick in his childhood bedroom of course! And Charlie has once again cock-blocked my hopes and aspirations!" Emmett wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Rose tried to look angry, but couldn't hold back the laughter that erupted from her lips. She yanked my brother over to the dining room doorway, under the sprig of plastic mistletoe hanging there, and landed a sloppy kiss on his lips.

"Ugh, my eyes, burning" I screamed as I ran from the room.

After Rose and I unpacked some clothes and our toiletries, I headed back downstairs and set to work in the kitchen. I had e-mailed Charlie a grocery list a few days before, and at first glance, it looked like he'd managed to get everything we needed.

I fried fish, oysters and potato fritters for our Christmas Eve dinner. I enlisted Emmett's help shredding cabbage for slaw.

After that was all done, Rose helped me prepare some of the food for tomorrow's dinner. As I placed the turkey in the oven to slow cook, I could hear Emmett and Dad laughing in the living room.

_Must be 'A Christmas Story' night._

We carried trays full of fish fry into the living room just as Santa kicked Ralphie down the chute while shouting ' _You'll shoot your eye out kid'._ Dad and Emmett were in hysterics of course.

By the time the Bumpass's dogs had devoured the turkey, forcing Ralphie and his family to go out for Chinese food, we were all fat and happy from our fish dinner.

"Okay kids, we have a couple of hours before we have to leave for midnight Mass. I'm going to go grab a shower." Charlie said as he headed upstairs.

Rose and Emmett helped clear away the dishes before Em headed up to shower in the guest bathroom.

I brewed a pot of tea, and Rose and I sat down at the kitchen table.

I sighed as I looked around Charlie's little kitchen.

"Holidays are still hard for you aren't they Bells?" She asked, knowing the answer.

"I just miss her, you know? But I don't feel bad all the time now, like I used to. The worst are holidays and birthdays."

Rose patted my hand. "It's the same for Emmett. I wish I could do something to help honey."

"Oh but Rose, you already do. You've helped me so much. Don't you realize that."

"You've been there from the beginning. There were days I literally wanted to curl up and die. You were the one to kick me in the butt to keep me going." I hung my head as the tears flowed. "You're my  _person."_

"Why do I feel like we're in an episode of Grey's Anatomy?" Rose sniffled, and giggled at the same time.

"If this is Grey's then who am I?" I asked.

"You are definitely Meredith, and I'm Christina. No offense, but you'd never be kick-ass enough to be Christina."

We both laughed. "I'm serious about what I said Rose. I owe everything to you, Emmett and Dad. You gave me a life back."

"Bella, damnit, you know how much I hate to cry!" I looked at Rose as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Jesus, that's not something you see every day." said Emmett from the doorway. "I need to get something. Maybe we could catch them in this." Emmett grabbed an empty coffee cup and held it under Rose's face like he was trying to catch her tears.

"Emmett you are such an asshole!" The sound of the smack she landed on the back of Emmett's head caused my father to come running into the kitchen with his video camera in hand.

"Rosie, can you do that again so I can catch it on film?" Dad asked with a grin.

"Gladly Charlie" The next smack was even harder.

***************************V&V********************************

"Come on bitches, we got some praying to do."

We had just pulled into the church parking lot, and Emmett was in rare form.

"Dad, I don't want Emmett to embarrass us again this year during Mass. He doesn't know how to behave. He French kissed Rose during the sign of peace last year, and old Mrs. Gilbert almost had a heart attack."

"That old busybody is always faking a heart-attack, but your sister's right Emmett. Try to behave with some decorum this year, okay?"

"You got it Pops. No swearing, farting or frenching in church. Am I good for giving Rose a little grope?"

"Emmett are you high?" Rose asked him incredulously.

"Definitely not. You'd know if I was babe. The team has mandatory drug testing."

"You're hopeless." I muttered as I exited the car.

"Bells, I blame this on the fact that he only goes to Mass once a year. If he went more often, like we do, he'd remember how to behave." My Dad said as he walked with me to the door.

As it turned out, Emmett did behave, somewhat. In other words, he never really had the chance to act out.

About halfway through Father Pat's insightful and touching sermon, some old drunk dude wandered into church and slid into the pew across the aisle from us.

As Father Pat reminded us all of the wonderful gifts bestowed upon us with the birth of our Lord, old drunk dude decided to "Praise Jesus" and "Praise the Lord" out loud. He started in a low murmur, then got progressively louder.

I was embarrassed for him, but also embarrassed for myself when the baboon seated to my right, also known as Emmett, began snickering. After a few minutes, to my sheer humiliation, not only Rose but even Charlie were joining in the inappropriate chuckles.

_This entire family needs an intervention._

Eventually, old drunk dude fell asleep and began to snore. This set off a whole new round of laughter from my troop of idiots.

When Mass was nearly over, I noticed a frantic looking woman enter from one of the side doors. Something told me that she was here for our visitor. Her eyes searched the congregation; I waved to get her attention, and pointed to old drunk dude. She had to have been his daughter because the resemblance was uncanny. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she saw him.

We all watched her as she silently slid into the pew beside him, and gently placed one arm around his shoulder, holding him up into a seated position. She then held his hand with her free one. They sat like that until the end of Mass.

Father Pat's sermon had been all about "unconditional love", and we'd all just witnessed a perfect example of just that. A child's love for her father, despite his addiction. Gods love for his children, despite our faults. My family's love for me, no matter how broken I was.

Emmett squeezed my hand, I could tell without looking at his face that he understood.

*********************************V&V*************************

"Emmett, I can't believe you did that." We were exiting through the Church doors as I lit into my brother yet again.

"Bells, what did he do now?" Charlie and Rose were waiting outside.

"Dad, he wanted to go up with me to visit the crèche. I foolishly said he could. Once we got up there, he asked what to do. I told him to just say a little prayer to baby Jesus."

"Yeah Pops, but she didn't like my prayer. I think Bella may be a bit of a fascist."

"First of all Emmett, you should pray silently, then maybe everyone in there wouldn't have heard you ask baby Jesus how it was hanging!"

I could see Charlie and Rose trying to hold back their laughter.

"Well Emmett, you almost behaved yourself this year, congratulations." We all turned to find Father Pat standing right behind us with a big smile on his face.

"Hey Father, good to see you" Emmett said as he gave Father one of those manly half-hugs."

"Hi Father" I said smiling as I gave him a proper hug.

"Now cut that out Bella dear, or they'll start a rumor that I'm some kind of ladies man." he said in his thick Irish brogue. "But seriously now, how are you doing darling?"

"I'm good Father."

_If I said great, he'd know I was lying, and 'good' is a lot better than I used to be._

Father Pat was one of my lifelines during the darkest days of my life, that terrible period after the death of my mother. He knew my pain as well as Charlie, Emmett and Rose did.

"Good is a step in the right direction Isabella, but always strive for better." He studied my face as he smiled at me. "Well I need to go see what kind of damage I can do elsewhere. Happy Christmas all!" He said to the family, and walked away to greet other parishioners.

"Let's go home kids, it's officially Christmas morning." Charlie took my hand, leading me to the car.

As we drove through the quiet streets toward home, I looked out the window at the sleepy little town with all its Christmas lights aglow. My thoughts drifted to Edward, and I silently wondered how he had spent his Christmas Eve. I also wondered if I had been on his mind at all this evening.

When we got home, Emmett decided he couldn't wait until daylight to open gifts, so we flopped onto the living room sofa. Emmett, by far the most excited, sat on the floor by the Christmas tree, and distributed the gifts.

Being a broke college student, I couldn't afford much in the way of presents for my family. I got Rose a gift certificate to her favorite spa. For Charlie I got some fishing supplies he had specifically asked for, a custom made fishing shirt, and a couple DVDs.

For Emmett, I purchased several humorous t-shirts. This created a major dilemma for him, as he tried to decide which one was the most appropriate for Christmas Day.

"Today is a special, solemn occasion folks. I believe my shirt choice should reflect my serious side, the part of me that is the "deep thinker", if you will." He thought for a few moments, tapping his chin with his index finger. " _Drive Shaft_  it is my brothers!" He shouted as he fist pumped, and proceeded to pull the shirt on over his head.

My favorite gift was from Rosalie. She had chosen three photos from my Mom's old albums, and commissioned an artist friend of hers to replicate them into larger oil paintings. Each painting measured about 10 by 13 inches in size, the canvases were framed and ready to display.

I had had a hard time looking through those photo albums. When I tried, it brought back so many painful memories of life with my Mom, and worst of all, the day she died. Thankfully, Rose had gone through them and chosen three very special shots.

My gift was a painting of Mom and Dad's Wedding photo. It was beautiful; the artist brought out my mother's piercing blue eyes, so much like Emmett's, and Dad's brown ones, so much like mine.

They were deeply in love, and their eyes reflected their hope, albeit a vain one, for their future.

The one Rose chose for Emmett was of the entire family at one of Emmett's pee wee football games when he was about 10 years old. Little did we all know at the time that, someday, Emmett would be living his dream of becoming a professional football player.

The one she chose for my father was by far my favorite. It was of Emmett and me. I was only a couple of months old, lying on my side, and Emmett was lying beside me, curled around me protectively. We were both sound asleep, facing one another, Emmett holding my little hand in his.

"I remember that day well." Charlie said as he looked at it, his voice breaking. "It was Thanksgiving Day at Grandma Swan's. You were only two months old Bells, and Emmett had just celebrated his sixth birthday."

"You had fallen asleep, and your mother decided to put you in one of the spare bedrooms where it was quiet. She placed you on the bed and surrounded you with pillows, even though you were still too young to roll over."

"After a while, we realized Emmett had gone missing. We searched everywhere, or at least we thought we had."

"As it turns out, Grandma Swan, realizing that Emmett could never be parted from you for long, found you both asleep. Your Mom took the photo." Charlie said, clearing his throat.

Emmett nodded his head. "I didn't want Mom to put Bella in that room. I didn't want her to wake up in a strange place and be afraid." He said quietly "I didn't tell anyone I was going in there, because I knew they'd stop me. I just needed to make sure she was okay, and I must have fallen asleep."

"Ever my protector." I said to him, with a smile.

"I try, but sometimes it's not enough." He said sadly.

I patted his hand, and kissed his cheek.

Turning to Rose, I said "These are beautiful paintings Rose, thank you." I hugged her. "You're so thoughtful and sweet."

"Well now that we're done with our Oprah moment, I'd better hit the sack," announced Emmett. "Alone. Unless you've changed your mind about the sleeping arrangements Pops?" He looked at Charlie hopefully.

"Sorry to disappoint, but not gonna happen son." Charlie grinned.

"Well, I  _am_  disappointed, but I'll survive." He said as he stood up and stretched. "See you on the flipside family. My asscrack and I both wish you a Merry Christmas!" Emmett stated, and then he let rip the loudest, nastiest fart known to mankind.

_Oh my hell. That stench could choke a buffalo._

"Oh jeez Em, WHAT THE HELL?" shouted Charlie, jumping up from his seat on the couch. "What are you twelve?"

"Hey don't persecute me because of my flatulence." He paused, deep in thought. "But do you know what this means?" He asked, his voice rising at the end in alarm.

"What Emmett, I'm dying to hear?" Rose responded as she pinched her nose shut.

"I have to wear a different t-shirt now." As he pulled off the  _Drive Shaft_ shirt and replaced it with:

_You laugh because I'm different_

_I laugh because I just farted_

And for that he earned another swat on the back of the head, courtesy of Rosalie.

I was beyond exhausted when Rose and I made our way up to my room.

"G'nite Rosie." I mumbled.

To which she replied something that sounded like goodnight, but I was asleep before my brain could register it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At some point in every Catholic's life, they've experienced the drunk visitor during Midnight Mass. I have to admit I would have enjoyed the occasion more if Emmett had been with me.


	4. Grits & Vitamin R

   

 **Much later**  that morning we all stumbled downstairs where everyone proceeded to help make brunch.

I made French toast, and the toppings. Charlie cooked up some sausage. Emmett made his specialty, scrambled eggs, and Rose was in charge of grits and biscuits.

"I may not sound Southern, but I was born in Texas, and my Mama's from Georgia. Tough shit if you don't like grits, I'm making them anyway! And besides, it's one of the few things I know how to cook!" Rose snarked when Emmett teased her about her grits obsession.

I had to admit that I really liked grits, especially when Rose taught me the proper way to eat them.

"Never, and I mean  _never_  put sugar on grits Bella." She had said. "It is a slap in the face to southern culture if you do. It's one of the ways we southerners can weed out the posers." She had whispered conspiratorially.

_Did I mention that I love Rosalie? The girl has an opinion about everything._

After stuffing ourselves, we retreated to the living room with pots of hot tea and coffee. Dad and Emmett watched football, while I straightened up the room. Hurricane Emmett had cut a large path of destruction through my father's house.

Dinner wouldn't be for several hours, so Rose and I decided to go for a walk in order to burn off some of the holiday calories.

"Still doing okay Bells?" I know Rose was afraid that, at any moment, I was going to break down and ruin everyone's holiday. It had happened a handful of times over the years, but I was determined to not let that happen this Christmas.

"Actually Rose, I feel better than I have since the…, since you know. Maybe I've finally reached a turning point."

She nodded slowly.

"I don't know. Maybe it's just wishful thinking." I said quietly. "I only know that I'm tired of being broken. I'm almost finished school. I'm a grown woman, and I keep waiting for my life to start. I feel like I've fallen behind everyone else. It's been almost seven years. This horror has consumed a third of my life. I'm just…. so exhausted."

"Bella, don't be so hard on yourself." She slowed her walk as she thought. "What you lived through, what you had to recover from, my lord, you were so young. It would have broken stronger people than you. I think you've done remarkably well."

She stopped walking at this point. "You know Emmett has nightmares." She continued quietly.

"What?" My poor brother.

"Bells, you honestly don't think that you're the only one affected by what happened. Emmett was a mess. I understand why you didn't see it. You couldn't see anything after.. Anyway, you both lost your mother, and even though we were never in danger of losing you  _physically,_ all of us were terrified that you would never  _really_ come back to us mentally or emotionally."

_Oh God. I've caused so much anguish._

"Stop it Bells. Stop it right now. I can see what you're doing. Don't you dare take this blame upon yourself. There's only one person to blame for this, and we both know who he is."

My entire body tensed.

_Please, don't say his name. I can't bear to hear it. Not today. Today is happy._

Rose stopped speaking when she saw my facial expression and tense posture. She put her arm around my shoulder, and turned us back towards the house. No more was mentioned of that unspeakable day, and that despicable man.

- _V &V-_-

Charlie had invited friends for dinner, so as I finished preparing the rest of the food, Rose set the dining room table with Charlie's mismatched dishes. Emmett filled a cooler on the back porch with ice and Vitamin R.

My father was, above all, a simple man. And that was a good thing.

When everything was ready, I went upstairs to shower and change. I walked into my room to find a seething Rosalie glaring at me, my cell phone in her hand.

_I am in for it now. She's got that 'take no prisoners' look on her face. Shit!_

"What kind of flowers did he send you Bella? I'm just curious. I mean exactly what type of flower does the man-whore think will buy you?"

"Now hold on Rosalie, that's not fair, and what you're doing is an invasion of my privacy" I was getting angry. "I told him that I hated winter, and couldn't wait for Spring to arrive so I could see tulips. He was just trying to be nice." I defended.

"HA! I wonder  _how many_ womenhe's been nice to this Christmas?"

"Babe what is going on in here?" Emmett said from the doorway.

"She read my texts, Emmett. She knows about the flowers." I said, stupidly forgetting that I was implicating my brother.

Rose's evil look scorched across the room, straight to Emmett. He immediately took a protective posture, and cupped his junk.

_Smart boy. Rosalie "ball-buster" Whitlock was in the house._

"You know about this Emmett?" She spat.

"I saw the flowers right before we left. It's not that big a deal, babe. And besides, it enabled me to listen to 50 Cent during the drive." He grinned.

"What are you talking about Emmett?" Rose was confused.

"Simple, I told Bells that I wouldn't mention the flowers to you, provided I get complete control of the car stereo on the drive here."

Rosalie paused, still looking confused but not as angry. Emmett let down his guard a little and approached her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

And, just like that, I saw Rosalie's shoulders relax, her anger dissipated.

_Emmett is the only person on earth that can accomplish that. He dazzled her with bullshit._

"Look, Bells is going to work for Edward next week. I'm glad he seems to like her, it would be awful if he didn't."

"Emmett how can you have such a cavalier attitude. This guy has a reputation, don't you care about your sister?"

And for the first time in a long time, my brother looked upset, maybe even angry.

"Rosalie." he said sternly. "You know better than to question my love for Bella. I would  _kill_  anyone that hurt her."

"I don't know. Rose, look, I just have a gut feeling about this. I talked with Edward the other night. I got to know him and his family." Emmett shook his head. "All I'm saying is that the Edward I got to know doesn't fit the image that the media is forcing down our throats."

"Look babe, I know guys. I  _am_ one. There's no way that Edward uses and discards women. And remember what he said,  _Hollywood survives by creating illusion._ I think he was trying to tell us something."

_Who knew Emmett was paying attention. And when the hell did he become perceptive? Who is this person, and what has he done with my brother?_

Unbelievably, Rose seemed to give up the argument after that. Being a reporter, nothing intrigued her more than a good mystery. Emmett had given her a lot to think about.

She turned to me. "Bells, I owe you an apology. I should have given you some credit. I  _really_ worry about you, that's all."

"I know Rose, and I love you for it." I answered.

"I'm willing to give Edward a chance. Emmett has never been wrong about people before, so I'm willing to step back and let you handle this. But Bella,  _please_  don't hesitate to ask for help if you feel uncomfortable, okay?"

"You got it MamaRose. Edward's been nothing but a gentleman, I don't foresee any problems." I smiled at her.

"Now, I'm going to shower and get dressed." I still had a dinner to get through.

Emmett and Rose both hugged me before leaving the room.

- _V &V_-

By the time the guests arrived, you would have never known that Rose and I had argued.

Ever mindful that I didn't react well to being around a lot of strangers, Charlie only invited a couple people for Christmas dinner.

Harry and Sue Clearwater were my Dad's best friends. Their son Seth was a couple years younger than me, and was a great guy. Harry was one of Charlie's fishing buddies, and Sue had taken Charlie and Emmett under her wing after my Mom and Dad divorced.

Their entire family had been a great help to us after my Mom's death.

As we sat eating Christmas dinner, Sue talked about their daughter Leah, who was a couple years older than me.

Leah graduated from the University of Alaska almost three years ago, landed a job working in the Governor's office, and married the man of her dreams a month later.

Harry and Sue were thrilled when Leah called them this morning with a Christmas surprise, they were going to become grandparents in August.

Soon, everyone retired to the living room. Dinner had been so filling that we all needed some time before tackling dessert.

I slipped through the kitchen door to Charlie's little covered back porch. I grabbed a vitamin R from the cooler, and relaxed in one of the deck chairs.

All this talk of dream jobs, marriages and babies brought me back to the conversation I'd had earlier with Rose.

I knew that soon, Rose and Emmett would marry and start their family. They can't be expected to take care of me forever. .

Suddenly, I'd never felt more alone.

I had been so incredibly selfish by letting everyone else carry my problems. I needed to face up and deal with things on my own.

I could always get a job teaching here in Forks and live with Charlie. I knew if I did that, it would only be a continuation of what I was doing now, living an imitation of life. Hiding from the world. I go to school. I work. I interact with my family, but I have no other friends to speak of. My fear of letting someone close has always been stronger than the need for companionship.

Maybe if I can survive working with Edward, and prove that I can function normally, I will know that I am truly healing. I can move forward and live the happy and normal life I was meant to.

_I knew my feelings for Edward are unreasonable. If nothing else, maybe I could be his friend. Could I settle for that?_

I thought for a while and realized that since my mother's death, I've never allowed myself to be happy. I would always find a way to talk myself out of taking chances. Is this what I was doing with Edward?

Part of the problem was that when I was happy, I also had intense feelings of guilt. Father Pat told me it was 'survivor's guilt'.

And with that guilt, came the blackest thoughts imaginable:  _Why didn't I die too? I shouldn't enjoy anything, it's not right. I feel like I'm hurting my mother, when I'm happy. She doesn't get to blow out birthday candles or open Christmas presents or see her son get married._

In the end, I knew that I was the only one that could change my course.

At that moment, I made my decision. I felt like I was on the brink, and decided to take the step forward into the unknown. I already knew what was behind me. Sorrow, confusion and despair. I was going forward.

I was going to be the best damn personal assistant Edward Masen ever had. I was going to officially accept Alice's invitation for Spring break. I couldn't explain why, but I needed Alice's friendship. I wasn't going to let my feelings of guilt rule me anymore. My mother would want me to live. She'd done an awful lot of living in her 41 years, almost as if she knew she didn't have a lot of time.

With the knowledge of my epiphany fresh in my mind, I smiled. A real smile. I saw a new future. Instead of one that was gloomy and grey, I saw one with beautiful brilliant colors,

_All the colors of the rainbow, just like my tulips._

_-V &V-_

Father Pat arrived just in time for dessert, full of stories of his Christmas Day.

"Well, I was invited to dinner with the Corbit family, and I accepted. I'm here to tell you now that was a mistake." Father said with a chuckle.

"Their children were completely out of control. I knew they were badly behaved at Church, but that was nothing compared to those animals in their native habitat."

We all laughed. The Corbits had six children, ranging in age from ten years down to six months, all horrible, except maybe the baby..but I only gave that until he learns to walk. Charlie always says that as soon as their twin boys become teenagers, he knows he'll have his work cut out for him.

"The twins decided to duel above the baby's head with their new toy rifles. One of the little girls took her new stamp pad and letter stamps, and proceeded to write dirty words all over the living room walls."

We all cracked up at that.

"I have to say that even though she may be the spawn of Satan, her spelling was impeccable."

"Mrs. Corbit flitted about trying to stop the madness, while himself, the esteemed Mister Corbit set his arse down on the sofa, in the middle of bedlam, and proceeded to drink his beer."

"I had to get out of there, so as soon as the supper was over I bolted out the door, although I wasn't fast enough to avoid getting slimed by one of them."

Father showed us a large wet spot on the side of his shirt, it looked green.

"I think it  _really_ was slime too. What kind of eedjit gives their child slime?"

"As I was  _speeding_  down the road, sorry Charlie," He nodded toward my Dad, "trying to put as much distance between myself and that nuthouse, I could almost  _hear_ Isabella's apple pie calling to me." He said with a wink.

Father Pat was such a joy to be around. We all laughed, and I made sure he got his apple pie as the men settled comfortably in the living room.

Emmett, being the moron he tends to be, decided that this was the perfect time to watch 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation', his last DVD choice for this holiday season.

Rose, Sue and I cleared away the mess on the dining room table, but decided the kitchen could wait until later.

Just as I grabbed my dessert, so I could join everyone else in the living room, I heard " _Shitter was full",_ followed by uproarious laughter. Yep, cousin Eddie had arrived on the scene in all his dumb-ass glory.

I was a little shocked that Father Pat was laughing as hard as Emmett. To each his own, I suppose.

"You know I'm of the firm opinion that  _every_ family has at least one cousin Eddie." said Father.

_Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce Emmett Swan, our own resident 'Cousin Eddie'._

Once the movie ended, and we'd laughed ourselves silly, Harry, Sue and Seth took their leave.

Father Pat stayed a while longer. After he got through lecturing Emmett about "getting back to Church", he kept us entertained with stories of his childhood in Ireland. The trouble that he and his brothers got into were some of the funniest stories I'd ever heard, and I'm related to Emmett, the uncrowned king of crazy stunts.

Father Pat left shortly after, and once the downstairs was put back in order, we all headed up to our beds.

I sat on my bed waiting for Rose to finish in the bathroom.

Just then, my phone signaled an incoming text.

_**B-** _

_**Here's hoping all of your Christmas wishes came true. Sweet dreams, beautiful Bella.** _

_**-E** _

It was a good thing I was already sitting down. My feelings and thoughts are all over the place. Edward has me feeling things I never have.

I can't help but think that Edward has strong feelings for me also. The flowers and the texts are starting to convince me of this. He said he would be honest, and I'm going to have to take a risk and learn to trust.

This would be the hardest thing I've had to do since my Mom's death. But I had to believe that Edward was worth it.

I decided to throw caution to the wind and answer the text.

_**E-** _

_**Thank you Edward. I hope that you got everything you wanted for Christmas as well.** _

_**I'm looking forward to seeing you again, I enjoy your company very much.** _

_**-B** _

I pressed 'send' and immediately regretted it, thinking maybe that last line was too much.

I worried my lip as I thought about that, but didn't have much time to get worked up before my phone chirped again.

_**B-** _

_**When I seen you again, I hope to show how much I value your company.** _

_**As for getting what I wanted, there are officially 'twelve' days of Christmas, and I hope to get what I really want before that time is up.** _

_**I miss your beautiful smile.** _

_**-E** _

-========== _V &V_==========-

I awoke in the pitch black. Something wasn't right. I remembered I was in my old room, and reached a hand out to find the bed empty.

Supposing that Rose was in the bathroom, I waited. And of course, just because I thought about it, I had to pee.

_Hurry up Rose. I need to go._

After a few minutes, I decided to go check on her. Maybe she was sick.

I walked out into the hall to find the bathroom door open, and the bathroom dark and unoccupied.

That was when I heard  _it._

A muffled giggle, followed by a moan, then a  _creak, creak, creak_ of the mattress, the noises were coming from Emmett's room.

_O my hell, they did not!_

I pretended to be asleep when Rose came back to bed a little while later.

"Fulfilling Emmett's fantasies part of his Christmas present Rose?" I giggled.

She gasped, then laughed and swatted me on the butt. "Shut it Bells."


	5. Kelly Kapowski & The Cougar

 

The next morning, we needed to return to Seattle. By tradition, we always went to the Forks coffee shop for breakfast. We did this every year because, as Dad put it, "Bella deserved a  _vacation from cooking_  after all her hard work".

We packed up the hummer, and headed out in two vehicles. I rode with Dad in the patrol car.

"You seem really chipper today Bells."

"I guess I am Dad. I kind of decided some stuff yesterday."

"What kind of stuff?" He asked.

"Um, I decided I want to be happy."

It was a simple statement, but the significance of it was enormous.

Charlie was quiet for a long moment, then he cleared his throat.

"You know Bells, that's all that  _any_ parent wants for their child." His voice broke on the last word.

I understood. He was giving me permission to be happy. He was telling me that Mom wants me to be happy. It's amazing how much we always understood each other. Charlie took my hand, and held it on the console between us all the way to the coffee shop.

We sat in my favorite booth, by the window.

Emmett had decided to wear his ' _I French Kissed Kelly Kapowski'_ t-shirt, earning him grins and chuckles from the unlikeliest people.

_Who would've thought there were so many 'Saved by the Bell' fans in Forks._

He also had to sign a few autographs, and pose for a few pictures with the locals.

As we were leaving the diner, Margie, our favorite waitress, forced us to take two boxes, one for us, one for Charlie. We thanked her and exchanged hugs all around, saying goodbye to Dad before piling into the hummer to head back to Seattle.

I peeked in our box, "Mmmmm, Cheesecake."

"Dibs!" shouted Emmett.

- _V &V-_-

The ride home was relatively uneventful until we were about 30 minutes from Seattle.

"You know, I almost forgot one of your presents Bellaboo!"

To say that I trusted Emmett would have been a lie. He was up to something.

"Okay, I'll bite. What gift did you forget to give me Emmett?"

"Why, I'm pleased you asked Bells. I have a special delivery of those farts you ordered."

Then he proceeded to attempt to kill Rose and I with his noxious fumes.

"Emmett!" screamed Rose, when she could finally breathe again. "I warned you, but I can't throw you out of a moving vehicle. I hope you enjoyed last night, because you are sleeping in the guest room for a week!"

"Oh Rosie, don't be like that, I was just playing around." He whined.

"Shut it gas bag, my decision is final."

Even Emmett knew not to mess with Rose when she was this angry.

- _V &V_-

The rest of the weekend went by quickly. The closer it got to Monday, though, the more nervous I got.

I hung around my apartment, over-thinking everything. I did manage to hang my new oil painting on the dining room wall, it was beautiful.

After our meal of leftovers, the car arrived to drive Emmett to the airport.

I received another text from Edward before going to bed on Saturday night.

The next morning, Rose went with me to Mass at the Cathedral. This was something new, but I was really happy I didn't have to go alone.

When we got back, we watched Emmett's game. He played very well but, unfortunately the rest of the team didn't. They lost 48 to 10. Ordinarily, Rose and I would have gone to Wisconsin to cheer him on, but because of the Masen interview, we decided to stay here.

I turned in early, it had been a long weekend after all. I showered and dried my hair, and crawled into bed. My cell phone was charging on the nightstand, and I noticed that the message light was blinking. I must have missed it while I was in the shower.

_**Beautiful Bella-** _

_**Looking forward to tomorrow. A car will arrive at 9am to pick you up. Pleasant dreams.** _

_**-E** _

_Controlling much? Sending a car? What?_

Because it was too late to argue, I decided not to fight it and just be gracious. The next three days should be pretty interesting.

_**E-** _

_**Thank you. I'll see you then.** _

_**Goodnight.** _

_**-B** _

- _V &V_-

I barely got any sleep that night. Thankfully, it wasn't because of my usual nightmares. I tossed and turned and dreamt of beautiful green eyes and tousled bronze hair instead.

I got up early and proceeded to change my mind fifteen times about what to wear. I finally decided on a cute little peach sleeveless dress, coupled with a tan cardigan so I wouldn't freeze. Not too flirty, but not too conservative either.

I was ready to go by 8:30. Rose had headed out early, so we didn't even have coffee together. I knew that Emmett had arrived home late last night, but I had yet to see him.

By 9am, I was sitting on my couch, bundled up in my coat, hat and gloves. I couldn't stop my leg from bouncing. My nerves in total control.

Finally Pete, the doorman, buzzed up to tell me that there was a car waiting.

On the ride to the hotel, I tried to calm myself by reading over the notes that Rose and I had made. Before I knew it, I was at the hotel and knocking at Edward's door.

He opened it, and gazed at me, lost in thought for a moment.

"Um, hi Edward, are you going to let me in?"

He relaxed and smiled, "Of course, forgive me Bella, please come in."

I placed my things on the coffee table, and stood, waiting for Edward's instructions.

"Bella, please have a seat, we can go over my itinerary for the week."

I took a seat on the sofa. Edward came to sit beside me, papers in hand.

The bulk of the interview was going to be done today. At about 11 o'clock, the camera crew would arrive to set up.

After lunch, Rose would be here to do the actual interview. That was all that was scheduled for today. The next two days were filled with clothing fittings, more interview with Rose on location in Seattle, and a photo shoot on Wednesday.

Edward decided that while we waited for the camera crew to arrive, we could get to know each other better.

"Well, Bella. Here we are again." His mood had turned downright cheerful.

I couldn't help but smile at him. I was getting better at keeping my composure when he was around, as long as he didn't touch me.

Not that his touch would upset me, quite the opposite.

"I think we left a few questions unanswered last time we were together."

"And what questions would you be referring to Edward?" I could feel myself getting nervous.

"I know you want to be a writer. I'm a great believer in being able to judge a writer by their preferred authors. So who are they? Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, who are your favorites?"

"I love those you mentioned, and do count them among my favorites. But I would have to include Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thomas Hardy, Tolstoy, I'd also have to include the writings of Saint Augustine, and Saint Thomas More, the list goes on and on."

"That's impressive." And I had to admit that he  _looked_ impressed. "I happen to enjoy the works of those authors also." He stated.

"My favorite may surprise you Edward." I said with a smug smile.

"Hmm. Let me guess. Could it be the woman who has written the series of vampire novels that are all the rage right now?" He asked with a smirk.

"No, not my favorite, although I enjoy that series immensely. If they ever make them into movies, I could even picture you in the lead role." I grinned at him mischievously.

This statement brought forth a laugh from Edward's lips. "I'd never say I wouldn't do it. For me, it always depends on the strength of the script. If they sent it to me for consideration, I'd definitely read it" he answered. "So, you never said who your favorite is."

"J. R. R. Tolkien." I replied, the reverence evident in my tone. "If Middle Earth was a real place, I would give anything to go there." I added quietly.

" I re-read the Lord of the Rings every couple of years, and am literally pulled into the story and live there until I finish."

"I have to admit that it's not what I expected. Not for a  _girl_ anyway." He said teasingly. "It's one of my favorites also."

"So what about Middle Earth intrigues you so much Bella?" He questioned.

"In that world, even though there is a fair share of tragedy, good ultimately conquers evil. And once evil is utterly vanquished, the main character is able to escape his pain in the undying lands. A place where all pain, sorrow, and memory of evil is forgotten. A place of complete peace and happiness." I murmured.

"Bella, you just described heaven." He said sadly.

"Hm, I guess I did, or the undying lands of Tolkien's world. I just like the idea of not having to go through death to get there I suppose." I shrugged, trying to lighten the mood.

He studied me sadly. "Bella, forgive me for asking, but what is it that haunts you? I can see it in your eyes, and I wish I could understand."

"Have Alice or Jasper told you anything about me Edward?" I asked, fearful of his answer.

"Alice didn't know you until last week, and all that Jasper told us was that you were a wonderful person. He did mention that you and Emmett lost your mother several years ago, and that it was traumatic, but that's all. I honestly don't think he knows any more than what he said."

_Bless Rose. I love her even more. She didn't tell my secrets, not even to her brother._

"Edward" I said as I cleared my throat. "I'm not ready to tell you everything yet, maybe soon, but not yet." My voice getting a little stronger.

"When you're ready Bella." He smiled softly.

We were both quiet for a moment.

"Tell me about your father. What does he do?" He asked, changing the subject slightly.

"Charlie is the Chief of Police in Forks." I stated matter-of-factly.

"No kidding?" he asked, amused.

"Was it hard being the Chief of Police's daughter?" He asked with a smile.

"No. Everyone pretty much left me alone."

_More alone than you can imagine Edward. They were afraid to even talk to me after witnessing one too many of my 'meltdowns'._

I was still feeling a little uncomfortable about the previous conversation, and tried to steer things in a more non-threatening direction.

"Edward, not to change the subject, but shouldn't I be  _working,_ you know, as your personal assistant."

"Bella, there isn't much to do. Remember I'm on vacation this week."

"Edward, I'm confused, then why have me here?"

He cleared his throat. "I have a bit of a confession."

"Okay."

"I didn't anticipate needing an assistant this week, but when Rosalie offered, I found myself unable to refuse."

"Like I told you last week, ever since I met you, I feel drawn to you. I thought if I spent time with you I would be able to put the need to rest, but instead of diminishing, it seems to be growing."

_He feels the same attraction that I do. I'm feeling overwhelmed with….happiness?_

I wanted to squee. Edward Masen was actually attracted to me. The man who, according to a recent poll by Cosmopolitan, most  _married_ women admitted they would pay large sums of money to have one night of dirty sex with. Not to mention the single women. Edward Masen, the owner of the face that launched a thousand vibrators.

"I don't know if I can stay away from you anymore." He stated simply.

"Then don't" I answered.

He looked surprised, but hopeful.

We both exhaled and relaxed. The elephant that had taken up residence in the room had finally been addressed.

What followed next was a barrage of questions thrown from one to the other. Edward especially was ravenous for information about me. I was a little more reserved in my questions, afraid of what I would hear.

"Middle name?" He asked with a smile.

"Marie, named for my Dad's mother, Marie Swan."

"Anthony, named for my Mom's father, Anthony Masen."

We both smiled.

"Coffee or tea?" I asked him seriously. He thought about it. "I definitely prefer coffee, but I like tea occasionally. You?"

"With slight trepidation I'd have to say I prefer tea." I whispered. "That's not something you want to broadcast when living in Seattle."

He chuckled.

"Dream car?"

"Easy. My dream car is a 1965 Mustang convertible, poppy red exterior, white top, white pony interior. Either 4 speed or automatic, I wouldn't care." I stated without taking a breath.

"Wow. I'm shocked." He did have a stunned look on his face.

"Why?"

"I don't know, I expected a more predictably feminine answer like 'something sporty and blue', or 'shiny and expensive'." he spoke in a mocking falsetto, and laughed.

I smacked his arm. "Edward, how very chauvinistic of you. Haven't you learned by now that I'm anything  _but_ predictable?" I said, laughing with him.

He was still chuckling when he grabbed my hand and held it. "Oh Miss Swan, I'm becoming more and more aware of that. Please tell me how you know so much about cars?"

"If Rosalie didn't love her job, I'm certain she'd be running a car restoration business by now. Emmett loves it that she knows more about cars than he does. He thinks it's sexy, although the word he uses is  _fuckhot._ " I giggled.

"Rose has dragged me with her to almost every car show held on the west coast in the last few years. I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about every type of car. But I also learned what I like." I smiled remembering how Rose acted so much like Emmett when she was around automobiles.

"I even went with her to a Barrett Jackson auction a couple of years ago. I thought Rose was going to need oxygen when she saw the Corvette ZR-1."

"I'm also very ashamed to admit that when that car sold for a million dollars, I'm pretty sure I was a witness to Rose's "O" face." I said sheepishly.

This sent Edward into hysterics, which I couldn't help but join in. After a few minutes we were both in control again.

"Alice is like that about fashion. She has forced me on more than one occasion to attend shows with her. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I still haven't learned anything. And I'm eternally grateful that, now that she's married, it will be Jasper that she forces to go with her."

We both laughed.

"You didn't tell me your dream car Edward."

Edward cleared his throat, looking a little guilty.

"Well, my dream car is an Aston Martin Vanquish."

"That's some vehicle Edward." my eyes growing wide. "Why don't you just buy one, you're rich."

"Actually, I did." He answered, seeming a little embarrassed.

"That's so cool! Wait til I tell Rose, she will freak. What color is it?" I asked enthusiastically.

"Um, the one in L.A. is black, and the one at my parent's house is silver."

He answered while shrugging one shoulder, still feeling awkward.

"Wow." I was speechless. Until Emmett starting playing professional football, no one in my family made a  _significant_ amount of money at their jobs.

It was hard for me to imagine having so much expendable income that you could afford one Vanquish, let alone two. I was the child of a small town cop for cripes sakes. "Just wow." I said again.

"Next question." He spoke again "Favorite color?"

"Gosh, that's such a simple one, but surprisingly hard to answer." I admitted. "I have to say that it depends on my mood." And as I gazed into his eyes I knew the answer " Truth is that today I would have to say I'm strongly attracted to green."

I heard Edward take in a short breath, and his face lost all humor.

"Well, since we're answering truthfully, I'll admit that I'm feeling quite partial to chocolate brown."

We both sat looking into each others eyes for a long moment. Edward reached up and ran his fingers across my cheek, making me blush. I blinked and looked down.

"You fascinate me Bella. I didn't know that I could be this attracted to anyone. Tell me you fee it too."

"Yes, I feel it." I answered quietly

_This is a slippery slope Bella. I need to be careful where this leads._

We next talked about the things we most enjoy. I told Edward about the trips we've made as a family, and the ones we want to do.

"This summer, after my graduation, we are flying to Chicago, renting a car, and driving Route 66 from beginning to end, then driving up to Las Vegas where Charlie will meet us. We'll spend a few days there and then fly home."

I saw his eyes light up. "That sounds great Bella, I've always wanted to do something like that, just never found anyone else willing to go."

_Wow, sounds like he wants to come with. No, that would be beyond weird. Bella! He has a girlfriend. He can take her on a vacation._

"Yeah, Emmett's totally stoked. He keeps researching things like 'the biggest ball of yarn' so we make sure to stop and see all the silly tourist things along the way." I laughed. My brother lived every day with a 'kid in a candy store' mentality.

Before I knew it, the hour was over, and our intimate little bubble was burst by the arrival of the camera crew.

After a few minutes of watching the crew work, Edward decided this would be a good time to escape for lunch. We left the suite, heading for the hotel's coffee shop.

I couldn't stop giggling as I watched guests of the hotel, and employees alike do 'double-takes' when they saw Edward. It got weird though when any female under the age of sixty recognized him and started to flirt. They were quite aggressive sometimes, even reaching out to touch him.

Edward reacted very calmly, taking it in his stride.

When we were finally seated with our sandwich bagels, in a back booth of the coffee shop, I thought about Edward's fans and chuckled to myself. "What's going on in that head of yours Isabella?" He asked with a grin.

"I just wondered if it's always like this for you? You know the fans fawning all over you."

"For the most part, yes. At home I've found ways to dodge them. They notice me more when I'm dressed in Alice-approved clothing like now."

"When I dress for comfort, and wear my baseball cap, I am a little more invisible." He whispered conspiratorially.

We were just getting ready to return to the suite when I realized someone was approaching our table. I turned to see Camille, the forty-something make-up artist from the station.

I was surprised to see her, but more surprised when I noticed her attire. She always dressed a little "iffy" but today she outdid herself.

_Is that a leopard-print catsuit? Seriously?_

She looked like a 'Peg Bundy' throwback. No way could she think that's attractive.

I glanced at Edward and realized that he wore the same stunned expression that I did.

And then she spoke.

"Hello Eddie" she purred "the camera men said you'd be down here. I need to get you back upstairs sweetie." She said this loud enough for several patrons to hear. It was clear what she wanted them to think.

_Eww. Really, what else was there to say?_

I decided to take control of this situation. "Camille, if you needed us you should have called. My cell phone is in perfect working order." Camille looked a little taken aback that I was even speaking to her.

"Mr. Masen and I will be returning to his suite momentarily so that you can do his makeup for the interview. Please wait there, we will join you shortly."

Camille turned and walked away, clearly disappointed that I put her in her place.

Edward, still stunned, turned to me. "What was that?"

And then we both cracked up.

We were still laughing as we made our way back upstairs.

Camille's behavior did not improve. We'd had celebrities at the station before, so you would think that she could have handled being around Edward. That simply wasn't the case. She flirted with him constantly.

Edward was trapped while she applied his makeup. She made inappropriate remarks more than once. She dropped her applicator brush onto his lap, I believe on purpose. It landed precariously close to his crotch, but when she went to grab it, Edward grabbed her wrist.

"If you don't mind, I'll get that." He said through gritted teeth. I decided I'd had enough when Camille grazed the side of his head with her boobs.

"Camille, I need a word with you." She looked surprised, but set down her things, and followed me into the hallway.

"I need you to understand that for the next few days, I'm working as Mr. Masen's personal assistant." She nodded and smiled leeringly.

"Lucky you" she purred "I'd like to  _personally assist_ him."

_Nasty wench, I'm thinking they invented the term 'cougar' just for her._

"In that capacity, I must warn you that your inappropriate behavior needs to cease immediately." She looked stunned. For a moment I thought that maybe I'd used too many words above three syllables, and she didn't understand.

I continued, "If you refuse to act in a professional manner around Mr. Masen, then I will be forced to demand, on his behalf, that you be replaced."

I watched as her look changed from confused to comprehending.

"Wait a minute, are you threatening me?" she seethed.

"No, not if your behavior is amended." I stated in my most businesslike tone.

"Look Swan, I'm going to do what you say, but only because Rose would have my ass if I did anything  _to_  you. All I'll say is you better stay clear of me." She was beyond angry, as she reached for the door.

"And Swan, you may as well give up trying to impress that man-candy inside, you would never be enough woman for someone like him. Leave it to those of use who know how to  _please_ a man." Then she cackled like the witch-whore she was, and went back inside.

I stood in the hall for a moment, stunned.

_She thought I was trying to impress Edward? Was I? What was I doing?_

I was supposed to be working for him, but most of the time we had spent together felt like a date rather than a workday. I needed to fix this. Immediately.

I re-entered the suite with a new purpose. 'Keep it professional Bella.'

I noticed a definite change in the atmosphere around Edward and Camille. She was doing her job the way I'd seen her do it a hundred times before. Properly. Edward must have guessed what I'd done, and rewarded me with a grateful smile, and a wink.

_Crap. So much for keeping it professional. He's just too adorable. I can't look at him._

So I proceeded to check over his schedule again.

Rose arrived a few minutes later, and Camille went to work on her.

- _V &V-_

"I feel that my fans have matured with me. Granted, they were very young in the beginning, but so was I. When I made my first movie, I was only eighteen."

The interview was winding down, and I'd learned a lot about Edward's view of the world and the movie industry but, as demanded, the questions steered away from his personal life completely.

I would just have to ask those on my own.

"Thanks so much Edward, I think that wraps it up for today." Rose was standing while disconnecting her microphone. I ran over there to assist her and then helped Edward with his.

Edward reached out to shake her hand. "Thanks very much Rose. I appreciate your professionalism with sticking to the questions. I could tell you some tales about other interviews I've done."

"Oh really?" Rose seemed intrigued.

"It's the reason I won't grant interviews any more unless they are strictly associated with the promotion of a movie. Even with those, some over ambitious reporter will think they can cross the line. I usually have a rep from the movie studio step in and shut the interview down when that happens. Suffice it to say that it's now a rare occurrence. They'd rather have a dull interview than no interview at all."

Rose smiled. I knew that she had been itching to 'cross the line' as Edward put it, but Rose was very shrewd and realized that, in the end, it wouldn't be beneficial .

"Well, thanks again, and I'll see you tomorrow." Then turning to me she said "Bells, Emmett is at home, but I'm having dinner with one of our sponsors. You know, the usual kiss-ass, but I'm going to try for an early night."

"I'll see you later." and I hugged her goodbye.

After everyone had left, I turned to say my goodbye to Edward.

Not realizing that he'd moved so that he was standing right behind me, I almost bumped into him.

"Edward, I'd better go.."

"Bella, I was just wondering…"

We both started talking at the same time, then we both laughed. "Go ahead Edward, you first" I grinned at him

"Well, Bella, I was just wondering if I could take you to dinner?"

I thought about this. Going out after working hours would feel too much like a 'date'.

"I'm sorry Edward, I don't think I should do that." Sadness gripped my heart when I registered his disappointed expression.

_Why does his disappointment affect me so much?_

"How about I cook dinner for you? It's safer than a public restaurant full of your adoring fans." I smiled at him.

His answering smile was blinding. "Let me call for my driver." He pulled out his cell phone. "Sidney, Miss Swan is ready to go home now. Thank you."

_He's so formal, and kind of bossy. I like it._

"What time should I be at your place Bella?"

_Could Edward's smile get any bigger?_

"About 6 o'clock I guess?"

_What the hell am I going to cook?_

"Do you like enchiladas?" I asked, trying to gather my wits.

"If you are making it, I'm sure it will be delicious." He answered.

"Okay then, I'll see you at six." I smiled and walked toward the door.

Edward was close behind me. He grasped my hand, holding it for a few seconds, and then let it go. "Goodbye Bella." He said quietly.


	6. Enchiladas & Store Bought Ta Ta's

 

As soon as I got home, I threw together the ingredients for chicken enchiladas and a  **couple**  of side dishes. While the dinner was cooking, I went to my room to change my clothes.

I decided that I would dress casually. Just the same as if I were home relaxing. I had just slipped into my jeans and my fuzzy green v-neck sweater when my phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hi Bella, I was just calling make sure you made it home." Rosalie sounded a little wary.

"Hey Rose, yeah I'm here."

"Oh good." sounding relieved "I'm hoping to be home by 9. These clients can be a pain in the ass."

"Sure, no problem. Hey Rose, I kind of invited Edward for dinner."

Silence.

"I've made enough for Emmett also."

"So I guess everything went okay today?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah, it was fine. He's very nice."

Rose drew in a deep breath. "That sounds great. Um, well, I'll talk to you about everything later I guess. Bye honey"

"Bye Rose."

I could tell that she was trying very hard not to overreact about Edward.

I straightened up my cozy apartment, making sure the tulips were on full display on my dining room table.

I took a healthy portion of dinner across the hall to Emmett. He greeted me with a big hug.

"I hear that Mr. Hollywood's coming to dinner?" He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Yes, I invited him." I admitted.

He thought about that. "So, it was your idea?"

"Well, Edward asked me out. I just told him it would probably be more comfortable to have dinner here. You wouldn't believe his crazy fans."

"From the little I've seen, they are much more aggressive than the Seahawks fans." I explained.

"So, he wanted to take you out on a date?"

"I guess, but I'm not going to date someone else's boyfriend."

Emmett looked at me with an expression that reminded me very much of Charlie. "Glad to hear that Bells."

"Did you doubt me big brother?"

"No, I never doubted you, but I wasn't sure how persuasive Edward could be. Thanks for easing my fears." He sighed.

"Well, I'd better get back, Edward will be arriving shortly."

"Bells, remember I'm right over here if you need me." He said quietly.

I gave him another hug. "Thanks brother bear."

- _V &V-_

Edward arrived right on time, and I had to laugh when I saw him. "Great minds think alike." I said when I realized he was also wearing jeans, and a green pullover sweater, the same color as my v-neck. We laughed.

_That color really brings out his green eyes. Those piercing green eyes that say more than he's willing to vocalize._

We had margaritas and then dinner. We fell into easy conversation, just as we had before, talking about our likes, our dislikes, our normal relatives, and the crazy ones. You can guess which category Emmett fell into.

After dinner, we sat on the sofa, and the conversation came back to my life before I returned to Forks. I could tell that Edward wanted to know about it, but he didn't want to push me.

"Edward, I'm sorry for earlier today. I didn't mean for that whole 'favorite authors' conversation to turn into something uncomfortable."

"Bella please don't worry about that. I want to know everything about you. I know it probably sounds crazy, and I've only known you a few days, but you've been on my mind a lot. I find myself worrying about you when we're not together. I'm sorry, I know I must sound like a freak." He chuckled nervously.

"I understand Edward. I thought it was just me, but you've been on my mind a lot also. I don't have many friends, and I already consider you one."

_I want so much more, but you've got a girlfriend._

"I'm glad." He looked at me wistfully.

"Also, I think I'd like to try to share some of the things that happened to me, who knows, maybe it will help." I wrapped my arms around my stomach and stared at a magazine on the coffee table as I started to speak.

"I told you before that my mother was a free spirit. That also, unfortunately, applied to her love life. She dated so many unacceptable men in her quest for 'Mr. Right'." I said sadly. "She never found him, because she'd already left him back in Forks. There was no one that was ever going to be better to her or for her than Charlie."

"The sad thing is that I think she realized that, but was too proud to ever go back to him."

"He would have taken her back too Edward, if she'd only asked." My voice had dropped to a whisper.

"The one thing that I'll give her though, she always put me before her boyfriends. If one of them spoke crossly to me, or made me feel uncomfortable, she sent them packing immediately."

I took a deep breath while trying to control my shaking hands. "When I was thirteen, we were living in Jacksonville, and she started dating a man named  _Jeff_."

_Did Edward notice how that name caught in my throat?_

"He gave me the creeps from day one, but I tried to hide it in order to give my Mom a fair chance at happiness. I was trying to be unselfish." I shook my head at how naïve I was. "The way he looked at me made me uncomfortable, and some of the things he said, I realize now were very suggestive. At the time, though, my innocent thirteen year old mind didn't understand."

Edward sat listening silently.

"She dated him for about a year, then she left him and moved us back to Phoenix, where we'd lived the first year after she divorced Charlie. She never told me why she left Jeff. Within six months, she met Phil. He thought the world of her, and was very good to both of us. I believe they would have married if…" At this point, my voice faltered. Edward reached over and took my hand, holding it in both of his. The zing of electricity was still there, but mostly it just felt comforting.

"I can't tell you everything that happened right now. Suffice it to say that Jeff found out where we lived, and my Mother died." I didn't realize that I had started to sob.

Edward released my hand and placed his arms around me, pulling me to him. "Oh Bella, I wish I could make it go away. I would do anything to be able to do that for you." He said as he held me. My sobs quieted, and I was able to continue.

"Edward, if you didn't already figure it out, I'll just tell you. I'm broken. I don't know if I'll ever work right. I witnessed things that nobody, much less a fifteen year old child, should ever see or hear." My voice was a whisper, but I was determined to say what I needed to.

"The majority of my scars are emotional. Although I was left with a broken leg, cracked ribs and cuts and bruises, those all healed rather quickly. The only physical reminder I still have of what happened are these." I showed Edward my wrists. I saw his eyes grow wide with alarm when he saw the purplish brown scars left there, the result of my ordeal. My skin would always be scarred from it.

"After that night, I can't stand to have anything around my wrists. I don't wear a watch or bracelets." I whispered.

"My God Bella, what happened to you?" His voice was alarmed.

"My mother saved me before he could physically damage me too much. But that doesn't mean I'm not ruined. I fear I'll never be normal. Some days that thought kills me Edward, it literally sucks me down into the blackness and  _my_  will alone isn't enough to pull me out."

"If I hadn't had my family, I would not have made it. I think now you can understand my closeness to Rose and Emmett, and why they are a bit overprotective." I smiled sadly at him.

Edward let out a loud sigh and tightened his hold around me "I do understand completely Bella. Please don't feel that you have to explain all this to me right now. I don't want to add to your pain."

"I feel compelled to tell you this Edward."

"For the last seven years, no man outside of my Dad, Emmett and our parish priest Father Pat could touch so much as my arm without literally sending me off the deep end. Sometimes I would just flinch, but worst case scenario would result in a full-fledged panic attack. It's not a pretty sight, and I hope you never have to witness it." I explained. "I don't know why, but I feel safe with you." I looked up into his eyes. "I know you won't hurt me."

_I can't believe I'm telling some of my deepest darkest secrets to this beautiful man, and leaving myself so vulnerable. Please don't break my heart._

Edward gently kissed the scars on each of my wrists. "I promise to never hurt you Bella." He whispered into my ear.

I thought my heart would burst with happiness.

I sat there with Edward's arms around me for what felt like the longest time. Eventually I was able to continue my story.

"My Dad and Emmett were devastated over the loss of my Mom, but they had the added burden of worrying about me. Charlie had quit going to church after Mom and I left, I guess he was mad at God when his family fell apart. The day after Mom's funeral he had a long talk with Father Pat. The next Sunday he returned to Church, and has been attending ever since. I started to go with him, and when Emmett was home from college, he did also. We've all gotten close to Father Pat, and he's become like a member of the family. Between visits to my therapist, and my talks with Father Pat, I slowly began to feel human again."

"When I moved back to Forks it was May of my freshman year of high school. Charlie made arrangements with the school to allow me to do my lessons at home for the remainder of that school year. I'm a very dedicated student, so I kept up with the classes easily. By September, my emotional state had improved enough to attend school. After I graduated, I moved here for college, and you already know the rest."

Edward looked deep in thought. "Bella, I don't know what to say" he trailed off. "What happened to  _him?"_

"He was sent away to prison. He will hopefully rot there." I didn't want to even think about that horrible man.

"Edward, why don't we talk about you for a while?" I asked, desperate now to change the subject. I was emotionally and physically drained.

"No.'" He answered quietly. "This is your day. We can talk about me another day." He answered with a small smile.

"I know what you just said about men, but Bella you're so beautiful that I can't imagine that no nice guys pursued you in high school or college." He asked this with his brow furrowed, like he was bracing himself for bad news.

I shook my head, "No Edward. I couldn't stand it if any boys got too close to me. I would have flashbacks to that terrible day. Dating for me, was never an option. Some guys in high school tried to ask me out. I never said yes, so after a while, and with the help of my very public meltdowns, they stopped asking. Eventually, even the girls stopped talking to me. I've never even told my family about that."

"It's better in college, but I also became an expert at keeping my shield in place. I don't put myself in a position to be asked out. It's quite easy if you apply yourself." I smiled.

At that, Edward chuckled. "Oh Bella, I definitely know something about that."

_Huh? He dates all the time, what does that mean?_

I was broken away from my thoughts by Edward's voice again. "Bella, you say it's different with me?" He asked hopefully.

"Yes, with you I haven't had any of my usual reactions. It's like I'm normal when I'm with you."

_I hope I'm not freaking him out._

"Do you think you could date me?" He asked quietly.

_Well, that was unexpected._

I sighed, and studied his face. I would need to address a lot of issues with him before that was possible.

"That depends Edward."

"On?"

"You would have to understand that if I were to make myself vulnerable like that, you would have to be serious about a relationship with me. The most fragile part of me is my heart, it's already been broken. I thought it was beyond repair, but since I've met you, I'm starting to change my mind about that. Just know that I'm not someone that would ever be able to share you."

He knew exactly what I was referring to. He would have to give up Tanya, and all his other 'interests'.

He smiled. "Oh Bella, I wouldn't expect you to want anything less."

"Bella, I can't explain everything to you now, but I promise I will soon. When I go back to L.A., I will have to address certain issues, and then I fully intend to come back here, explain everything, and ask you out on a proper date. For now, I ask you to believe me when I say that I'm not dating anyone. I have no girlfriend." He was so serious and sincere when he said this.

_Could I believe him? If this is true than it must mean that he broke up with Tanya, and the tabloids hadn't caught up with the news yet._

My mind was in a muddle, but I decided that it didn't matter. I was falling fast for Edward, and there was no going back.

"I can't wait to have that talk Edward."

Edward smiled again.

When it was time for him to leave, he embraced me, and placed a sweet kiss on my cheek.

It was a perfect evening. I never once felt panicked. I never once needed to phone Emmett or Rose to rescue me.

I was in awe of these strange new feelings. I couldn't help but conclude that this was deeper than a mere infatuation.

I was afraid to even think the word:  _love._

I said a silent prayer for my fragile heart, and went to sleep.

_-V &V-_

The next morning, I got up early again, dressed in one of my favorite dresses, it was black with small red dots and cap sleeves. The forecast called for cold and rain, so I made sure to take my heaviest coat.

I had texted Rose just before I went to sleep the night before to let her know that everything with Edward had been pleasant, and therefore I never needed their help.

She texted back a smiley, and told me goodnight.

I put the coffee on to brew. Knowing that Rose had already left, I sent a quick text to Emmett.

**Em-**

**If you're awake and want to have coffee come over. Otherwise, I'll see you later today.**

**-B**

A few minutes later I heard his distinctive knock. Dum Dum Da Dum Dum…. Dum Dum.

I opened the door to my smiling but barely awake brother.

"Hey Bellaboo! Did you mention coffee?"

"Yes I did, Em. Come on in."

Emmett sauntered into my kitchen and plopped down in a chair.

I quickly poured him a cup, and placed it in front of him.

"Thanks Bells." He looked at me as he took his first sip. "So?"

I could tell that he was dying to know about last night.

"So?" I repeated teasingly.

"Come on Bells, don't leave me hanging?" he whined.

"Well", I hesitated, thinking of the right words, "I think I'm falling in love."

Emmett was stunned into silence. Never in the history of mankind had that ever happened. He just sat there with his mouth hanging open.

"Emmett, snap out of it. Edward is not aware of the extent of my feelings, and he may never know them."

"Bella, you can't just spring something like that on me…give me some warning please!"

"Relax Emmett. I'm just weirded out because I've never felt this way before."

"But you barely know him Bells." Emmett still looked shocked.

"I'm aware of that…look I didn't say I understood what's going on. We have some sort of connection, and we've been getting to know each other."

"Bells, I hate to put a damper on your happiness, but doesn't he have a girlfriend? He shouldn't be asking you out when he's got a girlfriend."

"I made it clear to him that if we dated, there had better be no one else. I'm going to leave it up to Edward to resolve that. I will say that he told me last night that he has no girlfriend, and I believed him."

He thought for a few minutes. "Well, maybe he broke up with that Tanya chick. I hope that doesn't make you a 'rebound'."

"I'm just taking things one day at a time, and seeing where it leads." I answered.

He was quiet, still thinking. "I guess it sounds like you've got everything in hand then. I just worry that you'll be hurt. I'd hate to have to kill a motherfucker." He muttered.

"Em! You're not killing anyone. You're going to allow me to live a normal life. You should be happy for me. I'm not running away or avoiding for once."

"I am happy for you Bells." he sighed. "Just hope everything works out. I'd miss Rose if they put her away for ripping his balls off. "

I laughed.

"Could I ask you one thing Emmett?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you please keep the 'falling in love' part of this conversation between us, for now?"

He thought about it. "Yeah, I guess so." He reluctantly agreed. "But you can't slip up and get Rose pissed at me again for keeping things from her. There's only so many times I can successfully protect my junk from Rosie's wrath."

I laughed. "I promise Em, and thank you for believing in me, you know, trusting my judgment. It means a lot."

"Sure Sis, no problem. Okay, I've found out enough info to relay to Rosie. My work here is done. I'm going back to my bed."

"Hey Em, don't you mean the guest bed? You're still in trouble, the week's not over yet."

"You know Rose's 'punishment' didn't even last a night. I'm an expert at breaking her will." He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"Ugh,  _Overshare!_  Emmett." I said as I pushed him toward the door.

"Oh Emmett?"

He looked at me questioning.

"Is everything still on for New Year's Eve as planned?" I asked.

He face brightened. "Yes. I know it probably doesn't sound very macho, but it can't get here soon enough. I've been waiting a long time to ask her to marry me."

I couldn't help myself, I hugged him. "Rose is already my sister, I'm just glad it will finally be official."

"Yeah, we should have done this a long time ago, but my head was pretty screwed up after Mom died. I just threw myself into my career you know, and I feel pretty lucky that Rose stuck with me all this time."

"Emmett, she loves you, so much…" I rubbed his shoulder. "You spent a lot of time worrying about me, so did Rose." He looked like he was going to argue with me, but I cut him off. "Don't speak, just listen. You and Rose have spent too much of your lives taking care of me. I appreciate it, and I love you both more than I can ever say." I said softly.

Emmett shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "It's time that you started putting each other first."

"And I can't wait to be a bridesmaid." I added with a smile.

He smiled and hugged me goodbye, he didn't need to say anything, and returned back across the hall.

Once I arrived at Edward's hotel, I spent an hour on the phone re-arranging his flight home to L.A., and his business meetings for next week. He had decided to wait until Monday, January 4th to return home. I wasn't sure what his reasons were, but he made his decision right after I told him I was off work and school until then.

While Edward read a script that Jasper had sent him, I went through a stack of Edward's mail that had been forwarded to the hotel.

There was a wedding invitation for January 30th in Aspen. My eyes almost bugged out of my head when I read the names of the bride and groom.

_Sylvia McGuire is going to marry Mark Sargent. The tabloids aren't even aware that they're dating. Wow, they've been keeping all this super-secret._

"Is everything alright Isabella?" Edward had noticed that I'd spaced out for a moment.

"Well, yeah, but you've got a wedding invite here for Sylvia McGuire and Mark Sargent. I'm amazed that they've been able to keep their relationship secret."

He chuckled. "They've been seeing each other for two years. As you probably know, I've been in movies with both of them, but they've never been in anything together. They met at the premiere of  _The Last Straw._ "

That was one of Edward's action movies from a couple of years ago.

"Wow. But won't the tabloids go crazy when they find out they got married?"

"They've actually worked with the media on this one. They have an exclusive agreement with People magazine to share their wedding photos, as long as People keeps quiet about everything for two weeks after the ceremony."

"People plans the 'big reveal' in their Valentine's Day issue." He smiled and shook his head. "Everything is working out perfectly for them."

"Do you plan to attend?"

"Absolutely, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Could you respond for me please?"

Now came the difficult part. Did he plan to take anyone with him?

I cleared my throat. "How many should I say are attending?"

"Well, myself of course, and I was thinking of asking someone to attend with me."

This was it, my moment of truth. I could feel the knots forming in my stomach. Who would it be? Had he already asked Tanya, and had a commitment to take her, or did he want to take someone else whose name I didn't know?

Edward interrupted my worrying.

"Bella, would you consider going with me?" He asked softly.

This wasn't what I expected. "Um, Edward, I don't know how to answer that."

He pursed his lips as he thought about my response. "Put me down with a plus one anyway. Maybe I'll be able to talk you into it by then." He said with a smile and a wink.

_Dear God. I should be thrilled that he doesn't want to take someone else, and I am thrilled. Unfortunately, I'm also nauseous because the hottest guy in Hollywood just asked me to go away with him for a weekend._

_Nausea definitely winning._

I excused myself to Edward's bathroom.

- _V &V-_-

We didn't have a lot of time to talk during the morning. Alice had sent her business partner, Christopher, over to fit Edward for a couple of suits.

_Thank God the suits were almost in their finished form. I didn't want to see how many shades of red I could turn if I had to be in the same room with Edward in his underwear._

Chris, as he preferred to be called, was in town so that he and Alice could meet with some potential clients. He was a great guy. We chatted and laughed with him for over an hour as he worked. He referred to Alice as his 'creative soul mate', and was so much like her that it was scary.

They had met in college, both majoring in fashion design.

"I absolutely fell in love with Alice the first day. She's the only woman I've ever met that I'd seriously consider attempting to change my sexual orientation for. She's got it all bitches: beauty, intelligence, and fabulous style!" We chuckled at Chris's exuberance.

"Soon after that, she introduced me to that gorgeous hunk of man,  _Jasper."_ He whispered Jasper's name with reverence. Edward and I could barely contain our laughter.

_I wonder if Jasper knows that Chris is carrying a torch for him._

"O, sorry my dears, sometimes just saying  _his_ name makes me lose my train of thought." Chris shook his head and seemed to snap out of it. "Anyway, they are truly a match made in heaven, and someday they will make some beautiful babies!"

When Chris found out that my brother was Emmett Swan, I swear I saw his eyes glaze over. "Girlfriend, how can you even breathe surrounded by all these fine specimens of manhood! Speaking of hunks, Edward, we are done here. There will be a couple of new suits delivered to you by Friday, along with Alice's usual instructions."

Just as Chris was packing up his bag, there was a loud rap at the door. I rushed over to open it, only to find Alice and Jasper on the other side, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hello everyone" Alice chirped. "Are we ready for lunch? Don't refuse, because I know Chris is done with you, Edward."

"How did you know?" I looked at her questioningly.

Chris laughed "Bella honey, don't ever bet against Alice" and then he added in a whisper "she's a bit psychic".

Alice giggled. "Chris, darling, are you sure you won't come to lunch with us?"

"No Alice, I promised Gerry that we'd spend the afternoon together shopping, I hear there are some great antique stores in Seattle. See you in Cali next week love." He kissed Alice on both cheeks.

He turned to Jasper. "I see you're still wearing those cowboy boots Jazz. Just remember that my offer still stands." And then he winked at Jasper.

The expression on Jasper's face was priceless. He actually looked frightened, and that he may have had trouble catching his breath.

Chris's answering chuckle left no doubt that he was pleased with the reaction he could elicit from poor Jasper.

Chris turned to Edward and I. "Edward, always a pleasure to see you. You're drool worthy on screen, and even more so in person."

Edward just laughed.

"And Bella" he said as he took my hand, I didn't pull it away. "You are truly a gem, I am so glad to have met you, sweetheart." He then placed a light kiss on my hand.

"Well folks, I must dash. Being in a room with this many gorgeous people is starting to make me hyperventilate." Chris said as he headed out the door.

Edward and I couldn't contain our laughter any longer. Poor Jasper just looked uncomfortable. Alice giggled and patted her husband's chest.

"Alice, I will never understand why Christopher insists on flirting with me every time he sees me. Why doesn't he do that to Edward?"

"Oh Jazz, Chris loves the response he gets from you. Edward just plays it off, because he's so used to his crazy fans, but your reaction is priceless."

"So, I'm curious Jasper, what's the offer that Chris was talking about?" Edward asked.

Jasper just groaned and covered his face with his hands, while Alice answered the question.

"A couple of months ago, Chris told Jazz, and I quote: ' _Jasper, you can park your boots under my bed any time.'_." And then she exploded into laughter soon joined by Edward and myself.

- _V &V-_

A while later, we were sat at a little bistro near the hotel.

"So, you got your invitation to Mark and Sylvia's wedding?" It was more of a statement rather than a question from Alice.

She turned to me, "Bella, I hope you'll decide to go with us."

_Chris wasn't lying, Alice must be psychic. I find it a little creepy._

"So, you and Jasper are attending?" I asked.

"I wouldn't miss it, Sylvia and Mark are two of my best clients,  _and_  I designed the wedding gown." She smiled brightly.

"We are all going, Edward will rent a suite for everyone, so you'll have your own bedroom. There's no need to feel awkward about it."

_Oh my gosh, Alice just resolved all my problems with this trip in one fell swoop._

"Well, I guess if Edward really wants me to, I can come."

"Really?" Alice squealed.

Edward, who was smiling before, winced at her outburst.

"Sugar, I'd suggest you bring your enthusiasm down just a notch. I'm afraid Edward may have all kinds of unwanted attention as it is already." Jasper said while looking at Alice with an adoring smile on his handsome face.

Sure enough, I glanced across the bistro to find at least three tables of patrons openly gawking at us, or more specifically, they were gawking at Edward.

_This Aspen trip could be a great idea for me. I'll get to know Alice (and Edward) better, before going to California on spring break._

When the car arrived, we left Alice and Jasper, and rode up to the Washington Park Arboretum. This was the location for the second part of Edward's interview.

Even in winter, the park was beautiful. As soon as we arrived, I led Edward over to Camille for his makeup.

If possible, her outfit was even worse today. I swear she must have a stash of clothing she purchased from  _Frederick's of Hollywood_ in the 80's. I made sure to give her the 'stink eye' before I went to get coffee for Edward and tea for myself.

Upon my return, it was obvious that something bad had happened. Edward's face was blood red, and he was no longer seated in the makeup chair. He was standing about ten feet away from Camille, arms folded across his chest, glaring at her.

Camille didn't even seem fazed by his hostility. She was actually stalking closer to him. She stopped dead when she spotted me approaching.

"What's going on?" I asked Edward.

"Bella, I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable with her touching me." Edward now looked appalled. "She decided she couldn't live without my opinion on her  _breast augmentation surgery!_  She told me as much, and before I realized what was happening, she was unbuttoning her shirt and pulling my hand towards her…ugh, I can't even say anymore."

_No way did that skank try to put my man's hand on her nasty boobies. 'My man'? Really Bella. STOP don't get distracted, focus, bitch is going down!_

"Camille, I need you to come with me." If possible, I was even angrier than Edward.

I found Rose standing near one of the vans speaking with the show's producer, Wally. She smiled when she saw me, her expression changing to one of concern when she realized I was angry.

"What happened Bells?" Rose narrowed her eyes.

"Rose, let me tell you the whole story. Yesterday Camille made several remarks of a  _sexual nature_ and exhibited inappropriate behavior towards Edward. I warned her then that if it continued, I would demand that she be replaced."

"Apparently, she didn't take my words seriously because, Stifler's mom here just tried to flash Edward, while grabbing his hand to place it on her diseased tits." yeah, I was pissed.

_Can someone have diseased tits? I'm not sure. I think the word 'diseased' would more aptly describe Camille's nether regions. Ew._

Rose turned to face Camille. "I can't deal with you as I would like right now because that would be illegal." she seethed.

I saw Camille swallow nervously, as her eyes darted around, possibly looking for a way to escape.

Rose got right in Camille's face so that their noses were almost touching. "You need to pack up your shit, right now, and go. I'll leave it up to Wally here and the station manager to decide if you have a job at all after today, but you will never work on any of my segments again you classless bitch."

 _I love you Rose, if I wasn't afraid of_ _**everything** _ _, and if it weren't scientifically impossible, I would want to have your babies._

Camille scurried away as quickly as her red 'fuck me' heels would allow, and disappeared. All that was left behind was the stench of her cheap perfume.

Wally, who stood there during the entire exchange with his mouth hanging open, cleared his throat "Uh, I'll call Frank" he muttered as he pulled out his cell phone and walked away.

Rose and I looked at each other for a long minute before bursting into hysterical laughter.

I saw Edward watching us from a distance, smirking and shaking his head.

Frank, the other makeup artist, arrived soon after, and did his job without incident.


	7. Mercer Island & MiniBars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Caution: Please don't read this chapter if you're underage. Parts are a little graphic and disturbing.

"I don't get to come home as often as I would like, and I actually find myself missing winter. Rather, I miss the  _change_ in the weather. In L.A. the weather is just too constant."

"Unlike here" Rose smirked as she motioned toward the light mist which had forced she and Edward to employ the use of a rather large umbrella as they walked through the Bonsai Garden for day two of Edward's interview.

Edward laughed. "Well, I guess the precipitation is fairly constant here, but at least the temperature changes with the seasons."

This portion of the interview focused on all of Edward's travels and his involvement in several international charitable organizations. I hadn't realized how 'worldly' he was.

_Yes, he's traveled the globe and lived an exciting, meaningful life. While you, on the other hand, lived in shitty places all over America with your unstable mother._

So far, he'd mentioned travels to South America, Africa, India, New Zealand, Germany, Morocco, Switzerland and England. I lost track of how many different places in America he'd been.

_I'd love to see those places. Amend that, I'd love to see those places with Edward._

"Ironically, I've never made a film close to home." Edward continued. "That, however, will be rectified next fall, when I start work on  _Enemy Combatant_ which will film portions here in Seattle."

_Wow, that's news to me. Something to look forward to anyway._

Soon, part two of the interview was finished. I helped disconnect the mics again from Rose and Edward.

"I'll see you tonight Bells, I'm headed back to the station to work for a couple more hours." Rose called to me as I got ready to leave with Edward.

Back at Edward's hotel I went over his schedule for the next day with him.

"Okay, so you've got a photo shoot with  _Seattle About Town_ magazine in the morning, it's supposed to last from 10am to noon. Then the last part of Rose's interview takes place in the television studio from about two-thirty to four-thirty."

I noticed Edward looking at me with an intense expression on his face as I told him this.

"Edward, are you okay?" Naturally, my insecurities took over, and I began to wonder if he regretted asking to 'date' me, and was now looking for a way out.

"God, Bella" he grimaced. "You're going to think I'm some kind of psycho stalker." He had both hands in his hair, pulling for all it was worth.

_What's he talking about? Maybe I'd think he was a stalker for asking me out, but now he's come to his senses? I feel sick again._

He started pacing while continuing to pull at his hair or pinching the bridge of his nose alternately.

"Just say it Edward." I braced myself for the heartbreak I knew was to follow.

"It's just, I know I need to slow down where you are concerned, but I don't seem to be able to."

_?_

"I just want to spend more time with you. I may be developing an unhealthy obsession, there's a distinct possibility that I'm coming unhinged." He chuckled darkly. "The bottom line is that when I heard Rose say she'd see you later tonight, I realized I probably wouldn't, and that bothered me."

_He's really struggling with this._

"Edward, I'm confused. What are you saying exactly?" my voice sounded so desperate.

"Okay, well, here's the thing. Bella would you go with me to my parents' for dinner tonight?"

_He wants me to meet his parents. He wants me to meet his parents?_

He looked so lost, like a little boy. I was certain that he expected me to say no.

I couldn't. I was quickly learning that I would never be able to refuse him anything.

"Okay" I answered in a whisper.

"Really?"

"Of course Edward." His brow smoothed, and a beaming smile lit up his entire face.

He was so elated that he grabbed me into a fierce hug. I stiffened, not with alarm, just with surprise. He noticed. Almost immediately, he released me, apologizing.

"Bella, I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thinking."

"Edward" I took his hands, and moved closer facing him. "I said things were different with you, and I meant it. You just surprised me that's all. I thought you had come to your senses, and were going to tell me you were no longer interested in seeing me." I explained softly. "I realize that the only thing about this" gesturing between him and myself, "that could truly hurt me, would be if you walked away." I admitted.

"That will never happen Bella, I'm in this for the long haul."

This time I hugged him first.

_-V &V-_

I arrived home at about 4:30. Edward said he'd pick me up at about 6.

Rose had texted me earlier, and I knew she was already home.

_Time to face the music._

I stowed my purse and coat in my apartment, and then walked across the hall. Rose was smiling when she answered the door.

_Yeah, that's not going to last long._

"Hey Bells, I was just coming over there to see if you were back yet."

"I'm here." I said in a small voice, as I walked toward the living room sofa.

Rose eyed me carefully. "Okay, what is it?" She asked.

"What's what?" I answered, looking anything but innocent.

"Bells, I've got all night to wait for an answer." Rose crossed her arms and waited.

"I…I… alright I give up." I flopped down on the sofa in defeat.

Rose came and sat beside me. The expression on her face still questioning.

"Okay, so Edward and I have been getting acquainted this week." I said as I played with a stray thread on the hem of my dress.

"Uh hm." Rose raised one eyebrow, frowning at me.

"Before you get angry, hear me out Rose. We discovered that we have this attraction to each other that neither of us can explain. It's like a magnetic pull, or something."

"Really Bella, does he feed that line of bullshit to all his girlfriends?"

"No Rose, I'm speaking for me, ME!" I hated raising my voice.

"Edward told me he has  **no** girlfriend. I still don't know all the details, but I believe him Rose. We've been slowly learning about each other. I've been telling him my story."

Her eyes opened wide with surprise.

"Bells, you told him…" she said in a small voice.

"Not everything yet Rose, but I will soon. I'm learning more about him too. The real story, not the one in magazines."

Rose looked worried.

"Rose, I know you and Emmett love me, and I know you worry for me. But I've got to see where this leads. I think I may be falling in love with him."

Rose gasped.

"If he is telling the truth Bells, I'll be his biggest defender. But if he's playing some sort of game, I…"

"I know Rose…you will rip his balls off!" I shouted.

We both stared at each other, and burst into laughter.

"Okay, give me some love" She said while grabbing me into a hug. "Sorry Bells, I really want the best for you, I just worry. It's not completely my fault, remember my motto."

"Yes Rose.  _Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."_ I said.  _"And kill all the motherfucking witnesses to ensure an acquittal."_ We both said as we laughed.

"Are we good?" I asked her tentatively.

"Yeah, for now. I'm just having a hard time getting used to this 'new Bella', you're going to have to give me some time. So, are you seeing him tonight?"

"Uh….oh God." I stuttered

"Bells, what's wrong?"

"He's taking me to meet his parents tonight." The thought of meeting them had suddenly become a glaring reality, and truth be told, was scaring me shitless.

Rose's jaw dropped in surprise. Seeing the panic in my eyes, she said, "Okay then, what are you doing standing here? Let's go make you beautiful. Well you're already beautiful but, oh hell, you know what I mean." She said with a wink as she pulled me back across the hall.

_-V &V-_

_   
_

_Six o'clock exactly. Edward certainly is punctual, and adorable, and huggable, and kissable, and lickable, and 'doable'. Yeah right Bella, you wouldn't know what to_ _ **do**_ _with_ _ **him**_   _if you had an instruction manual and a GPS. It sucks to be clueless and awkward. Not to mention emotionally unstable and completely inexperienced._

My inner bitch was killing my hopeful mood.

_I'm better with Edward, I'm approaching normal when I'm with him. I tried to argue back._

I opened the door to find Edward standing there, already smiling. Gah, he got more handsome every time I saw him.

He stood in dark brown dress pants and a light tan button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up part way. He looked me up and down, and laughed.

"We match again." he stated.

And so we did. For this evening, I had chosen a brown dress with spaghetti straps, and the top part of the dress was covered with a tan see-through lace mid-drift top.

"You are so beautiful Bella." He murmured. "Are you ready to go?"

"As I'll ever be." I murmured, but I smiled because he was calming my fears just with his presence.

"Don't worry Bella, my family will love you, Alice already does." He smiled as he took my hand.

We chatted a little on the ride to Edward's parents' house. He told me that Jasper and Alice, who were staying at the house, would be there for dinner. It made me a little less nervous to know this.

The Cullens lived out on Mercer Island, so it took about twenty minutes to get there from my apartment.

I should have expected it, but I was still awestruck when I saw their house. It was massive and gorgeous.

Sidney deposited us in the circular driveway at the main entrance to the house. I gazed up at the house in wonder. Before I could stop myself the word "fuck" escaped my lips. Quickly realizing what I had done, I covered my mouth with my hand in embarrassment.

I heard Edward chuckling at my reaction.

"It's just a house Bella. If it affects you this much, you may need a valium before you see my place in L.A."

He was enjoying this way too much.

_He just said I would see his home in L.A. pinch me awake now, on second thought let me sleep forever…._

"Excuse me for being a little stunned Mister movie star, who's used to this kind of thing." I said as I turned to face him. "Remember I'm from a small town.  _Hello…_  my Dad's a cop, and my Mom was a sometime kindergarten teacher, so I can be impressed by this. And since you think I'm so amusing, I'll just say that your parents have one  _fuckawesome_  house! So there." I very childishly stuck my tongue out at him.

"I hope that's a good thing." I heard a woman's voice from behind me.

_O my hell. Don't tell me, Edward's mother is standing right behind me. I thought her son was the only person with a talent for sneaking up just in time to witness my verbal diarrhea. It must be genetic._

I felt my face flush as I plastered on the sweetest smile I could conjure and turned to face the person that went with the voice.

Standing behind me was not one, but two people who I assumed to be Edward and Alice's parents, both witnesses to my verbal faux pas.

They were stunning. Edward had his Dad's facial features, but his Dad had blue eyes and blonde hair that was starting to grey. I had to remind myself that he was a doctor, because this man could rival any movie star I'd ever seen. He was almost as handsome as his son. Almost.

Edward's mom had the green eyes and copper hair which were passed on to Edward. She was lovely, with the same ethereal beauty which she passed on to Alice.

"If our son would compose himself, he could introduce us. I'm assuming you're Bella?" The lady with the beautiful voice asked.

I looked at Edward and realized he had been laughing his ass off this entire time. I glared at him.

"Thanks Edward, you're a lot of help." I said through my gritted teeth.

This brought on more laughter.

_Jee-bus._

"Yes, I'm Bella."

"We're Edwards' parents, obviously. I'm Esme." She said smiling, while taking my hand. She didn't exactly shake it, she grasped it in both of hers.

"And this is Carlisle." She gestured to the man standing beside her.

Carlisle smiled, but didn't touch me. I wonder if Edward warned him not to.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Bella."

"Thank you Doctor and Mrs. Cullen for inviting me to dinner. I apologize for the um, you know, what you heard me say a minute ago. I'm really trying to curb my potty mouth. Obviously not trying hard enough…I'm seriously considering checking to see if there's some sort of 12-step program…"

They both started chuckling at my ramblings. Edward also looked amused.

"Don't worry about it Bella. I've been know to 'let fly' with a few inappropriate words myself." Esme told me, trying to put me at ease.

We followed Edward's parents inside, and found Jasper and Alice smiling and waiting for us. I was momentarily distracted by the most gorgeous foyer I'd ever laid eyes on. It had a split staircase leading up to a mezzanine overlooking the room. I felt like I'd just walked into the Von Trapp family mansion in The Sound Of Music.

This time I kept my mouth shut in order to avoid the verbal spew.

"Hi again Bella" Alice said as she hugged me. Her touch had the same calming affect as her brother's. Jasper gave me a smile and a little wave from where he stood.

We all went into a beautiful sitting room in the rear of the house. The entire back wall was made up of floor to ceiling windows and two sets of French doors looked out over the water. The view was breathtaking, and I could see a pier with a large boat moored there.

I fell easily into conversation with Edward's parents. They were fascinating and very friendly. I gathered that they were both born into wealth, but that it definitely didn't rule their lives.

They seemed to be most comfortable talking about how proud they were of their children's accomplishments, and their involvement with their favorite charities. I knew they had to be friends or at least acquaintances with the cream of Seattle society, but they never once mentioned any interest in the usual pastimes of the idle rich.

Carlisle was the head of surgery at Seattle General. Esme owned her own interior design company. Both very time-consuming careers, but I got the impression that they made sure to have plenty of time for each other.

I noticed that Carlisle looked at Esme the way I would often catch Edward looking at me. I suddenly felt a little dizzy and panicked when I realized that look was one of deep affection and love.

"Oh Bella dear, are you alright? You look flushed, can I get you something to drink?" Esme asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine Esme, it's just been a busy day." I tried to brush off her concern. Edward was immediately in front of me with a glass of water, evident worry on his face.

After a while, we all settled in the dining room for dinner. As we ate, Esme and Carlisle regaled me with stories of Alice and Edward as children.

"Bella, it's so hard to describe the way they were, well the way they still are. They were born so close together, Alice is only eleven months older than Edward. They are so in-tune with each other's moods and feelings that it's a little disconcerting." Esme said, a serious tone coloring her statement.

Without thinking, I looked at Edward and said "You and Alice are Irish twins."

Everyone looked at me with puzzled expressions.

"Oh, sorry. Just an expression I learned from my priest. Irish twins are two children born into the same family less than a year apart." I blushed at having drawn attention to myself.

They all smiled at that.

"Well, I would say that's an apt description. They act like twins. That, coupled with the fact that Alice has always had that uncanny psychic ability to know something before it happens, made for a very strange home life." Esme said with a laugh.

"Unfortunately, Edward doesn't always listen to my advice. You would think he'd have learned by now that I'm always right." Alice said with a smile at her brother.

Edward smiled indulgently at his sister and shook his head.

Dinner with Edward's family was wonderful. His parents were funny, articulate, wealthier than Midas, but very self-deprecating. The time spent with his parents left me with a much better understanding of what made Edward tick.

After dinner, Edward took me on a tour of the house. I chuckled to myself thinking that when I took him to Charlie's, the grand tour would take all of about five minutes.

_I'm already planning to take him to Charlie's. Wow, I'm beginning to not recognize myself any more._

He took my hand in his. "Is this okay?" He asked, looking at our clasped hands.

"Definitely okay, Edward." I said with a smile.

Hand in hand, we walked through room after elegant room. I was overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the house.

We ended up in his childhood bedroom, which immediately sent me into giggles when I remembered Emmett's fantasy.

_I wonder if Edward has that fantasy too? Who am I kidding? I'm sure he's fulfilled that fantasy repeatedly._

That thought immediately sobered me up.

Edward badgered me relentlessly to tell him why I had been laughing. Finally, through my evident blush and hands splayed over my face, I confessed the story of Emmett's childhood fantasy, and how it was fulfilled on Christmas night.

Edward laughed as I told him the story, then he grew noticeably uncomfortable as he glanced around his room. The silence that followed was deafening.

"Um, Edward, I didn't mean to make you feel awkward, I was just laughing at the ridiculousness that is Emmett. This being your 'childhood bedroom' just triggered the memory."

"It's fine Bella. It's just that it's been a long time since I've had any kind of fantasy like that." He sighed.

_Of course he doesn't need fantasies, he can have any girl he wants, any place, any time._

He pulled me to sit beside him on the bed, and looked into my eyes. His were bright and alive, although his usual self-confident air seemed a little off.

"If I were to tell you that you were making me feel things I hadn't felt in a long time, what would you say?" He asked, the trepidation clear in his voice.

"What things do I make you feel Edward?"

"If I were to tell you that I want to be with you all the time Bella, that I never want you to go home. If I were to admit that I hate saying goodbye to you."

He hesitated before continuing, studying my reaction. He must have liked what he saw, because he continued. "If I were to be completely honest, and tell you that I want the same thing Emmett wanted, but with you. Only with  _you,_ no one else, no one else ever."

I gasped.  _Edward wants me. Even in_ _ **that**_ _way. He wants no one other than me._

To say I was shocked was a gross understatement. I sat there for a moment, gathering my thoughts. I knew I needed to let him know how I felt about him, and not leave him hanging there after spilling his guts.

We were already holding hands, so I turned to face him, still sitting on his bed. I grasped his other hand in mine and spoke quietly.

"Edward, if you were to tell me those things, I would have to tell you that ever since we met, you're the first thing I think of when I wake up. You're the last thing I think of before I go to sleep. You're in my thoughts every moment that we're not together."

A smile began to take over Edward's beautiful features.

"I would say that my logic tells me that it's impossible for someone like you to want someone like me, but my heart wants it to be true more than anything." I said in a whisper.

Edward shook his head. "Isabella, I told you before that you don't see yourself clearly."

He sighed and ran one of his hands through his hair, still holding my hand with the other one. "I always thought I was content, even happy within myself. I have my family, my career, my charitable work, and I always felt those were enough to sustain me." He said.

"The moment I met you, everything instantly changed. I walked out of that television studio like a man who had been struck by lightning. I actually couldn't decide if my feelings for you were a good thing or a bad thing. It was so strange, so foreign."

"For the past several years, I have perfected my public image and demeanor into this calm, unaffected, arrogant, well let's be honest, everyone thinks I'm sort of an asshole. When I'm with you, all of that falls away and I sometimes feel like an insecure seventeen year old again. It's unnerving, exhilarating, but also calming all at the same time."

"I'm quickly learning that you're everything I never knew was missing in my life. Everything I never knew I needed and wanted."

How could this be his life? This was my life he was describing. He  _had_  a girlfriend, even if they were no longer together. He had never lacked for the companionship of beautiful women. The person he just described had no romantic life, no significant other to share life's experiences with.

"Isabella" He looked at me while moving his face closer to mine, "Bella" He put his hands on my shoulders, pulling me closer. "Keep very still, I just want to try something." His breath was blowing across my face, as his lips came closer to mine.

And that was the exact moment that Alice barged through the door.

"Okay Edward, you've monopolized Bella long enough." She sang while grabbing my hand and pulling me from the room. "Mom and I want to have some 'girl time' with Bella, go find something to do with Dad and Jasper."

"But" Edward started to protest.

"No buts, just go." I could see that Alice was not to be challenged.

Edward followed us, defeated.

******** _V &V_********

I was sitting with Esme and Alice in the Cullens' beautiful sunroom. The sun had set hours ago, but the room was so cheerful and full of beautiful plants and flowers that I immediately wanted to stay forever.

"So Bella, do you have the dates of your Spring break yet?" asked Alice.

"Oh, yes, I meant to text that to you. It's March 20 to 28th." I said resigned to the fact that I would be going to L.A.

"Wonderful! Now that that's settled, I'll plan our itinerary for the week. At the moment though, I'm going to get us something to drink, be right back."

Alice danced out of the room.

"I guess I'll look into airline tickets tomorrow. I'm not sure what Rose is going to do." I said, more to myself than anyone.

"Nonsense." said Esme. "Let me buy that for you Bella. It will be a late Christmas present."

I was shocked. I barely knew Esme, and she wanted to buy me an expensive gift like that. "No Esme, I couldn't let you do that."

"Yes you can, and you will." She responded. I suddenly realized where Alice got her 'won't accept no' attitude.

"Don't look so shocked Bella. I'm just so glad that Edward has found you, I could burst with happiness." She said, the smile on her face was dazzling, but I was freaking out.

_Found me? I wonder what he's said about me?_

"Bella, I don't think you realize just how smitten Edward is with you." She continued.

At that moment, Alice appeared with a tray of cocktails.

"As a matter of fact, my dear, you're the first girl since high school that he's brought home for us to meet." Esme smiled as she patted my hand.

I was beyond shocked. I could feel my throat getting dry.

"Here Bella, I thought you might need this." Alice smiled a knowing smile while handing me a drink.

_Freaky psychic power._

"I don't understand." I said quietly. "He's dated a lot of girls…."

Esme and Alice gave each other a look that I'm sure they didn't realize I caught. Esme cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"Well that's his story to tell I suppose. We didn't mean to make you feel awkward. We want you to feel at home here." I couldn't question the sincerity in Esme's voice.

After a while, Edward found us, took my hand, and led me away.

"Let's go for a walk." he murmured quietly.

We bundled into our coats, hats and gloves and went out behind the house. The outside was lit up like a Christmas tree with fairy lights everywhere. He took my hand as we walked to the dock, then he helped me climb aboard the boat moored there.

"Edward are we going somewhere?"

"No, I just wanted to sit outside to talk, and this boat has really comfortable seating." He grinned.

It was surprisingly warm on the boat.

_I wonder if there's some sort of heater on board? Really Bella? Why are you worrying about that when you're getting some 'quality alone time' with Edward. I hope Alice doesn't come find us again._

We snuggled into the cushioned bench, and once again he took my hand.

"I wanted to ask you a little more about your plans for the future Bella."

"Oh no Edward. I decided that since we're on your home turf, tonight should be a night I can find out about you."

He smirked. "You  _decided_ this hm?"

"It's only fair Edward. I've bared my soul to you, I think I'm entitled."

He then smiled sadly and kissed my nose. "I agree, I haven't been very fair. Ask away Miss Swan."

"Okay. Well, I hope it's okay to ask this, here goes. Have you ever had your heart broken?"

Edward tried to control his expression and keep it in a frozen mask, but I saw some of the light in his eyes die.

_Oh no. I should have thought about this a little more. How was I to know he'd suffered a broken heart? I wish I could take back the question._

Before I could stop him, Edward began to answer, and heaven forgive me, but I was too curious to let him off the hook.

"I thought I was in love once, and she did break my heart. Although, now that I've met you, I realize the feelings I had for Meghan couldn't have been love. Those feeling were nowhere near as intense as those I have for you. It's the difference between night and day. Therefore, I suppose we'll have to categorize what I felt for Meghan as a crush." He grinned.

"Meghan?" I asked.

"Yes, Meghan Walters." He got serious again as he continued. "We had been dating since we were both fifteen, in the spring during 9th grade. We broke up two years later, in May of our junior year, not long before I moved to Hollywood."

"Physically, we never did anything more than kiss. I was willing, even anxious. I was a normal teenage male after all. But she didn't want to, and I didn't push her. I assumed she needed more time." He drew in a deep breath, then let it out in a huff.

"For the night of Junior Prom, Meghan had agreed to stay over at a hotel with me. My parents were surprisingly forward-thinking, and allowed me to plan the weekend. I booked a beautiful suite and went there beforehand to fill the bedroom with flowers and candles. I was pulling out all the stops. I knew in my heart we loved each other, and that this would be the night we would both lose our virginity. We were almost eighteen and I couldn't see any reason to wait a moment longer. It just seemed like the right time."

He surprised me by chuckling darkly before continuing. "Little did I know that the reason Meghan never wanted a 'physical' relationship with me was that the entire time we'd been dating she'd been secretly fucking some dude that was seven years older than her."

I gasped in surprise. Mostly because I couldn't imagine any girl choosing some other guy over Edward.

"I've worked with the best actresses in Hollywood, but I'm here to tell you that Meghan had them all beat." He said with a bitter smile. "She'd been using me. To her parents, I was the 'nice boyfriend' that she would go out on dates with. They weren't aware that half of those 'dates' were spent in an apartment with her 'real' boyfriend getting high and screwing, while I stayed home, oblivious, abiding by her rule of not seeing each other on school nights." Acid evident in his voice.

"You have no idea how messed up I was after I found out Bella. It really did a number on me. I have major 'trust' issues because of everything that happened."

"How  _did_  you find out Edward?" I was almost afraid to hear the rest of his story, but I felt compelled to know.

He hesitated for a long moment, seemingly deep in thought. "Are you sure you want to know? It's not a pretty story."

"Edward, I will never think any less of you. Please tell me."

He looked into my eyes for a long moment. "After what you told me, I owe this to you. Bella, I'm about to tell you things I haven't spoken of with anyone outside of my therapist for years. But, you deserve to hear my truth."

He took a deep breath and squared his jaw. "Prom night started normally. I went to her house, we posed for photos, went back to my house, more photos. I took her out to eat at the top of the Space Needle, I wanted this to be an evening to remember."

"About an hour into the prom, she started a fight with me. I didn't know what I had done. I was completely clueless. In front of everyone, she began shouting at me. She informed me that she wouldn't be accompanying me to the hotel, but would instead be staying with one of her girlfriends. She even slapped me in front of a roomful of people."

"She accused me of 'stifling' her, and being too….what was the word she used?..oh yes,  _needy._ " He huffed and shook his head.

"Maybe I was a little obsessive compulsive in those days also."

He shifted his weight, pulling me a little closer to him, I knew we were approaching the most difficult part of his story, and my presence somehow comforted him.

"When I look back on it now, I'm sure that she must have been on some kind of drugs. I'd never seen her act that way before. She stormed out of prom, me running after her like a little puppy. She wouldn't stop to talk to me, but walked out to the main road and hopped in a cab she must have had waiting there."

"I felt so torn between hating myself for something I must have done, and hating her for being so irrational, that I decided to get trashed."

"I went back to my hotel suite. I couldn't even go in the bedroom because it was an ugly glaring reminder of what that night was  _supposed_ to have been. Instead, I broke into the well-stocked mini-bar and proceeded to ingest every bottle of liquor I could until I finally passed out."

I felt his body start to stiffen, and his arms go rigid.

"This next part of the story is very difficult for me Bella." he said, practically choking on the words. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Edward, it's just me here. There's no one else around that can harm you in any way."

He sighed and pulled me to his chest, laying his head on top of mine.

"I was woken some time the next day by a roomful of police officers screaming at me as they tossed me around, trying to wake me up. I was aware that I was in nothing but my boxers, and the hotel suite was destroyed. Because of all the liquor from the night before, my stomach immediately lurched, and I vomited on the officer closest to me."

"I remember him throwing me back with evident disgust, and another officer reading me my rights, while placing handcuffs on my wrists. I was still so drunk that I couldn't understand anything they were asking me. I remember telling them that I had been with Meghan the night before and that she was a frigid bitch. I even signed papers without even reading them, I was so out of it."

"Finally, I sobered up enough to shut up and ask for a lawyer. After that, they were forbidden from asking any more questions. My father arrived with our lawyer and they informed me that I was being charged with rape, assault, and other unspeakable things. Meghan had given a sworn statement against me, and in my state of drunkenness and/or hangover, I had even signed a confession."

Edward's head dropped into his hands. I was horrified. I wanted to cry. I wanted to hold Edward until his pain went away.

_Oh please God, don't let it have been true. This beautiful man just isn't capable of such vile, disgusting acts._

He continued, his voice ragged with emotion. "I couldn't remember anything, I didn't know if I was guilty or not. Understand Bella, that at that point, I didn't know about the scumbag she'd been seeing behind everyone's back."

"The judge at my arraignment was a friend of Meghan's father, and he denied my bail. I was held in jail for several days, and as each day passed, because I couldn't remember what happened, I became more convinced that I was guilty. I imagined that I had found Meghan in my drunken state, and done those things to her. I was the lowest, most vile creature alive because I had hurt the thing I most cared about."

"My parents aged ten years that week. I felt so guilty for causing my family this stress and heartache. I hated myself. I wanted to die, and by the end of that week, I even went as far as to attempt suicide." Edward slowly pulled both his sleeves up to reveal the fading scars on both wrists.

_Just like mine._

"Oh Edward no." I cried as I hugged his neck, my tears flowing down my cheeks. I sobbed for a few minutes, until he was able to soothe me, and I calmed to hear more of his story.

"After my suicide attempt, I was kept under observation in the psychiatric ward of Seattle General, while under police guard. A couple of days into my stay, all charges against me were dropped."

"At first the only thing anyone would tell me was that Meghan's real attackers had been taken into custody. I was not a suspect, and had in no way been involved in the assault."

"I almost went out of my mind thinking about someone hurting her, even though I was relieved that it wasn't me. I still thought I loved her, and couldn't bear the thought of the horrible things she'd gone through. I also felt responsible for 'driving her away' to be hurt by some random guys."

"Since I was no longer in 'police custody', my parents were able to spend more time with me. I was still under 'suicide watch', but because of his position in the hospital, Dad was able to influence my doctors to speed up the process to release me."

"My Dad realized that the catalyst to the suicide attempt was that I believed myself guilty of harming Meghan. He also realized I needed the entire story so I wouldn't harbor any guilt about what happened to her."

"After Meghan had left me at Prom, she had the cab drop her off at Jimmy's apartment, Jimmy being her scumbag twenty-four year old boyfriend. She arrived unannounced and found Jimmy and his friend Dave snorting coke and having sex with a couple of girls."

"Meghan went off on them and starting hitting Jimmy. He sent the girls away, and was able to calm Meghan down. Once she was calm, he proceeded to beat her severely for embarrassing him."

Edward choked out the next words in a whisper. "He and his friend Dave raped Meghan and did unspeakable things to her until they eventually passed out."

"At some point, she was able to make her escape. A good Samaritan found her staggering alongside the road, and took her to the closest hospital. The emergency room staff called the police and her parents."

"Her Mother and Father immediately assumed that I was the one who had hurt her. The police arrested me, and Meghan was too afraid to tell the truth, and have to admit all the things she'd been doing for the last two years."

"Somehow she heard about my suicide attempt and what little compassion and decency she had left forced her to finally admit the truth to her parents and the police. Meghan went into rehab, Jimmy and his friend were arrested, and I was freed."

"After hearing the whole story from my Dad, I broke down. I was relieved that I hadn't hurt anyone, but I descended into a deep depression which left permanent scars on my mental well-being. I refused to let anyone get close to me with the exception of my family. When you told me about yourself Bella, the pain I saw on your face mirrored my own in so many ways. Although my physical pain was self-inflicted, the mental anguish I suffered was excruciating. I knew you were someone who could understand that, as I understand yours."

"I couldn't bring myself to return to school for the last month of my junior year. My parents made arrangements so that I could complete the work at home. I was just so afraid that everyone would know that I'd been arrested. And you know as well as I that even if the charges were dropped, there would still be those people that believe the accusation alone is proof of guilt."

"What I didn't know at the time was that, behind the scenes, my parents worked relentlessly to clear my name of any connection to the horrors of that night."

"The numerous mistakes made by the arresting officers actually worked in my favor. While still in my drunken stupor, they had asked my age. I told them I was eighteen, and they stupidly didn't verify it. As you may or may not know, handling the case of a juvenile is vastly different than that of an adult. They also had me sign a confession while clearly intoxicated."

"Our team of lawyers threatened to sue not only the police department, but the city of Seattle and state of Washington for all their screw-ups. As a result, my arrest file, which was supposed to be sealed when the charges were dropped, was instead destroyed, and every associated document with my name on it was shredded."

"Meghan's family was well-connected, and worked tirelessly to keep her name out of the news, and that benefited me also because it was well-known at school that I was her boyfriend. It also didn't hurt that our lawyers threatened to sue the Walters family if my name were ever to be associated in any way with her or with what had happened."

"The story was all over the news, without mention of Meghan's name of course since she was still a minor. Jimmy and Dave's faces and lives became a public fascination until their conviction, then they too were forgotten."

He finally seemed to be breathing normally.

"My parents were so incensed over the police department's handling of my situation, that they used their money and influence to start a foundation specifically designed to provide legal representation and aid to minors."

"My father has spent the last seven years making friends with every influential member of Washington state politics. My situation frightened him so much that I think he has been trying to prevent anything like that from happening to his family ever again."

"As for myself, the entire clusterfuck left me an emotional wreck. When I got the call to move to Hollywood just after my birthday, it was a Godsend. I was able to escape from Seattle, and anyone who knew about my ordeal. I was able to lose myself in my new life."

"Just after I moved to California, my parents let me know about all their efforts and assured me that everything had been taken care of, and that my public image and career would never be tainted by what happened."

"When you told me how you felt about your family Bella, I completely understood. I owe everything to my parents, Alice, and even Jasper."

"Alice was enrolled to attend college on the east coast. Everything was set, she even had an apartment. Jasper and Alice were high school sweethearts, and he was getting ready to start his second year of college. The fashion school that Alice was attending would have been only be an hour's drive from his school."

"Alice cancelled all her plans on the east coast and enrolled in a school in California, just to be closer to me. She knew I would need her."

"I can't even describe to you the intense guilt I felt for taking her from the school she'd had her heart set on, not to mention taking her away from Jasper. We had horrible arguments because I didn't want her to do that for me, but she wouldn't listen, and wouldn't change her mind."

"I'm so grateful she was so stubborn because there were many times over the next few years that I wouldn't have made it without her. When I was working things were easier, because I would completely focus on the job at hand. It was the time between projects that was dangerous for me. My depression was all-consuming at times. My guilt was eased slightly when Jasper transferred to California for his last two years of school."

"Even though my parents had assured me that my name was in the clear, I didn't want anything following me to Hollywood, so I used my Grandmother's maiden name of  _Masen._ I'm sure that people back home recognized me when my first movie was released, but no one ever publicized my real name or the details of the worst period of my life."

"I have a feeling that my parent's lawyers were and still are working on my behalf in that regard."

We sat for a long time as I thought about everything he'd told me. I couldn't believe the Hell he'd been through. But, as he said, I could empathize with everything he felt.

Edward was very quiet and I wanted to make sure he didn't misunderstand how I felt after his 'confession'.

"Edward, thank you for telling me what happened to you. It means more than I can say. What I mean to say is,  _you_ mean more to me than I can say." I added quietly.

"We certainly are a 'fucked-up pair'. Maybe we can help each other and go forward together. Now that I know you, I can't bear the thought of being without you." I admitted.

He raised his eyes and looked into mine with a hopeful expression. He smiled and brushed a stray hair behind my ear. "Beautiful Bella, I can't face a single tomorrow without you. I love you."

Those three little words, overplayed and overdone in songs, movies and books throughout history. Those three little words were, at that moment in time, and coming from the man I knew I loved, exactly what made  _this_  the defining moment of my life.

_Time for the truth Bella._

"I love you too Edward, so much." I admitted in a soft whisper.

The smile that lit up his face was blinding. Before I knew it, his hands were cupping my face and bringing my lips closer to his.

I almost expected Alice to appear at that moment because, yeah, that's the kind of shit that happens to me.

But there were no interruptions, nothing to intrude on our own personal bubble at that moment as Edward's lips met mine for the first of what I hoped to be thousands of kisses.

The electric hum that always existed between us increased as our kiss intensified. I felt Edward's tongue glance across my bottom lip and my lips parted for him.

Kissing Edward was the single most intense and pleasant physical act I'd ever experienced. I could only imagine how intense  _other_  acts with Edward could be.

_Whoa Bella. Don't go there._

We finally broke the kiss when we both felt the need for oxygen.

"I've been wanting to do that for a week." Edward breathed. "How are you? I was afraid it would upset you."

"I'm fine, no, let me rephrase, I'm spectacular." I smiled.

Edward laughed, the happiest, most carefree sound I'd ever heard him make.

"That was just, wow" was all my brilliant mind could conjure to say.

He smiled and agreed, "Wow is a bit understated, but it will do."

"Bella, do you remember the text on Christmas about what I wished for?" He asked.

I nodded my head, my lips refusing to form words, until they were kissed again.

" _That_ was what I wished for."

After a little while, and some more kissing, some passionate, some merely sweet, I became aware of how late it had gotten.

I could see that Edward was spent, after his lengthy, gut-wrenching confession, so I suggested we go home. After taking our leave of Edward's family, we loaded into the back of the car and Sidney proceeded to drive back to my apartment. "The next time we come out here, I'll take you for a drive in the Vanquish." He stated with a smile.

"And when will that be Edward?"

"What are you doing this weekend?" He asked as he pulled me close against his side.

"I think I'm going for a ride in a fuckawesome car." I said as I winked at him.

We laughed.

We finally said goodnight at my apartment door. "Goodnight Edward, sweet dreams, I love you." It was getting easier to say every time.

"Goodnight Beautiful Bella, I love you too. You are my whole world now."

Hope, a foreign emotion for so many years, filled both my heart and my mind.


	8. The Dude & Dirty Harry

**Thursday, December 30**

I woke up long before my alarm went off, happier than I ever remembered being before, but nervous as hell. It reminded me of those Christmas mornings when I was a little kid. The night before I'd be so excited that it seemed to take hours to finally fall asleep, but as soon as my body would register that it was morning, I would wake up, tummy full of butterflies, jump out of bed, and go to see what Santa brought. The euphoria overwhelming.

 _Although, in my case, I was usually awoken by the booming voice of my brother who then proceeded to tickle me until I either woke up or peed my pants. He'd drag me out of bed and carry me downstairs, sometimes piggyback (obviously reserved for the times I_ _**didn't** _ _pee myself)._

Unfortunately, because I don't know how to ever relax and be happy, a nagging little part of my brain was nursing an irrational fear that last night had been a dream. As soon as I looked at my phone and read the last text message, I knew that I was being silly, and that last night had really happened. I must have already been asleep when he sent it.

_**Beautiful Bella-** _

_**The last words you said tonight were 'sweet dreams, and I love you'. The latter has made the former possible.** _

_**My dreams will be very sweet, because they will be of you.** _

_**Sleep in a little tomorrow, the car will arrive at 9:30am. I love you.** _

_**-Edward** _

I did a little happy dance beside my bed.

Was there anything else I would ever need? Maybe food, water, oxygen, and Edward. Yeah, that's about it. The necessities of life.

I decided that since I had a block of free time, according to Edward's text, I could do my laundry. I'd gotten a little behind with it since Christmas. I stripped the sheets from my bed and stuffed them into a laundry bag. I filled a second bag with clothes from my hamper and headed down the hall to the communal laundry room.

I loaded up everything into the washers and headed back to my apartment to start getting ready for the day. It was only 7:30, which was a little too early to knock on Emmett and Rose's door.

_I wonder if they'd enjoy a big breakfast? Jeez Bella we're talking about Emmett here. I'm fearful for small animals when he's hungry, hence the reason I don't own any. Of course he's not going to turn down food._

I cooked western omelets and sausages and placed everything in the warmer. I shot a text to Rosalie, telling her that if they wanted food, they'd better get their asses over here in ten minutes.

I then headed back down the hall to move the wet clothes to the dryers. What happened next I blame on the fact that my head was still spinning with thoughts of Edward and his kisses.

As soon as I walked through the door to the laundry, I noticed a pool of water near one of the washers.

_Oh no, I hope my clothes washed okay._

I carefully approached the machines. Well, not carefully enough. The next thing I knew, I felt myself slipping and falling.

_Oh. Shit._

_***V &V****_

"Bella, Bella, wake up Bella!"

I could hear my brother frantically calling me. My head was throbbing like a motherfucker.

 _Ow, I mean_ _**OW!** _

I tried to open my eyes but even that made my head hurt. I lifted my hand to my face and physically pried my right eye open with my fingers.

"Oh!" I heard my brothers booming voice right by my ear.

 _Does he even_ _**have** _ _a 'low' setting on his volume? Shit! my head!_

When my eyes finally focused I came face to face with  _Jeff Bridges?_  No, not really Jeff Bridges, but Jeff Bridges in the Big Lebowski.

_That just figures. I died and 'the Dude' is 'abiding' in my own personal purgatory. Fuck my Life, or Fuck my Afterlife, as it were._

"Bella! Can you hear me?"

_.Hell._

"Stop yelling in my ear Emmett. My head hurts." I replied in a whimper. My words came out like mush.

When I was able to focus, I realized I had been face-to-face with Emmett's 'Big Lebowki' t-shirt, one that I gave him for Christmas.

"Bells, honey, we're taking you to the hospital." Rose informed me.

I opened my eyes again to see them both hovering over me. I tried to protest, but my head felt like it was going to explode, and I couldn't get the words out. I felt myself being lifted and carried out. At one point in the car I grabbed Rose's arm. "Edward is coming to get me at 9:30" I slurred.

"I'll text him Bells, just relax."

** _V &V_**

I was sitting in an exam room, waiting for the Doctor to appear. I wasn't feeling woozy any more, but the headache was still there.

"Feeling any better?" Emmett looked at me, concern evident on his face.

"Honestly? I'm feeling a little like hammered shit right now, but I'll live." I croaked out, my mouth felt dry, and my voice was hoarse. "I'm so thirsty." I winced as I thought about my bad luck. "I guess I was due for another accident, I haven't been in the emergency room for a whole year."

Emmett and Rose chuckled, but I could tell they were worried. Em handed me a bottle of water.

"I'm going to get the building manager to have carpet installed in that damn room and have something done about the faulty plumbing." Emmett huffed.

Everyone was quiet for a few minutes. Rose walked over to her purse and pulled out her cell phone. After drinking my water, I laid back and shut my eyes. I could hear Rose speaking quietly to someone on the phone, but couldn't make out any of the words.

All of a sudden the door flew open and Edward walked in with his father on his heels. Edward had a panicked look on his face. When he saw me, he relaxed marginally. "Oh thank God. Bella are you alright?" He asked as he rushed to my side.

"My head's killing me, but I've had worse." Oh boy had I. A little bump on my head is nothing compared to what I'd been through before.

Dr. Cullen exchanged pleasantries with Emmett and Rose.

"What happened?" Edward asked as he took my left hand in both of his and sat in the chair beside me.

I saw both Rose and Emmett's mouths fall open in surprise.

Dr Cullen smiled. "Bella would it be alright if I checked your chart?" he asked.

"Of course Dr. Cullen." I smiled back.

"Carlisle, please." He said as he picked up my chart to read it.

I proceeded to tell Edward and Carlisle all about my spill in the laundry room. My brother completed the story.

"So we get a text message promising us breakfast. Then you didn't answer your door Bells. I had to resort to using my key." He said, seeming a little put out by this.

"When I entered the apartment, I started to freak when I couldn't find you anywhere. As soon as I saw the bottle of detergent sitting by your clothes basket, I figured you were doing laundry."

"I left Rose to make coffee, and went to find you." Emmett started rubbing soothing circles on the hand he was holding. He wouldn't meet my eyes, staring down at the edge of my bed instead. "I found you on the floor. I was so scared." His voice was shaking. Rose came over beside him and rubbed his back.

"It's okay Em, it was just a stupid accident. I'm sorry I wasn't more careful." I told him. I started to choke up. I never could bear to see my big brother upset. "Thank you for finding me." I said in a small voice.

I could see that Edward was on the verge of losing his shit. He was trying to take slow even breaths, a method I practiced to ward off panic attacks. I patted his hand. "I'm alright Edward. These kinds of things just seem to happen to me. I land in the emergency room quite often."

Carlisle pursed his lips and nodded in agreement as he studied my chart. I knew that he was probably looking at a 'laundry list', pardon the pun, of all my past injuries.

I turned back toward Edward. "I'm glad you're here." I smiled at him. "Even if I am dressed like a slob in my pjs and hoodie. I'd understand if you didn't want to date me now Mr. Masen." I teased.

"You are more beautiful every time I see you, even dressed like this with no makeup. You take my breath away Miss Swan." He murmured.

He drew in a deep breath, "I came as quickly as I could after receiving Rosalie's text message. I phoned my father on the way, and he met me at the door. Bella, I've never been so worried." He sighed and dropped his head down in relief. I gently cupped the side of his face with my hand, he leaned into it and closed his eyes.

I had forgotten that we weren't alone in the room until I heard my brother clearing his throat.

When I looked over at him, he looked a little freaked out. I then realized that, outside of our small family circle, in seven years, he'd never seen me casually touch anyone. He was probably waiting for the meltdown that would never come. "It's okay Em." I softly smiled at him.

Emmett and Rose tried to wipe the shocked looks off of their faces, but failed miserably.

"Edward, don't you need to go to the photoshoot?" I asked when I realized it was already after 9:30.

"That is the least of my worries Bella. I'll call and tell them we need to reschedule." He answered as he pulled out his phone.

Just then another doctor walked in. He looked pleasantly surprised to see Carlisle there, and they shook hands as Carlisle handed him my file.

Edward stepped away to let the Doctor approach.

"Hello Isabella, I'm Doctor Legg."

Emmett's head perked up and I noticed him reading the Doctor's name tag. So, of course I had to glance at it myself.

_Oh cripes._

I tried to send a message telepathically to my brother so he wouldn't embarrass me.

_Emmett, don't say anything, don't say anything, don't say anything._

I chanted silently. But, obviously my telepathic skills were shit, because he spoke anyway.

"So um, Doc?" I laid back and covered my face with my hands, peering from between my fingers as Emmett started to speak.

Dr. Legg turned to face my brother. "Yes?"

"Your first name's really Seymour?" He started snickering. "As in Seymour Legg?" Emmett still chuckling, as everyone else just stared at him.

"Yes, unfortunately my parents had a strange sense of humor." Dr. Legg said as he plastered a fake smile on his face.

"Don't sweat it Doc, at least your last name's not Butts." Was my asstard brother's brilliant reply.

The doctor got a pained look on his face as Rose, Edward, and even Carlisle started snickering. "As if I've never heard  _that_ one before." Dr. Legg said as he turned back to me.

_Another day, another chance for Emmett to embarrass me in public._

"Please excuse my brother Dr. Legg, he never grew up." I stated dryly.

"Anyway, Isabella, as you probably know you've suffered a mild concussion. We'd like to keep you here under observation for a little while longer, but I don't see any reason for you to be here overnight, as long as someone can stay with you for the next 24 hours."

"Not a problem Doctor." Rose stated. "Bella's got a great support system."

I smiled at her gratefully.

"I'll send a nurse in with an ice pack and some pain meds for your head." He glanced once more around the room. I did notice his gaze lingered on Edward for a moment, as if he recognized him. He must have decided against saying anything, and left.

I turned to Edward who was still chuckling. "Don't encourage Emmett." I snarked. Edward tried, but failed to hide his amused smile.

"Well, Bella, you're in quite capable hands here. I'm going to head back upstairs to prep for my next surgery." Carlisle said. "Please have someone call me if you need anything." He patted my hand, then Edward's shoulder.

"Goodbye everyone."

"Bye Dr. Cullen." Em and Rose said together. Edward followed his father out to make his phone call.

"Bells!" Rose's eyes were wide. "What exactly is going on between you and Masen?" She and Emmett were listening intently for my response.

"We love each other." I stated simply. There was no reason to beat about the bush.

If I thought they looked shocked before, it was nothing compared to that moment. They also seemed to have been rendered speechless.

Emmett was the first to recover. "In just one week?" He sputtered out.

"Everything seems fast, yes, but our hearts, not our heads, seem to be in control. Even I, the born skeptic, now have to admit that 'love at first sight' is possible." I answered them sincerely.

Edward re-entered the room just as I said the last sentence, and came back to my side, taking my hand in his again.

"I know this seems strange to you both, but I have never felt this way about anyone before. Today proved to me that Bella is all I'll ever want, and I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost her."

I saw Emmett and Rose share a look and a small smile at these words.

As promised, the nurse arrived with my icepack and meds. Not long after that, I was released with instructions to keep applying icepacks for the next couple of hours, and take Tylenol as needed.

I had to argue with Edward and Rosalie so they wouldn't cancel the last part of the interview. They finally relented, and even decided it would be okay for me to attend, as long as I understood that I was only there to observe, not work. I just needed to stop home first to get dressed.

Convincing Edward to allow Emmett and Rose to take me home so he could go to his hotel to get ready was a little more difficult. I finally got my way by pretending that arguing was making my head hurt worse.

"I'm so sorry Bella, of course I'll do as you ask. But, can I please come by to pick you up and take you to the station?"

"That would be fine Edward, and thank you."

We walked out to the exit. Emmett and Rose realizing that Edward and I were loathe to be separated, went out to the parking lot to bring the car up. This gave us the opportunity to give each other a quick goodbye kiss away from prying eyes.

*** _V &V*_**

When I got home, Emmett and Rose made sure I wasn't alone until Edward arrived. They were taking the doctors instructions very seriously, and it was driving me nuts.

Edward wasn't much better, making me sit on the sofa, and waiting on me hand and foot. Emmett had dried the infamous laundry and brought it back to the apartment. I allowed Edward to put the sheets on my bed, but forbid him from folding my clothes.

There was no way in freaking Hell he was going to handle my unmentionables. We hadn't even been on our 'official' first date yet.

Besides that, thanks to Rosalie, my underwear would make a hooker blush. She wouldn't let me own, what she judged, 'ugly underwear', so she made all my lingerie purchases. Every time I bought 'normal' undergarments, she would find my hiding places and confiscate them. She was like a bloodhound whose mission was to seek out and destroy cotton panties.

Edward and I were sitting there talking when my doorbell rang. I didn't think it would be Rose or Emmett because they never used the bell.

"Bella, don't move, I'll get that." Edward ordered.

"Yes sir" I answered in my most sarcastic tone.

As soon as the door opened I heard my father's voice. "What are you doing answering my daughter's door? And where is Bella?"

_Oh jeez, Charlie sounds pissed._

"Dad, I'm right here." He charged around the corner to the living room, and came over to sit beside me. He was still in his uniform, and  _armed._

"How are you doing baby, Rose called and told me what happened, so I drove right out here."

"I'm fine. Edward was keeping me company before we have to leave for the TV station." I tried to avoid going into a lot of detail where Edward was concerned.

_I'll postpone that talk until later._

Charlie looked at Edward, narrowing his eyes and raising one eyebrow.

"Dad, you didn't need to come all this way, I just had a slight concussion."

"Bells, I was coming tomorrow anyway. I just had Mark take over things a day early." He said, still eyeing Edward.

I cleared my throat. "Dad, I'd like you to meet Edward Masen. Edward this is my father Charlie Swan."

Edward, ever the gentleman, reached his hand out to shake Charlie's. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir, Bella's told me a lot about you."

Charlie begrudgingly shook Edward's hand. "Well that makes  _one_ of us."

_What a grouch. I know he's pissed that I didn't tell him about Edward, but he doesn't need to be rude._

I glared at my father. "Come on Dad, we have to leave for the station. We'll have a talk about this later." I said, trying to calm him.

Sidney was waiting downstairs, and drove Edward, Charlie and I to the TV station. Emmett and Rose went in their own car because they were leaving for the airport immediately after the interview.

Rose and Jasper's parents had been away on a 'Christmas cruise', and were arriving back into Seattle this afternoon. Jasper and Alice, as well as Emmett and Rose were meeting them at the airport and they were all going out to dinner.

My evening, on the other hand, would be spent with Edward and Chief Swan, heaven help me.

_-V &V-_

I was sat in a folding chair beside my Dad and Emmett as we watched the third and final part of Rose's interview with Edward.

The questions for this portion all involved Edward's future plans.

"If I'm being completely honest, I'd have to say that I'm more hopeful about the future than I've been in many years." Edward was answering one of Rose's questions, but his gaze wandered over to me.

_Am I the only one who noticed the sparkle in his eye when he said those words._

"Is there a specific reason for this Edward?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's just that things I never thought possible for me seem to be falling into place. I don't want to expand on the reasons too much. I'm a very private person but, I'm sure that some time down the road, the public will be made aware."

_Ah, Edward being cryptic as always. I have to say that it's nice to be in on the secret for once._

The minute the interview was over, Edward and Rose came over to where we were seated.

"We'll see you later, we've got to get to the airport." Rose said as she hugged me and Charlie.

"See you tomorrow Bella and Dad. Later, Edward." Emmett gave us all a smile and a wink before leaving with Rose.

"Dad, can you wait here for one moment, I'll be right back." Dad nodded.

"Edward, can you come with me?" I said as I took his hand and led him toward my cubicle.

When we were sufficiently out of earshot of my nosy co-workers I began. "Edward, can you wait to come over until about seven?"

"Of course Bella. I'm assuming you need a little time to speak with your father?"

"Exactly." I smiled, even though Charlie had me a little stressed.

Edward gave me a quick peck on the lips. "I'll see you then. Goodbye beautiful."

I giggled and gave him a quick hug before leaving with my Dad.

_-V &V-_

We were settled back at my apartment while Charlie served me a cup of tea, insisting that I rest.

"Bells, I don't want to pry, but what exactly is going on? And why didn't I know? I just saw you a few days ago." Charlie sounded confused and a little hurt.

"Dad, I'm sorry I didn't say anything last week. Things are still very new with Edward."

"Are you dating him?" He asked in a serious tone.

"For all intents and purposes, I guess I am." I didn't want to go into detail about Tanya et al. I just hoped that Charlie had never paid attention to the tabloid magazine covers while standing in line at the Thriftway.

"I really care for him Dad, he's important to me."

_Not going to tell you how important right now Chief, because I know you will flip your shit._

Charlie looked stunned. "Bells, you'll have to forgive me, this is all pretty sudden. Quite frankly it's surprising the Hell out of me."

"Believe me Dad, no one is more surprised than I am." I said with a small smile.

"Bells" Dad's tone was quiet and serious. "Is this what you were talking about when you said you'd decided to be happy? Does he make you happy?"

"It is, and he does." The truth of those words resounding in my ears.

"He's not good enough for you. But, no one ever would be." Charlie said, grinning now. "And I know why you wanted to speak with me alone, but I can't promise to behave myself when he comes over tonight." His grin was bigger now, looking very much like Emmett's.

"Just try. For me Dad." I pleaded.

Charlie nodded.

When Edward got there, Charlie did try. I guess. In between the times that he was being a jerk.

We were eating pizza when Edward made his first mistake. He chose an import beer from my frig for himself, while Charlie sipped on his Vitamin R.

"Something wrong with domestic Edward?" Charlie asked while pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes.

"Um, I like Harps?" Edward answered, a little confused as to what the 'right' answer could be. Truth was no matter what he said, Charlie would find fault.

"Cut it out Dad." I challenged.

"What?" Charlie tried to look innocent.

"You know what. I have three different types of beer in that frig to keep you, Emmett and Rose happy, and you're the only one that drinks the 'domestic' beer."

The next bone of contention was firearms. "You mean to tell me that you didn't learn to shoot a gun until you had to for a movie role?" Dad made a sour face. "Didn't your father ever take you hunting? It's a great father-son bonding experience."

"Dad, would you please give me a break. You attempted to take Emmett hunting once, do I need to remind you of how that turned out?"

Charlie started to look a little nervous.

_I am so going to get you now Mister._

"Let me tell you about Emmett and Dad's great 'bonding experience' Edward. Emmett, who was twelve at the time, decided that he would use the trip as some sort of 'wilderness survival' experiment. When they got home, he spent the next 24 hours throwing up because he thought it would be macho to drink his own piss."

"He also had a rash in the worst possible place because when he emulated a bear and 'shit in the woods', he just happened to take that dump on some poison ivy. And then, to top it all off, he managed to piss off, not one, but a whole family of skunks which resulted in him and my father both reeking for a week!"

"Yeah, they bonded alright, when Mom made them both sleep out in the garage until the smell dissipated."

Edward, God bless him, was struggling mightily not to laugh. He suddenly ran to the bathroom and I heard the loud guffaws before the door even closed.

Charlie narrowed his eyes at me. I answered it with a smug smile. Score: Bella 2, Charlie 0.

The next discussion was about Edward's chosen profession. "I don't think much about Hollywood actors these days. They're all so 'in touch with their feminine side'. I'll take a Clint Eastwood film over all that touchy feely crap any day." Charlie said, looking satisfied.

I rolled my eyes at him. Charlie was, without a doubt, Clint Eastwood's number one fan. Charlie thought that man hung the moon. It was bordering on ridiculous how much of a fanatic he was.

"What a coincidence. Clint asked me to be in a film with him, we start work in September. Parts of it will be filmed right here in Seattle. If you were interested in meeting him I could set it up." Edward offered.

The air in the room got very still, and then it was as if the sky opened, and all the choirs of angels began to sing. Chief Charlie Swan transformed into a giant pile of stuttering goo right before my eyes.

He let Edward know, in no uncertain terms, that he'd  **definitely**  be interested in meeting  _Clint._

"Well now, um, well, that sounds good. Yeah, you set that up Edward. Anytime. You name the time and place and I'll be there. Just let me know. Do you need my cell number? How about the house phone number? Oh Hell, just give me your cell I'll program them all into it, including the police station. They can usually get in touch with me 24/7."

_O my God, I wish I had a video camera to capture this moment._

Charlie's treatment of Edward did the most abrupt 180 that I'd ever witnessed. Edward became his buddy, his pal, his own personal guide to the land of Clint Eastwood.

In Charlie's eyes, if Clint Eastwood had been a foreign country, Edward would be its ambassador. If Clint Eastwood had been a religion, Edward would be its Pope.

_Maybe I hit my head a lot harder than I thought._


	9. Stellar Hineys & Carriage Rides

**New Year's Eve**

I awoke abruptly from a deep sleep. My dreams so full of Edward, so vivid, so real, so explicit? Coming from the mind of someone who'd never had sex, it was perplexing.

After some time to ponder, I decided to blame my 'sexy dreams' on the fact that I'm head over heels in love with Edward a.k.a. 'Sexward' Masen.

And also the fact that I've seen his naked tushy.

It's true that I'd seen several of Edward's movies over the last few years. But none of them got me 'worked up' quite as much as  _September Ends._ Itwas a steamy love story Edward filmed last year.

There were a couple scenes in which viewers were treated to a view of Edward's naked backside. After that, I decided that his hiney should be added to the official list of 'man-made wonders' of the world, make that the  _top_ of the list.

I mean really, what woman (or man for that matter) wouldn't appreciate a view of his posterior over going to the trouble and expense of traveling all the way to Egypt for some stupid pyramids.

_No-fucking-body that's who._

The problem is that during all the days since I'd met him, that movie had not even crossed my mind. Now, thanks to the dream, everything was brought back into vivid focus. I wasn't really sure how I would face him today without blushing like a nun in a whorehouse.

I was brought out of my internal ramblings by my phone, signaling a text. It was from Rose.

_**B-** _

_**Brunch at the Fairmont, 11am with the 'rents. Edward is attending.** _

_**You and Charlie are riding with us. Wear your 'flutter dress'.** _

_**-R** _

I don't know what I'd do without Rose to boss me around. I went and pulled the dress from my closet. It was made up of two layers of black material, the top being sheer with tiny butterflies all over it, hence the name 'flutter dress'. I laid the dress on my bed.

I walked through the apartment and found Charlie in the kitchen, he'd already put the sleeper sofa back to rights, and was drinking his morning coffee.

"Good morning sweetheart, how did you sleep?" He asked while kissing my cheek

"Really well, my headache is gone." I answered. "Were you comfortable?"

"Sure. I told you before that your sofa bed is very comfortable Bells."

It was a well-known fact that whenever Charlie came to Seattle, he stayed with me. There were two reasons for this. The first being that he didn't approve of Emmett and Rose's co-habitation outside of marriage. The second being that there was no way he wanted to be within earshot when they decided to 'get romantic'.

"Um, what time did Edward leave last night?" I asked.

"Oh, I guess it was about midnight. He said goodnight to you through your door, but I guess you couldn't hear. As much as I like the guy, I wasn't going to let him in your bedroom, so he made due." Charlie grinned while I rolled my eyes.

I thought back to last night. I had sat there most of the evening stunned into silence as Edward and his new best friend Charlie talked and laughed and joked and then talked some more. You get the idea.

As a matter of fact, they were so involved in their little  _bromance_ that I doubt either of them noticed when I slipped off to bed.

_And to think I owe it all to Clint Eastwood._

"I'm going to take a shower." I said as I exited the room.

After my shower, I was walking toward my bedroom when I heard my Dad talking to someone. From the doorway, I could see that he was speaking on my cell phone.

"Oh, here she comes now Edward." He smiled as he handed the phone to me.

I smiled back. "Hello Edward." My stomach did a little flip.

"Hello Bella. I just wanted to apologize for last night. I didn't mean to ignore you. It's just that I really wanted your Dad to like me. I'm glad he seems to." By now Dad had walked into the other room.

"That's an understatement Edward. I think he's ready to either adopt you or become your blood brother. And I'm not upset, it's just kind of surreal."

Edward laughed. "You're telling me, one minute I was sure he hated my guts, and the next he was inviting me fishing whenever you and I go to Forks."

_Wow. Dad never goes fishing with people he barely knows. He says they screw up his focus. And he's expecting Edward to come to Forks with me. Squee._

"I guess I'd better let you get ready." Edward said with a sigh. "I'll see you soon. I love you Bella."

"I love you too."

The brunch today was usually the type of thing I would avoid like the plague. Since I'd met and fallen in love with Edward, all bets were off. Old Bella was fading away, and I was sure I wouldn't miss her.

_-V &V-_

We arrived at the Fairmont's restaurant at 11 exactly. The Whitlock's had reserved a large table in a secluded section. We were the last to arrive. Edward noticed me as soon as I approached, and a dazzling smile lit up his face.

All the men at the table immediately rose out of their chairs until the ladies were seated. Edward was on the far side of the table, with Alice and Jasper to his left, and an empty seat to his right. I started to walk around there to sit beside him, when Chief Swan breezed past me and immediately planted his ass in the open seat.

I stood beside the table looking at my Dad with the same 'what-the-fuck?' expression on my face that I usually reserved for Emmett.

Emmett found the whole thing hilarious. He laughed loudly, then took my hand and had me sit next to him and Rose, across from Edward.

Edward mouthed 'I'm sorry', and shrugged one shoulder, a little bewildered.

I had forgotten how talkative Rose and Jasper's Mother was, and by contrast, how quiet and stoic their father was. The conversation was lively, with Mrs. Whitlock monopolizing most of it.

"I still don't know why I even invited my cousin Sylvia to go on that cruise with us." Mrs. Whitlock began. "Aside from the fact that she provided a little 'female' companionship, and would go to the spa and shopping with me, she was quite an embarrassment from the very first day." She blabbered on.

"We attended a cocktail party that first night, and she actually had the lack of decency to walk around the room with a lit cigarette in her hand!" Mrs. Whitlock looked like she was going to get a case of the 'vapors'.

"Now I hope you would never do anything like that Rosalie. Everyone knows that a  _lady_  remains seated while smoking." I could hear Emmett snickering beside me as Mrs. Whitlock went on to describe her cousin's many faults which seemingly all stemmed from the woman's questionable lineage on her mother's side, and the fact that she never pledged a sorority in college.

"My mother always believed that Sylvia's mother married my Uncle Alfred because she wanted a 'Sugar Daddy'."

I spent a little time watching Edward interact with the Chief. He really was gorgeous, and he wanted me. I didn't think I'd ever get used to it.

"Jasper and Rose, I spoke with Nana Whitlock on the phone this morning. I believe she's starting to lose it." Mrs. Whitlock stated while giving her husband an arched glare, as if his mother going senile was somehow his fault. Colonel Whitlock ignored her and continued eating.

"She actually asked me how  _Francis_  was doing. At first I thought she was referring to your father, since his name is Frank. Although no one would call him  _Francis_  unless they had a death wish." Colonel Whitlock  _was_  a military man, and he  _did_ have an air of unpredictability about him.

"Then I realized that she was asking about  _you_ Jasper." I heard Jasper groan as he palmed his face.

I must have had a confused look, because Mrs. Whitlock decided I needed a full explanation. "You see Bella, Jasper's name is actually  _Francis_ Jasper. Like a lot of Southern families we call our son by his  _middle_ name."

Jasper had obviously kept his first name a well-guarded secret. Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing 'Francis' anywhere on his and Alice's wedding invitation. Interesting.

I heard Emmett chuckling beside me. It was as if Mrs. Whitlock had just handed him his own personal whoopee cushion to use for the rest of the day.

And so he did. For the next hour it was, "Hey there  _Francis_ would you mind passing the sugar?" or " _Francis,_ or do you prefer  _Franny_ or maybe  _Fran?_ Would you please pass the salt and pepper?" And so it continued, making this Jasper's most uncomfortable meal ever. "Hey  _Frana-lama-dingdong_  would you toss me that basket of rolls?"

I felt so bad for Jasper, especially when we all, including Alice, laughed along with Emmett.

I looked over at Edward, still talking with my Dad. On the one hand, I could kill Charlie for monopolizing him, but on the other I was  _so_  happy that they were getting along.

Edward looked over at me and smiled his most panty-dropping smile.

_Don't think about his butt, don't think about his butt._

"Bella, what are you thinking about?" He asked.

I felt the blush creep up my face. "I was just thinking about  _Rear Ends_ , ugh, um, I mean  _September Ends._ " I spluttered out.

_Why did I get out of bed this morning?_

Emmett perked up at that. "Oh, I saw that movie. Kind of a little different than your usual Edward."

"Yes, I really wanted to work with that director, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity." Edward answered.

"It was a good flick. And from one guy to another, but in a non-homosexual kind of way, you got a nice ass."

Edward almost choked on his coffee. I pinched Emmett's arm. Rosalie just looked amused.

"Stop it Emmett." I snarked.

"What? It was a compliment. I'd even consider doing a movie if I could have my stellar ass shown to people all around the world." He grinned.

"Is that the goal you're working toward Emmett? Because as it is now, you 'show your ass' in public daily." I said as I laughed.

_-V &V-_

This evening was going to be special. Unbeknownst to Rosalie, Emmett had been planning for months to propose to her on New Year's Eve. He'd reserved the grand ballroom of the Westin Hotel, complete with live jazz band.

He'd invited his teammates and their spouses, Rose's and my co-workers from WIRI, along with our family and friends.

Rosalie was really excited because she knew Emmett was taking her on a 'Champagne Carriage Ride' around Seattle, and then they would attend what she  _thought_ was a Seahawks New Year's Eve party at the Westin.

As soon as Emmett and Rose left for their carriage ride, Edward would arrive to take Charlie and me to the party.

At about four o'clock Emmett's familiar knock sounded on my door. Dad answered it. I took one look at my brother's face and panicked. "What's wrong?"

He looked over at me. "Wrong? Oh nothing, sorry, Rose is getting ready. I'm just a little freaked out right now." He answered.

"Emmett, you're not supposed to get cold feet until the wedding." Dad joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Emmett sighed. "I know. It's not cold feet, I know for sure that Rose is it for me, I can't wait to marry her." He sat down on my sofa and rubbed his hands together.

I'd never seen my overly self-confident brother nervous before. I was quite take aback. "Emmett, let Dad and I help you, what's going on?"

"It's just, maybe I'm doing this all wrong. I'm second-guessing myself and this huge production tonight, thinking Rose maybe won't like it. I don't know." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Do you really think she'll say yes?"

That's the point where I started to laugh. "You're kidding right? You're trying to get a reaction out of me, because there is  **no way**  Rose will refuse you. O my God Emmett, this 'production' is **exactly**  what Rose would want. She  _loves_ attention. She  _loves_ to be in the spotlight."

"Have you forgotten that Rose is the one that, at every one of your football games, flashes her tits at the cameramen so they'll put her up on the big video screen?" Charlie grimaced. "Sorry Dad. That girl loves having all eyes on her. Trust me, you're doing this exactly right."

"Bella's right son. Rose loves you more than anything. Why else would she put up with all your shit?" Eloquently put as ever, Chief Swan.

_-V &V-_

Edward arrived as soon as Emmett and Rose left. This time, I ran ahead of Charlie so I could answer the door. I was so happy to see Edward, that I forgot myself for a moment and threw my arms around his neck.

"Wow, if I leave and come back can I get the same greeting again?" He asked with a breathtaking smile.

"You're not going anywhere Mister." I was absolutely giddy.

I took a step back so that I could look at him. He was gorgeous in his suit, and he seemed to appreciate my little black evening dress very much.

"You look so lovely Bella."

The ballroom was gorgeous. Emmett had enlisted the help of Rose's Mother to make everything perfect. There were twinkle lights and beautiful flowers, it looked like a scene from a fairytale.

Edward deposited me at one of the tables while he went to get us both drinks. I checked the time. Emmett and Rose should be arriving shortly from their carriage ride, but instead of proposing to her there, he was going to do it in front of all of us. Just like Rose would want.

Finally, we were given the 'high sign' that the happy couple had just arrived. All the guests lined up around the edge of the dance floor, and watched for their entrance.

As Rose and Emmett entered the ballroom, hand in hand, a spotlight was immediately trained on them. A chair had been placed in the center of the dance floor, and Emmett led a bewildered Rosalie straight to it. She still seemed a little confused as she sat there looking around, but as soon as she spotted us, her closest family and friends, I saw the first of many tears start to trickle down her cheeks.

I saw Jasper blow her a sweet kiss from where he stood, and Rose cried harder as she returned it.

Emmett stood before her with his head bowed.

"Rosalie, I feel like I'm years late doing this. I think I've loved you since the first night I met you. Do you remember babe? My friends and I crashed that party in Seattle, and I saw you. I felt like a blind man that had just been given his sight. After I beat the shit out of your stalker ex-boyfriend, and you helped fix the cuts on my face, I knew I had to be with you forever."

_Well that was sweet, I guess._

"You are already the main reason I get out of bed every morning. You're the reason I hurry home every night. When I'm not with you, it's hard to breathe."

"I know the vows say 'for better or for worse', and baby you've already seen me at my worst, and you stuck with me. After Mom died, you helped me through those terrible days, you held me together. I can't believe I've let so many years go by without begging you to spend the rest of your life with me."

"Rosie, when we're old and grey, sitting on our front porch with our great-grandchildren, I just want to be able to park my walker next to yours, lean over to turn up your hearing aid, and say 'Baby, I'm so glad you said yes'."

And with those words, my brother dropped to one knee, and pulled a small velvet box from his jacket pocket. "Rosalie Whitlock, I love you from the bottom of my heart. I've been yours from the moment we met. Say you'll be mine forever, please be my wife?"

Rose, who by this time was a blubbering mess, threw her arms around my brother's neck, looked into his eyes, and answered with a resounding "Fuck yes!"

I wasn't surprised, it  _was_ Rosalie after all.

The chair was taken away as Emmett pulled Rose into a tight embrace. The band began "True Love", and my brother danced the first dance with his fiance, the love of his life.

I was blubbering almost as much as Rosalie, and even Charlie looked choked up. Someone on stage invited the rest of the guests to dance, and I immediately felt a pair of arms snake around my waist. Knowing it was Edward, I turned to face him.

"Would you care to dance Miss Swan?" Gah, I needed to pinch myself to determine if all this was actually really happening.

"If you lead me, I will. I'm not very good at it." I answered.

Dancing with Edward was almost as good as kissing him.

_Are you kidding? No, it really wasn't. But it did give me a good excuse to put my arms around him in public. Score!_

From that moment on, he never left my side for the rest of the evening. The one exception being when Rose yanked me into the ladies room for some 'girl talk', and to admire her ring.

Rose proceeded to tell me what a big, stupid, lovable brother I had, and how deliriously happy she was.

Her tears flowed all night. It seems that my brother's marriage proposal had burst the dam behind which all those years of Rose's bottled up tears had been residing. She was what her Mama referred to as 'a hot mess'.

Edward did allow me to dance with Charlie, and even Emmett, but the rest of the time, if he wasn't dancing with me, he had an arm around my waist or my hand in his. We seemed to feel the need to be close. As midnight approached, this need seemed to intensify. I guess we were both afraid we'd miss the opportunity to be in each other's arms at the stroke of twelve.

During our last dance of the old year, Edward breathed in my ear. "Isabella, would you see the new year in with me?"

_As if he needed to ask._

"I don't know Mr. Masen, that guy over there was giving me the eye, don't you think he's kind of hot?" I said as I pointed at a guy who could be Les Grossman's double.

Edward laughed. "Isabella, you are the most interesting person I've ever met. So unpredictable."

Just then the countdown began…10.…9.…..8.….7.….6

"I love you Bella."

5.…4.…..3.….

"I love you Edward."

2.….1.…..

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

"Happy New Year my love." And then his lips met mine in the kiss to end all kisses. I could feel the electric hum from the top of my head to tips of my toes. I couldn't imagine that kissing anyone else could ever feel this way, and I had no intention of every finding out.

I could feel the stares of those around us, but I didn't care. Eat your hearts out, he's mine. Or at least he will be if we ever go on our first friggin date.

_No distractions Bella, back to the kissing!_

When we finally broke apart, who should be standing there but my brother with a shit-eating grin on his goofy face.

"Sorry Ed, gotta give my little sis a New Year's kiss." Emmett's kiss was, of course, on my cheek, soon followed by Charlie's and Rose's.

The evening had been spectacular by anyone's standards, and I was loathe for it to end, but I was dead beat.

Edward said goodbye to me at the door to my apartment. "Will I see you tomorrow Bella?"

"Aren't you tired of me yet Mr. Masen?" I teased.

"Not by a long shot. I want to spend all my time with you." I looked into his eyes and couldn't doubt his sincerity.

"Come over tomorrow afternoon, I'm cooking dinner for New Year's. Although we'll probably eat in Emmett and Rose's dining room because it's a lot bigger than mine."

"I have to go to Church in the morning. It's a Holy Day." I added.

"Oh?" He was curious now. "What Holy Day?"

I chuckled. "It's Emmett's favorite, the Feast of the Circumcision."

Edward gave me a weird look. "Yeah, I know, if you're not a Catholic, it's hard to understand. Just be glad you're not going to Church with us, Emmett is sure to be on his worst behavior."

Edward laughed and then his expression grew serious. "I'd go to Church with you Bella, like I said I want to spend every day with you."

"Maybe another time Edward. Trust me you don't want it splattered all over the tabloids that Edward Masen is turning Catholic. I think we need to go on that date first." I winked.

"I can't wait Miss Swan." He smiled, and kissed me sweetly.

"I love you and I'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you too, goodbye Edward."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me apologize to everyone named Francis or even Frances out there. As a side note my Grandfather's name was Francis. The other one's was Frank (call him Francis and you'd die).


	10. Cosmic Boogers & Black Eyed Peas

Emmett had just parked the hummer outside of Saint James Cathedral. He had also just received his first smack-upside-the-head of the New Year, courtesy of Rosalie. The smack being the result of his statement regarding The Feast of the Circumcision being proof that God was indeed a man because "No chick would allow an entire day to be dedicated to the schlotskin!"

_I hope God doesn't decide to punish Emmett while I'm standing too close, I don't want to be the collateral damage of his chastisement._

I groaned. "Emmett, that was really disrespectful and, probably sacrilegious, and I don't know, just …wrong. Promise me you'll behave in church."

"When don't I behave?" He asked with a grin.

- _V &V-_

We were seated in a pew near the back of Saint James Cathedral, and I was on the end, just in case I felt the need to make a quick exit. Emmett was seated right next to me, then Rose and Charlie. Emmett only attended Mass during the Christmas season, and had only been in this Cathedral four times, but that had been enough to make a lasting impression.

At home, Emmett's nonsense didn't even seem to phase Father Pat. He usually just shrugged it off. But here, the man of the cloth in charge was an Archbishop. That's just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Pope, and I had no desire to be ex-communicated because my brother was an asstard.

During the processional, as the Archbishop walked past, he took notice of Emmett, and I swear I saw him flinch.

_Yeah, he remembers._

Unbelievably, Emmett actually behaved. Emmett, and for that matter Rose and Charlie, were all so exhausted from the night before that, if they hadn't had their eyes open, I would have sworn they were all asleep.

I stopped paying attention to my family soon after the Archbishop's sermon was over, because that was just about the time that the little boy directly in front of me got bored. His parents must have been suffering from massive hangovers, because I swear if that kid had set himself on fire, they wouldn't have noticed.

He started simply, just pulling out all the empty donation envelopes and folding them up, maybe he knew origami? Stuffing them in his pockets. When he got tired of doing that, he started playing with his shoelaces, then he took off his little dress shoes, then his socks. Then he put the socks back on, then he proceeded to  _lick the bottoms of his shoes._

_Ew, gross._

I actually found it a little amusing when he took the folded envelopes and shoved them down the front of his pants, which made him look like he was hung like a porn star. But then, when he pulled all the envelopes out that he'd stuffed down the front and  _back_ of his pants, unfolded them, and placed them back in the rack for the next unsuspecting churchgoer, I felt a little nauseous.

The grand finale was the worst part of all, he started picking his nose. I sat there horrified because I realized that the time to exchange the 'sign of peace' was fast approaching.

_No way in Hell was I shaking hands with Mister booger fingers._

Of course, Emmett chose that exact moment to start paying attention again. Little booger fingers extended his hand to me, wanting to shake. There on the end of his finger rested the result of his mining expedition. Big and nasty.

Emmett couldn't understand why I was ignoring the kid, and grabbed my right hand, trying to force the handshake. I couldn't take it any more, and for the first time ever, my verbal filter failed me in Church.

"EMMETT NO! THAT KID HAS A BOOGER THE SIZE OF JUPITER ON HIS FINGER, I CAN'T SHAKE HIS HAND! FROM NOW ON THE SAME RULE APPLIES IN CHURCH AS ON AIRPLANES, DON'T SIT NEAR ANY FUCKING CHILDREN!"

As quickly as the words left my mouth, I slapped my hand over it, and my eyes bugged out of my head. My entire family and everyone within range of my declaration looked at me with horrified expressions, as if they'd just witnessed a decapitation.

I slithered down into the seat as low as I could go, keeping my eyes on the floor, biding my time until I could make my escape. Then I heard Emmett's voice low in my right ear.

"You just made this the  _best day ever_."

_Fuck My Life._

-V&V-

I sulked for a long time after the Cathedral fiasco. I could tell that Dad and Rose felt sorry for me, but Emmett was on cloud nine. For once, he wasn't the one in the dog house after a visit to church.

Edward's arrival cheered me up considerably, that is until Emmett relayed the 'booger story', and they both laughed for five minutes. I worried my lip as I thought about my much-needed visit to the confessional with Father Pat.

_I wonder if saying the 'F' word in Church gives you an automatic ticket to Hell?_

I was in my kitchen cooking dinner when Edward sidled up to me.

"What's wrong Bella?"

"I think I'm going to Hell." I said matter-of-factly.

Edward started laughing again. "I doubt it Bella. You're too good a person."

"Edward, I said the 'F' word in Church, in front of children!"

"Would it help if I told you my most embarrassing story ever?" He asked sweetly.

"I guess so." I responded in a weak voice.

"Let's see, when I was thirteen, my friends dared me to sneak into a neighbor's yard with them one night, and skinny dip in their pool. The neighbors were out of town, and the deal was that we would each take a turn accepting the dare."

"I was so gullible that I decided to go first. I stripped and cannon-balled into the cold pool water. When I came up for air, I saw my friends grab my clothes and run out of the yard, laughing their asses off."

"I chased them down the street, hoping no one would see me, trying to get my clothes back.  _And,_ I was freezing. As luck would have it, I had to pass by the house of a girl I had a crush on."

"Oh no." I covered my smile with my hand.

"Oh yes." He grinned. "She was out on her porch greeting friends because, as I found out later, she was hosting a slumber party. I'm sorry to say that those girls got a glimpse of the Full Monty." He hesitated before he continued.

"What Edward?" I was curious as to why he stopped.

"I don't know if I should tell you the  _most_ embarrassing part." He looked sheepish.

"Oh come on Edward." I couldn't imagine what would be more embarrassing than what he'd already said.

"Well, I have to admit that I'm not hurting in the  _size_ department, but because the air was really cold, and I was completely freaked out…." He coughed. "Let's just say that those girls were less than impressed." He chuckled.

_I can't believe Edward's telling me about his peen. Don't get side-tracked Bella, you're supposed to laugh at his story now._

I giggled.

"I gave up trying to catch my friends, and headed for home. There on the front porch was a small stack of clothing and a note, from Alice of course. She reminded me that she had tried to talk me out of going, but I wouldn't listen. She'd left the clothes to spare me any further embarrassment."

_Creepy psychic powers again._

I realized that I was feeling a lot better, probably due more to Edward's presence than his story, so that by the time we sat down to eat in Rose and Emmett's dining room, I was feeling almost human again.

Rose and I had prepared our New Year's Day 'good luck' foods, along with several side dishes. I went with my mother's traditional ham, and Rose made the traditional Southern black-eyed peas.

Emmett jumped up from his seat. "I'm just going to put on some 'holiday' music."

That was weird. Emmett was never one to voluntarily play Christmas music. The next thing I heard was:

_What you gon' do with all that junk?_

_All that junk inside your trunk?_

_I'ma get, get, get you drunk,_

_Get you love drunk off my hump._

_My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,_

_My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps_

Rose dropped her face into her hands and muttered. "I'm so glad we only eat black-eyed peas once a year."

- _V &V_-

After dinner, it was time for Dad to head back to Forks. He'd promised Deputy Mark that He'd take over for him tonight.

Charlie seemed unusually emotional as he hugged Rose goodbye. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you're 'officially' joining the family Rose, but I hope you know that I already think of you as my daughter."

At that, Rose's waterworks started again. "Damn it Charlie!" She laughed through her tears, and hugged him goodbye.

Dad kissed me, hugged Emmett, and then shook Edward's hand.

"Remember Edward, you name the time and place, I'll be there. You have my numbers." I wanted to laugh, but Charlie sounded so 'official'.

_Operation 'Meet Clint' now commencing._

After Charlie left, Edward and I went back to my apartment. "So. The photo-shoot was rescheduled for tomorrow morning, and I promised you a car ride tomorrow afternoon."

"Yes?" I was curious as to where this was going.

"Let's go out." He stated.

"Out where?" I asked.

"I have a few ideas." He grinned and took my hand. "Change into your jeans and a hoodie."

Edward retrieved a bag he had stowed by the front door, and changed into his jeans, hoodie and baseball cap.

I chuckled when I saw him. "Much less recognizable Mr. Masen."

We ended up at the old Majestic Bay theatre. I laughed. "Wow, we're going to the  _movies?_ " I said incredulously.

"I thought it might be fun."

"Okay, but I get to pick." I knew  _exactly_ what we were going to see.

"I want to see  _Time Stands Still._ "

Edward groaned.

 _Time Stands Still_ was Edward's newest movie. It had been released right around Thanksgiving, and I hadn't had a chance to see it yet. Rose and I had planned to go during Christmas, but we all know how that turned out.

"I haven't seen it yet Edward. I wanna go!" I whined like a petulant child.

He laughed at my silliness, and finally acquiesced.

I wouldn't let him buy my ticket, that would make this too much like a 'date', and we hadn't had our talk yet.

I found out that going to the movies with Edward was ten times better than going with Rose, and a thousand times better than going with Emmett. As a matter of fact, I quit going with Emmett about a year ago.

That was because, during our last visit to a movie theatre, Emmett lost interest in the movie. To cure his boredom, he decided to throw pieces of popcorn at some guys head, three rows in front of us. In Emmett's words, he was "trying to hit the bald spot".

We were not-so-politely asked to leave the theatre. I could have broken his arm off, and beaten him over the head with it that day. I never did see the end of the movie.

This time, I had Edward's arm around my shoulder, and got to  _snuggle_ against him, it was heaven. Well, that is until Edward's character abruptly and unexpectedly, died. I was shattered. I started to cry. I was inconsolable.

_Why didn't I know that was going to happen? Because you're always talking to yourself instead of paying attention, dip shit._

Edward finally had to lead me out to the lobby. He'd been able to keep his anonymity up until that point, but I screwed it up with my wailing. I noticed several teens, mostly girls, chattering excitedly while watching us. I also saw them pull out cell phones and start snapping photos.

_Oh great, I'm going to be all over the internet with a snotty nose._

We escaped to the car, Sidney guiding the way.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked with an amused expression.

"You  _died._ " I wiped my nose on my hoodie.

"Bella, it was just a movie." He tried to console.

Just then I made my decision. "Edward, this is really important, you _can't_ die, promise me. You can't leave me." I was acting so childishly, but I didn't care.

Edward chuckled as he hugged me. "I promise Bella. I'll try my best to stay alive so that we can be together. Better now?"

"Yeah, it just came as a terrible shock you know?"

"Maybe I should have warned you."

"No, it's okay, I'm just being silly."

"And I love you for it Miss Swan."

"I love you too Mr. movie star." I grinned.

- _V &V_-

I was sitting on a bench in the dome of the Seattle Aquarium, watching the 'Sexiest Man Alive' at his photo-shoot. He was wearing one of the suits Alice had sent over, and he looked yummy.

_*Sigh* Bella you are one lucky bitch._

I had to agree. Although 'lucky' was never a word I'd associated with my self, until now.

So far this morning, Edward had had his photo taken at the Space Needle, in front of an old fire station, here at the Aquarium, and, my personal favorite, out at the Bell Street Pier with the Seattle skyline behind him.

He seemed to draw a crowd wherever he went, but I had to admit that the magazine had done a great jobbing keeping them away from Edward. That, and I also noticed Sidney keeping a close eye on the bystanders.

_I wonder if he used to be Secret Service, or maybe C.I.A.? Good grief Bella, not everyone you meet has led some sort of 'secret life'._

Truth was, I couldn't wait for this to be over, so that Edward would take me for a ride in the Vanquish. As the time got closer, it was all I could think of.

I had mentioned it to Rose this morning, and for the first time in my life, I saw what appeared to be a 'jealous' expression on her face. Rose never got jealous of anything or anybody. She had no reason to be. She got precisely anything and everything she ever wanted, because she was  _Rose._  Well, not everything apparently, because I'm pretty fucking certain she doesn't own a Vanquish.

I chuckled as I remembered.

"What are you thinking about  _Miss_  Swan?" Edward had snuck up beside me again. He really missed his calling, he would make a perfect Ninja.

"To be honest,  _Mister_ Masen, I was thinking about that fuckawesome car ride." I grinned.

"Well, everything is wrapped up here, shall we go?" And like the perfect gentleman he was, he offered his arm to me.

And a fuckawesome car ride it was. Well, all except the first five minutes in which I forgot to buckle my seatbelt and, as soon as Edward came to a stop at the end of his parent's driveway, I slid off the slick leather seat onto the floor.

I sat there for a few minutes laughing at myself, while Edward, all in a tizzy, tried to ascertain whether I was laughing or crying, and if I'd hurt myself.

After I pulled myself together and buckled in properly this time, we were off. The car rode like a dream, and purred like a kitten. The next thing I knew, I'd fallen asleep.

I woke abruptly to find we'd stopped. Edward had parked the car beside a beautiful lake. We'd driven all the way to the Olympic National Park, and I'd slept through it all.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry. I fell asleep."

Edward laughed lightly. "I think you needed it Bella, it's been a very busy, long week."

I smiled. "Yes it has. Full of surprises."

"Not all unwelcome I hope?" He asked.

"Definitely not Edward. You are the perfect surprise. You're better than all my Christmases and birthdays wrapped into one."

A smile lit up his gorgeous face.

"Do you realize that my hometown is on the other side of this park?" I smiled thinking about my Dad, and how funny he'd been during the last couple days.

Edward returned my smile and shook his head.

It suddenly hit me that I only had a two days left with Edward before he returned to California, and we needed to have one more serious conversation about my past before then.

"I think." I started. "I think I'd like to tell you the rest of my story now, if that's okay?"

His face grew serious, and he held my hand. "Anything you want Bella."


	11. Fried Ice Cream & A Cup of Tea

 

I thought about that day. It had been almost seven years, and there were certain memories that were still so fresh in my mind that it was as if they'd happened yesterday.

"The day started beautifully, it was a Saturday in May. I had made plans for my best friend Lianne to come over and spend the night. We were going to do all those typical girl things, paint our nails, talk about boys." I winked at Edward and he smiled.

"We'd probably watch DVDs, but I wasn't going to try and talk her into watching the special extended edition of The Fellowship of The Ring. I didn't want to push my luck with our friendship that far." I was still smiling, remembering what a geek I truly was, oh Hell, I still am.

"Anyway, my mother got a sudden urge to go see her sister in Flagstaff. Even though she assured me that we'd come right back so I could still have my sleepover, I knew that wouldn't happen. If we went to Aunt Lola's, it was certain that we'd spend the night, and my plans with Lianne would be ruined."

"I had a huge argument with my Mother." I still cringed when I remembered the horrible things I'd said to her that day, calling her selfish and flighty. "After that, the trip was off, and Mom and I weren't really speaking. Eventually, my guilt got the better of me. I apologized to Mom, and she decided we needed to go out for tacos and fried ice cream."

I could feel the tears start to well-up in my eyes as I continued. "Little did I know that would be the last meal I'd share with my Mother. I'd have to say, those couple of hours were, hands down, the best time we'd ever spent together. I don't know why, but we talked about things we never had before. She wanted to know all about what I wanted to be when I grew up. Where I wanted to go to college, where I wanted to live. Whether I wanted to marry and have a family some day. What fifteen year old girl really has the answers to all those questions? But at this particular moment in time, the answers came easily."

I felt the first tear trickle down my cheek. "I told her that I really liked the thought of being a writer, and how fascinating it would be to see a story I wrote come to life on a movie screen. I also said that I'd like to go to college near Emmett and Charlie because I missed them. I admitted that my choice for my future home would have to be someplace warm. She laughed at that because the weather was one of the reasons she hated Forks."

"She grew serious and contemplative when I said that  _yes_ , someday I'd like to have a husband and family, but I wouldn't settle for anything less than my soul mate." Edward squeezed my hand, and I gave him a small smile.

"She apologized to me for leaving Charlie, and admitted that it was the worst mistake of her life. Although, as she explained, she loved Phil and was sure they'd marry, she'd always regret what she did to our family. She cried while telling me this, and I found myself consoling her."

"She then went on to tell me stories about her childhood, her parents, her sisters, some of which I'd already heard, some were brand new. Then, over our fried ice cream, she told me that her greatest accomplishments, those of which she would always be most proud, were Emmett and me."

"That moment right there is how I always want to remember her. That moment frozen in time  _should_ be the way I remember her." I drew in a shuddering breath. Edward put him arm around my shoulder.

"When we got home, I went to use the bathroom. When I came out, I started heading toward my room intending to straighten it up before Lianne arrived. I never made it to my room. Upon exiting the bathroom, I came face to face with  _Jeff_. He was standing behind my mother holding a knife to her throat, both of them were facing me."

"I won't go into graphic detail Edward, but I will tell you the specifics of what happened."

"I lost track of time, but the police said that the whole ordeal probably only lasted a little over an hour." I sighed. "It was enough."

"Jeff made us tie each others wrists with metal wire. Every time one of us didn't cooperate, or if we screamed, he'd hurt the other one. One of the first things he did was punch me in the side hard enough to crack my ribs. When Mom tried to get to the phone, he broke my leg. She finally quit fighting him after he cut both my wrists beneath the restraints, with the knife. She had no way to know that the cuts were not life-threatening, although I made them worse as I struggled."

"I am certain though that she knew as well as I did that we weren't leaving that room alive."

I couldn't look at Edward, my mind had retreated into a place of dark memory and horror. "Jeff explained how, back when we lived in Florida, he had realized he had strong feelings for me. He knew that my Mother couldn't understand this. He had just been waiting for the right time to tell me, and he knew I would agree that we should be together. In his mind, my Mother had ruined that when we disappeared. He'd spent over a year trying to find us. He needed to find me before I'd done something stupid like given my virginity to some undeserving boy."

"He then proceeded to rip my mother's clothes from her body. He told me that I needed to pay attention, because everything he was going to do to her, he was then going to do to me."

The tears were flowing full-force now, and I had my arms wrapped around myself, Edward's arms forming a cocoon around the upper half of my body. "Before he raped her, he ripped my shirt and shorts off, leaving me in just my underwear, and urinated on me." I felt Edward's arms grow tighter around me. "He raped her in front of me. The whole time, she never took her eyes from mine. She mouthed 'I love you Bella' over and over. I said it back countless times through my tears."

"He wasn't finished with her yet, and I felt dead inside when I realized my time was coming. He told me that the next part was very important, because it was how I could show him how much I loved him. He… he shoved his…  _penis_  in my mother's mouth." I said the words in a hoarse low whisper.

"I couldn't watch, but my startled eyes were drawn back there a few seconds later when I heard Jeff's horrible screams. I realized that my mother had bitten down  _hard_ , because I saw blood. While Jeff screamed in pain, my mother turned to me one last time and said "Tell Emmett how much I love him, and that I'm so proud" that was as far as she got before Jeff screamed at her calling her a bitch and plunged the knife into her chest. I screamed and screamed. We both lay there in a pool of my mother's blood, as I watched her take her last breaths. I couldn't save her, I couldn't save her…."

By now, I realized that the heels of both my hands were pushing into my eyes, as I rocked back and forth. Edward released me, and I already missed the warmth of his embrace. A few seconds later I was back in his arms. He pulled me from the car and half walked, half carried me over to the shore.

"Breathe Bella. Just breathe. Look around us, you're safe here, there are miles and years between you and that day."

I listened to him. I took deep breaths. After a few minutes I had calmed. We stood there holding on to each other for a long time before Edward spoke again.

"Don't ever tell me his last name Bella." I looked at him, puzzled by his statement. His face was grave and pale, as if he'd just lived through that ordeal with me.

"Don't ever tell me what prison he's in." He continued.

"Why Edward?" Why was he telling me this?

In a low menacing voice he answered. "Because I want to kill him Bella. I want to end his miserable life. I want to torture him first though. I want to make him feel more pain that you can even imagine for what he did to you."

Those words were probably as far from being  _romantic_ as you could get, but they meant the world to me. I honestly couldn't imagine how I could love him any  _more_ than I did at that moment.

So I kissed him. I poured my heart into that kiss, all my pain, sorrow, agony, grief and despair, and he took it from me and made it his own. I felt loved. I felt  _cherished_.

As we drove back to his parents house, I relayed the rest of that day's events. "Lianne had arrived just in time to hear the screaming. Thank God she didn't enter that house, but instead dialed 911. The police and medical help arrived as my mother lay dying, but before Jeff could harm me any more than he had already. By doing what she did, my mother sacrificed herself so I wouldn't be raped, and she ended up saving my life too."

"I was lying in a hospital bed, heavily sedated when Charlie, Emmett and Rose got there. When I finally woke up, the memories came flooding back into my brain, shattering me a second time."

"I thought Emmett and my Dad would go out of their minds that week. We took my Mom's body back to Forks and buried her there. After that, things calmed somewhat. My family helped me through the endless weeks of grief, while still having to bear their own. I love them more than I can say." I whispered.

"Because I was a minor, my identity, and the things that happened to me weren't publicized. But Jeff's murder trial  _was._ I had to make a sworn statement, but wasn't forced to be present for the trial. That was a good thing, because I was trying to start a new life in Forks, trying to forget about the horror."

We didn't speak the rest of the way home, we didn't have to. Edward just held my hand, and that was enough.

Upon entering the Cullen's house, we were greeted by Alice who gave me a warm, comforting hug. "I sensed that you would need a cup of tea."

I spent the rest of that evening with the Cullens. I was already starting to regard them as so much more that just Edward's family, they were starting to feel like part of mine.

Edward never left my side during the entire visit. Every now and then I would notice how his mother's eyes would shine, and her face would glow whenever he touched me.

I found out that Alice and Jasper had changed their flight home so that they would be traveling on Monday with Edward. I was glad he wouldn't be all alone. I knew that it would be hard for me when he left, and I was pretty sure he would be hurting almost as much as me.

On the drive back to my apartment, I asked Edward something that had been on my mind. "Edward, the night of your, er,  _prom._ "

"Yes"

"Did Alice  _sense_  that anything bad would happen?"

"Not until it was too late. She tried to calm me down after Meghan stormed out, she agreed that I should go back to my hotel suite. It wasn't until the next morning that she knew something bad was going to happen. She and my parents raced to the hotel. It was too late, I was already at the police station, and the damage was done."

By the time Edward took me back to my apartment it was late. We sat on my sofa and, even though I was emotionally and physically exhausted, I had a difficult time letting him leave. I knew that when I woke up tomorrow it would be our last day together for a while, and I didn't want it to get here too soon.

When my head started to nod, I heard Edward chuckle. "I think it's time I headed back to my hotel."

"No, not yet." I tried to will my eyes to stay open.

"Bella, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Are you going to the football game with us?" I asked, suddenly perking up thinking about Emmett's last game of the season.

"I wouldn't miss it." He smiled and kissed me goodbye.

I took a quick shower and was just crawling into bed when my phone signaled an incoming text.

It was Rose.

_**B-** _

_**If you're still up, I'm coming over.** _

_**-R** _

I texted back, letting her know that I was awake.

As soon as I opened the door, Rose's smile dropped. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me back inside my apartment.

"Honey, what happened?" She asked with genuine concern.

"Nothing happened Rose. I guess I'm showing the after-effects of letting Edward know everything."

" _Everything?_ " Rose was shocked.

I nodded.

"And how are you feeling?"

"Worn out, beat up, but at the same time, I feel relief. It's like by telling Edward, I've given half my burden away. It's weird."

Rose looked at me with a knowing smile. "I think I finally believe you two are in love." She said quietly.

"I'm really happy for you Bella. Of all the people I've ever known, you deserve a 'happily ever after'. You, and well, Charlie deserves one too, of course."

We both smiled at that.

"Okay, so tomorrow, we're viewing the game from WIRI's box. I know Edward's coming, because he goes where you go." She smirked. "But I also invited Jasper and Alice. That way we can hang with people we actually like, instead of those losers we work with." She winked.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Look at what Emmett got me. He had this made up special for tomorrow's game. She held up a pale pink t-shirt, emblazoned across the chest in bold letters were the words:

_**Emmett Swan's Smoking Hot Fiancee** _

We both laughed. "He told me that if I'd said  _no_ , he was going to burn it. As if I could ever refuse him." She said as she got misty eyed again.

"He made me promise though, that since I was now his fiancee, I would never flash my tits at anyone again. He believes those cameramen shouldn't have to be coaxed to put me on the screen."

"Wow, what a sweet-talker that boy is." I said as I laughed.

"Well, I'd better go and let you get to sleep, night hon."

"Night Rose."

After the day I'd had, I fully expected the nightmares, but they never came. My dreams instead, were filled with Edward, his warm embrace, and his soft words of comfort in my ear.


	12. Hello Kitty Undies & Lucky Thirteen

 

I was getting ready for Church when Rose popped over for a few minutes. Yes, Church  _again._ After today, I'd be back to only going on Sundays until the next holy day arrived. It was probably a good thing, less chances for embarrassment. I used to think Emmett was the main cause of my public humiliation, but lately I've been doing a pretty fantastic job of that myself.

"Bella, I'm sorry I can't go with you this morning."

"That's okay Rose. I didn't expect you to."

"It's just that I've  _got_ to finish taking down the Christmas tree. I kept getting interrupted yesterday by my mother." Rose cringed. Rose  _never_ cringes.

I was suddenly glad that I only had a little 'Charlie Brown' Christmas tree. Mine was down in about fifteen minutes.

"She's driving me crazy. Ever since the other night, when Emmett proposed." Rose's eyes started to glaze over as she thought back.

"Rose, pay attention! You were saying?"

"Oh yeah. Well, ever since that night, she's been driving me apeshit. She keeps calling me about 'venues' and 'guest lists'. I told her that she'd better not call today, because I wasn't going to answer. If it was a matter of life and death, she should get Jasper to call me."

Normally I would laugh about the way Rose and her Mother interacted. Today I just sat there.

Rose looked at me questioningly. "What's on your mind Bells?"

"Oh, I was just thinking. It's actually something I haven't even considered in seven years, but if I were to ever get married my Mom won't be here to help me plan it." Rose looked crestfallen. "It's probably just because I dredged up all those memories yesterday, I'll be fine Rose."

"Oh, honey, I'll be here. When you get married, I promise to help you with everything, and  _try_  not to be a pain in the ass."

I laughed. "Just..don't get too upset with your Mom. She's excited. I know that if my time comes, I'll be wishing my Mom were here, even if she was a pain in the ass."

Rose hugged me.

"I don't know. I just wanted to enjoy being  _engaged_  for a little while, before I had to think about all the hard stuff. You know what I mean?"

"I do. So today, let's enjoy the football game. Last one of the season!"

"Damn straight." She smiled. "Well, I've got to get busy, and you've got to leave for Church. See you when you get back."

Rose went back across the hall.

Now I was in a hurry. I had already planned what I would wear today. It had only been two short days since the 'booger incident' as Emmett had dubbed it, so I had decided I needed to dress in disguise.

Fifteen minutes later, hair pulled back in a ponytail under a black hat. Big black sunglasses, Yoko Ono style. A black trench coat and boots completed the look. Hopefully no one would recognize the crazy 'F' word lady from two days ago.

I was just getting ready to go out the door, when there was a knock. I pulled it open to find Edward standing there. In a suit again. *sigh*

_I wish he'd give a girl a little warning once in a while._

I was too busy admiring him to notice that he was laughing. At me.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Bella, this is quite a different look for you. Did you become a spy since the last time I saw you?"

"Ha Ha. Yuck it up. It's all shits and giggles until Bella drops the 'F' bomb in Church. I need to NOT be recognized today."

"I have that problem all the time, not the 'F' bomb, but the trying not to be recognized." He laughed. "Seriously though, are you ready?"

"Yes, um, Edward why are you here exactly?"

"I wanted to take you to Church today, if that's alright?" He actually looked unsure of himself, silly boy.

_Edward can take me to Church, marry me and carry me off into the sunset, or just to his hotel suite, and make sweeeeet love to me._

I snapped out of it when I realized he was still waiting for my answer.

"Of course Edward, that would be really nice."

_This morning isn't going to be too bad after all._

I was wrong.

My Carmen SanDiego disguise worked for me, but we still got the attention of everyone because I was in the company of Edward Masen, Hollywood star. In the end, people were so distracted looking at Edward, that they barely noticed me.

Unfortunately, they were a little  _too_  distracted. All eyes were on us as we slithered into a seat as far as possible from my 'pew of shame'.

We sat next to an elderly couple, they were seated at one end, we were at the other.

Maybe ten minutes into Mass I realized that all the females within forty feet of us, except the old lady in our pew, weren't paying one damn bit of attention to the Mass. But they were paying a whole lot of attention to my boyfriend.

_Can I legally call him that yet? We actually haven't dated. Just a technicality! For all intents and purposes, he IS my boyfriend._

I scolded my inner bitch into submission.

Anyway, they were paying lots of attention to Edward. I saw one skinny bitch blow him an 'air kiss'. Another one partially unbuttoned her blouse, so  _everyone_  got an eyeful of her cleavage. She undressed Edward with her eyes, while undressing herself with her hands.

_My life was crazy before. Now it has become a full-fledged, three ring fucking circus._

A family with about  _fifteen_ children crowded into our pew, on my side of course. You know the type, they won't climb over, they'd rather push you in.

So here we were squashed against the elderly couple. And I, after swearing never again to sit near a child, was right beside one. A child that stood on the kneeler staring at me during the entire Mass, while chewing on the hem of her dress, giving everyone a clear view of her underwear. She probably had the hots for my boyfriend too.

_Forget about it you little hussy. Edward isn't impressed by your Hello Kitty underpants. But I am. I wonder if I could find those in my size? Nah, Rose would never allow it. Bella for once in your miserable life, pay attention!_

The time for the dreaded 'sign of peace' was fast approaching. I looked around. Everyone in my immediate vicinity looked fairly booger and disease-free.

_I'm still not shaking that kid's hand._

Just as Edward turned to take my hand, the seemingly harmless little old lady to his right, spun him around towards her, and planted a big sloppy kiss on his  _very_ shocked lips. I immediately had Edward switch seats with me, while giving Grandma Moses a dirty look. I blame Grandpa. He's obviously not doing his part keeping Grandma happy.

_Buy some fucking Viagra. 'Fucking' Viagra…good one Bells. Now I'm congratulating myself in Emmett's voice. Cripes._

I became Edward's 'human shield' for the rest of Mass. During Communion, I stayed in the pew brooding.

_After my 'F' word episode, I really need to go to Confession before going to Communion again._

It was at that exact moment that I saw  _him._ Little mister booger fingers was walking back from the Communion rail, holding his mother's hand, and was about to walk right past my pew.

_That kid's too young to go to Communion. Why'd they take him up there? They're probably afraid someone would kidnap the little turd if they left him alone. Stupid parents, he should be back in his pew right now stuffing envelopes down his pants._

I fished around in my purse, trying to find the sunglasses so I could hide. I was too late. He saw me. A look of recognition came over his little face.

"Dere's da fwucking ladee." He shouted while pointing at me. "Hey fwucking ladee, I gots no boogers, I wicked them awf. Can I shake you fwucking hand now?" He asked with a hopeful look.

Everyone around us stared at me, some horrified, some merely puzzled, some lusting after Edward. I found the elusive sunglasses, grabbed Edward's hand, and got the Hell out of Dodge.

Once in the safety of the car, Edward and I looked at each other, and burst into laughter.

"Miss Swan, I have to say that  _that_ was the most fun I've  _ever_ had in a Church. I can't wait to do it again." He leaned in to try and kiss me.

"Hold on right there Mister." I said while jabbing his chest with my finger. "I don't know what denture cream tastes like, and I don't want to find out now."

Edward groaned and covered his face with his hands. "That wasn't the worst part Bella."

I looked at him, puzzled.

"While she was kissing me, she grabbed a handful of my ass cheek. I feel so violated." He whined.

_Oh my._

We went back to my place to change clothes for the game. He got his kiss,  _after_ he brushed his teeth.

_-V &V-_

We all rode to the game together. Alice, Jasper, Rose, Edward and I. Sidney accompanied us to WIRI's box.

_It's probably a really good idea for Edward to have a bodyguard today. As a matter of fact, he could've probably used one in Church._

I smiled as I thought about Sidney putting Grandma Moses in a choke-hold.

Rose made sure she was on the 'big screen' not once, not twice, but three times throughout the game. The cameramen were more than happy to oblige, and didn't even try to coax her to flash them. In fact, they discouraged it, and they looked kind of nervous.

_I wonder if my brother had something to do with that._

It was hilarious to watch her strut and preen, making sure that everyone saw the words on her t-shirt. Although I'm pretty certain that most of the guys watching were using it as an excuse to stare at her chest. She made sure to flutter her hand in front of the camera, so everyone got a good look at the ring. Rose usually wasn't quite that flamboyant, it was like spending the day with a female Emmett.

Back at WIRI's box, things had taken a turn for the worse with the arrival of Mike Newton. When he saw Edward and I sitting together, our hands entwined, he got a sour look on his face that remained until the end of the game.

Alice, Rose and I had had a little too much to drink. We decided that since we needed to go to the ladies' room, we'd use the facilities on a different level of the stadium so that Rose could 'mingle' and show off her shirt, and ring, to more of Emmett's adoring fans. Well, Rose decided, we just followed her like lemmings.

I was finally seated in a stall with Rose and Alice in stalls on either side of me, when I heard a voice which could only belong to a whore-bitch in Satan's harem.

"Did you see Rosalie Whitlock making an ass out of herself on the screen?" The first voice asked.

"Of course I did. How do you think I feel? I have to work with the bitch." Hold on, I know that voice.

_Camille. Of all places to run into her sorry ass._

"She seems awfully proud to have snagged Emmett Swan. He could have anyone, can't see why he'd settle for her. Mmm I love to watch him play, I'd love to see if he's as good in the bedroom as on the field. I'd like to find out in person how amazing those hands are." Whore-bitch number one purred.

"Forget about it Athena, Whitlock's got her claws in pretty deep."

_Athena? Must be her porn name._

"I'd don't know about that. I'm pretty talented, and I know how to make a man happy." The porn star retorted.

"I'd rather get my hands on Edward Masen. He's up in WIRI's box right now, but that stupid Bella Swan is stuck to him like glue. She is living in a dream world if she thinks she'll ever be more to him than a quick fuck." Camille, that bitch from Hell stated.

All of a sudden, Rose's head appeared from underneath our stall divider. "Are you ready to go out there?" She asked with a crazy look in her eyes.

_Rose must be pissed to be crawling around on that nasty floor._

I nodded.

We exited our stalls at the same moment, Alice, Rose and I. To passersby, we probably looked like the holy trinity of whoop-ass, and we were about to open a can of it right fucking now.

I saw Camille and Athena's eyes grow wide when they saw us in the mirror. Unbelievably, when they turned around, Camille had the nerve to smirk.

I was a little stunned. I was also curious to see what was in her panties, not in a lesbian sort of way, just in a need-to-know way, because this bitch had to be sporting some seriously massive balls.

Rose took the lead. "Why hello there Camille and, what was your name again? O yes,  _Athena_." Rose said as she narrowed her eyes.

"I'm trying to understand what I just heard escape your nasty lips. Have you been recently lobotomized? Had shock therapy? Smoked crack? Because what I just heard was beyond stupid. Maybe you are suicidal, because, let me tell you that what you both said would encourage me to  _Help You_  with that."

I smiled as I watched the bimbo twins cringe at Rose's words.

"Camille, you shouldn't even still have a job at WIRI. After that stunt you pulled with Masen, your ass should be on the street." Rose was in her face now.

"More like  _walking_ the street." Alice chimed in.

Camille, smirking again. "You know very well I'll  _never_  lose that job."

We certainly did know. It's happens that Camille's sister was the hairdresser of the station owner's trophy wife. Aside from that, they're also good friends. Rose was certain that all three probably worked at the 'Bunny Ranch' together at some point. She was kidding when she said it, but I thought there might be a grain of truth there.

"You know what Camille, I don't give a shit. All I know is that you two had better back the fuck up, get the fuck out, and stay the fuck away from my man and my family, or I will  _fuckup your shit_." As Rose said this she got menacingly closer, and I saw Camille flinch. Then the whore-twins' eyes widened in terror as they both let out identical yelps, like little Chihuahuas, and scurried out of the room.

Rose and Alice laughed their asses off, while I just thought about what Camille had said about Edward and me. I didn't want to think it was true, but on the other hand, I could never understand what Edward saw in me. He'd been a complete gentleman, but how long would that last?

I came out of my musings when I saw Rose glaring at me.

" _Bella_ , you'd better not be thinking that what Camille said had any credibility. Edward really loves you, even I can see that."

Alice took my hand. "It's true Bella. If you could have known my brother, the way he was before he met you. He's been cold and distant to everyone outside of our family for almost seven years." Alice was getting emotional. "The day we came to the TV station, I sensed something wonderful was on the horizon for Edward. I was right. That something wonderful was you."

I couldn't doubt Alice's sincerity, but I still wondered. Edward promised we would talk when he returns from California. I guess I'd just have to be patient until then.

We returned to the skybox. Edward swept me into his arms and hugged me as soon as he saw me. "Wow, what was that for?" I asked.

"Just for being you. I missed you by the way." He answered.

I continued to watch the game while Edward went to get us something to drink. My brother was probably playing  _his_ best game of the season, but it wasn't enough. The Seahawks were failing miserably. I sensed someone sit down beside me, and was startled to find it was none other than  _Mike Newton._

_Shit._

"Hi Bella." He seemed rather subdued. "I always thought you just didn't want to date anyone. I can see now that you were just holding out for your fifteen minutes of fame."

I felt an overwhelming urge to punch his stupid face.

"So now you're with Masen, for as long as that lasts." He smirked.

"Yes Mike, I'm with Edward. You need to leave now." I answered.

"Just remember Bella, when he dumps you, because you mean  _nothing_  to him, I'll be there to pick up the pieces."

"I think I heard Bella ask you to leave." Edward was suddenly at my side, and he was angry. "Although I don't owe you an explanation of any kind, I feel the need to correct your assumptions. I'll have you know that Bella doesn't mean  _nothing_ to me. On the contrary, she means  _everything_  to me." Edward said in a strong, clear tone.

My heart skipped a beat at those words, spoken by the man I love, to a fucktard.

_Edward really does love me._

_-V &V-_

Reporters always enjoyed interviewing my brother. They tried to find him in the locker room after every game, hoping to catch the perfect sound byte. He was such an asset to the team, and so charming, that he usually got away with the crazy things he said.

"I gotta say that we could've played better. The other team was very good, but  _we_ kind of stunk up the place. No one could seem to hold onto the ball, I thought I was back playing high school ball again." His teammates were going to kill him.

While talking, Emmett would usually pull off his shirt, revealing something amusing underneath. One time he had on fake nipple rings, another time it was a fake tattoo of Stewie dressed like a Seahawk. He made sure it was never anything that would get him in trouble with the sponsors.

Today it was a written message to all the viewers, and one in particular.

" _ **Rose's Monkey Man"**_

In bold print. It was one of Rose's nicknames for him. Rose grinned from ear to ear.

_-V &V-_

After the game, we all headed home. Edward and I were left alone in my apartment for the remainder of the evening. This would be our last evening together, because his flight left early in the morning. I had a full day of class and work which would fill up my Monday.

We spent hours together talking or sitting in companionable silence. We ate leftovers from my frig. We had an argument about which Batman film was the best. He chose the original with Jack Nicholson, whereas I preferred The Dark Knight. The time flew by much too quickly.

I was lying against him, his arms around me when he spoke.

"Bella, it's late, I should go."

"No Edward, not yet." I could feel my heart breaking at the thought of him leaving.

"Bella, you have a very busy day tomorrow, I don't want you to be exhausted. I'll call you every day until I return, I promise."

"I know you will, but when will I see you again?"

"I'm going to try and come up next weekend. Would that be too soon?" He smiled.

"You're kidding! Wow Edward, I thought you had a lot to do in L.A."

"I do, but I think I can squeeze a weekend trip in. Besides, we need to have that 'first date'." He replied smiling. "I start filming my next project in about a week and a half. Once that starts, my free time will be rather piece meal, but I'm still going to try and see you as often as I can."

I sighed. I was a little happier knowing that I may be seeing him as early as next weekend. "I'm going to miss you like crazy." I said in a low voice.

"Me too Bella. You have no idea how hard it's going to be for me to get on that plane tomorrow."

"I have an idea, believe me." I couldn't help it, tears started flowing without shame.

Edward held me for a long time, even though we knew it was extremely late. He finally stood up to leave, gave me a passionate kiss goodbye, told me he loved me, and walked to the door.

He wouldn't let me come to the door with him. He said he didn't want to leave me crying in the hallway.

It didn't matter. I was going to be crying on my sofa, and in my shower, and in my bed, and when I woke up tomorrow.

Thirteen days. I'd only known him for thirteen days, and it had been enough to change my life forever.

As I crawled into my bed, my phone signaled an incoming message.

_**Beautiful girl-** _

_**I already miss you. Take care of my heart, I've left it with you.** _

_**Love, E** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you need a translation of what Little booger fingers said, He was telling Bella that he didn't have any more boogers, because he licked them off. -what a charmer.


	13. Red Roses & Burst Bubbles

The forecast called for cloudy with rain, temperatures in the 40's. Big surprise. Welcome to January in Seattle. When my alarm went off, I literally dragged myself out of bed.

Vacation was officially over. More importantly, the time Edward and I had together in our little bubble was over. Hopefully, to be revisited when he returned, but apparently, we had a 'conversation' to get through before that could happen.

Truth was, as much as I looked forward to seeing him again, I was loathe to hear the details of his and Tanya's relationship and/or breakup which I was certain would be the subject of our 'conversation'.

The more I thought about it, the more my mind would conjure up crazy scenarios pertaining to that relationship.

_Do they have a secret child together?_

No. No way. Edward would own up to something like that. He would be a devoted father.

_Maybe he and Tanya have a BDSM relationship?_

Ew. Just Ew. If that were true, I couldn't even contemplate which one would be the 'Master'.

_Great, I just freaked myself out._

_Maybe Tanya had a sex change operation. Yeah, Tanya used to be a dude…_

Not even in the realm of possibilities. I feared I was starting to lose my grip on sanity.

I knew what I needed. I needed Rose to give me a good swift kick back into reality. That would stop my crazy thoughts from spinning out of control. Unfortunately, I wouldn't see Rose until after school today.

School. I had one more semester, five short months until graduation. I should have been happy, I wasn't. I realized that my time with Edward had altered me so much that I couldn't be happy without him. I had accepted that whatever 'future plans' I made beyond graduation would have to include him. If they didn't, my future would be unbearable. Sounds melodramatic, but it was the truth, plain and simple.

_Just get through today Bella, and tomorrow will be easier._

So, that's what I did. I took one step at a time. I went to class, I made an appointment to see my advisor for the later in the week to make sure everything was 'on track'. During my break between classes, I wrote in my journal. Something I hadn't done since meeting Edward.

I was so wrapped up in telling our story that I was almost late for my next class. It felt liberating to get all my thoughts and feelings down on paper, and by lunchtime, my attitude had improved significantly. The fact that I received a text from Edward at just about that time helped too.

_**Beautiful-** _

_**I'm here. I'm lonely. About to step into a meeting.** _

_**Miss you more than I can say.** _

_**Love You** _

_**-E** _

Sounds like he was struggling as much as I was. I sent a quick text back.

_**E-** _

_**I know how you feel. Never been lonelier. About to step into class.** _

_**Then work with Rose, after that, home to my empty apartment.** _

_**Wish I could snuggle with you instead.** _

_**Love, B** _

_-V &V-_

At 3:30 I walked into my cubicle at WIRI. At exactly 3:32, I heard "Bella!"

"Yes, Rose." I said as I stuck my head in her office.

"Hi sweetie. How did your classes go?" She asked smiling.

"They were okay." I tried not to sound depressed.

"Everything will be fine Bells. Edward loves you. He'll be back soon. Be happy." She answered with a smile. "Now, come in here and close the door. I've got news."

I did as she asked, and sat down in the chair across from her.

"I got a phone call this morning from some big wigs in New York." She said, smiling brightly. "They want me to fly out for a meeting. They're proposing giving me my own show. It would be regional for a while, strictly west coast. But if it does well enough, they're saying it could go national. I'd be like the 'Seattle-based Oprah'." She said excitedly.

I was so happy for my friend. "Oh Rose, that's fantastic! You've worked so hard, you deserve this." I hugged her in congratulations.

"I have to fly out on the red-eye tonight. I'm meeting with them all day tomorrow, I think my return flight gets back here around 1 o'clock Wednesday afternoon."

"So, I need you and Emmett to keep each other company while I'm gone. He wanted to come with me, but I'm going to be in meetings most of the time, and I didn't think I could trust him unsupervised in New York City."

_My brother the man-child._

"No problem, we'll find something to do. Aren't you excited Rose?"

"Oh my gosh Bella. You have no idea. For the first time in my career, I'm actually unsure of myself. I'm a nervous wreck."

"Rose, you're going to wow everyone in New York."

"I hope you're right. Guess what segment from my show was the one that sold them on my talent?"

"Which one?" I asked.

"The  _Masen_ interview." The interview had aired on New Year's Day, and again on Sunday. "They were impressed that he even granted the interview in the first place, and also with the in-depth answers I was able to coax out of him. So you see Bells, we both got something great out of that interview."

_Understatement of the year._

*************V&V************

Emmett and I were driving back from the airport after seeing Rose safely off on her flight.

"Bella, dial Pops on my phone, and put it on speaker. I've been meaning to call him all evening, to tell him about Rose, but I couldn't find the time."

"Yeah, I wonder why?" I said sarcastically

Let's just say that before we left for the airport, Rose and my brother must have gotten a little 'side-tracked'. They emerged from their apartment looking  _very_  disheveled. Because of their extra-curricular activities, we had to haul ass to get Rose to the airport on time.

"Do you want me to explain it to you Bellaboo? You know I will." He said as he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"No. Just, no. I'm dialing Dad right now."

The phone rang twice, when a voice that was definitely  _not_ my father's answered.

"Chief Swan's phone." The voice said.

"Mark?" Emmett and I said at the same time.

_Why was Deputy Mark answering my Dad's cell phone?_

"Oh hey guys." Mark answered.

"Mark, why are you answering Dad's phone, where is he?" I asked.

"He's in his office, meeting with some people about a missing person's case, he's got me guarding his phone."

_What? Why?_

"And why is that?" Emmett asked, seemingly as bewildered as I was.

Mark chuckled. "He told me he was expecting an 'important call' of a delicate nature, regarding a certain Hollywood celebrity with the first name of 'Clint', and the last name of 'Eastwood', and he didn't want to miss the call."

Emmett and I burst into laughter at that.

"Guys that's not the best part. He had his dress uniform cleaned and has it all wrapped in plastic, hanging on the back of his office door. He said that he had to be ready at a moment's notice to 'meet Clint', and wanted to look his most professional."

My brother was laughing so hard I thought he was going to have to pull over.

After he composed himself he said "Just let him know we called. I'll catch up with him later. Tell him it wasn't 'Clint' related so he won't freak out. Talk to you later Mark."

"Bye guys."

Emmett looked at me, still laughing and said. "You know, I may just have to find a way to mess with Pops over this whole 'Clint' business. This could be fun."

_Oh boy. Emmett is formulating a plan to torture our Dad. Maybe I should warn Charlie. Or better yet, maybe I should stay out of it and be glad Emmett will be leaving me alone for once. I go with option number two._

When we arrived home, I admired again the roses that arrived before I went to the airport. I re-read the card.

_**Bella-** _

_**I will be holding you in my arms again before these begin to wilt.** _

_**I love you.** _

_**-Edward** _

I sighed. I already missed him so much, I couldn't fathom how I was going to cope in the days, and then weeks to come.

I got a quick shower, and decided to go on my laptop for a little while. I kept my cell phone nearby in case Edward called.

_**Emmett-** _

_**Want to play LOTRO? If you do, meet me in Rivendell.** _

_**-B** _

I got an immediate response.

_**B-** _

_**I'm on it.** _

_**-Em** _

I logged on to Lord of The Rings online. We used to play World of Warcraft, actually he probably still does, but when Lord of The Rings Online was released, geek that I am, I started playing that instead.

I usually didn't have a lot of time to spend on the game, but enjoyed playing with Emmett when possible. That is if he wasn't acting like an idiot.

*go on voice chat* was the message I received on the screen.

I clicked over to *voice chat* so we could talk while killing orcs.

"So, have you heard from Eddie tonight?"

"Not yet, he had a dinner slash business meeting to attend, said he'd call me after. Emmett, would you stop making your character fart at mine? Let's go to Moria and fight some goblins." I said as I watched Emmett's character dance around like a fool.

_Even as an animated character he's an ass._

We were knee-deep in dead goblins, with Emmett trying to find the right 'emote' for his character to  _hump the corpses,_ as he so eloquently put it, when my phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hello sweetheart, I was afraid you'd be asleep." Edward sounded tired, but also kind of sexy.

It was then that I noticed it was after midnight. "I stayed up, hoping you'd call. I really missed you today. Like I said, I'd rather have spent the day snuggling with you on my sofa."

All of a sudden I heard "Jeez, I can't tell you how much this is creeping me out Bellaboo."

_Crap, Emmett's still on *voice chat*_

"More than humping dead goblins Emmett?" I asked snarkily.

"De-fin-ite-ly. I'm going to go to bed Bells, goodnight  _Eddie._ "

Edward responded. "Maybe I shouldn't ask but, humping dead goblins?"

"We were playing Lord of The Rings Online, and Emmett was being Emmett. Need I say more?"

Edward chuckled. "Actually no, I understand."

"You sound tired."

"Yeah, it's been a long day, and a long evening. My meeting was… draining."

"Did you want to talk about it?" I asked, in my feeble attempt to help.

"Not now, or over the phone. We'll have a long talk this weekend. I can't wait to see you again, and it's only been a day." His voice drifted off.

"I know what you mean Edward. It's going to be a long week."

We finally decided that it was getting very late, and since both of us had busy days tomorrow, we said our goodbyes and 'I love yous', and promised to speak again tomorrow.

_-V &V-_

When I overslept the next morning, I realized that I had stayed up entirely too late the night before. I threw on jeans and a t-shirt, put my hair up in a messy ponytail, not having time to bother with makeup, and hauled my butt to class.

It wasn't until the break between my first and second classes, that I discovered I'd left my cell phone at home. Hopefully there wouldn't be any emergencies requiring my attention.

During my afternoon classes, I noticed that several of the students were staring at me more than usual. Some smirking, some with looks of  _pity_? That couldn't be right. These people don't even know me.

As I headed out of class, the odd looks only increased as I walked the hall toward the exit.

I didn't originally intend to go to work today, seeing that Rose was out of town. But I couldn't stand not having anything to do, so I decided to pickup the notes from a story Rose was working on, in order to make corrections on it at home.

When I entered the building, the weird looks continued.

_What the hell is going on?_

As I headed to Rose's office, I was approached by my least favorite person of the moment,  _Mike Newton._

"Hate to say 'I told you so' Bella, but that's all there really is to say, don't you agree?"

I didn't want to stop and talk to him. I didn't even want to acknowledge his existence, but I also wanted to know what the  _hell_  he was talking about.

"Newton, why are you bothering me?" I was more than a little confused.

Mike studied me for a few seconds, then his eyes grew wide with surprise. "You don't know, do you? He didn't even have the decency to tell you anything did he?" Mike looked disgusted.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Tell me what's going on." I was beyond irritated.

Mike got a smug look on his stupid face. "I think I'd rather  _show_ you, on my computer, follow me."

Mike walked into his office. Normally I wouldn't touch his office with a ten foot pole, but I was too curious to not go in.

_I really hope Emmett hasn't done anything stupid, and ended up all over the internet again._

Mike brought up a Hollywood gossip site and proceeded to play a video.

The bleach blonde talking head began her story, accompanied with still shots and video:

_**Have no fear, while all of you were enjoying your time off of school or work, our reporters have been following the hottest actor in Hollywood.** _

_**Edward Masen went home to Seattle for his holiday this year, and word has it that he spent a good portion of it in the company of a beautiful brunette.** _

With those words a photo of Edward and I at the movies, me with a snotty nose, appeared on the screen.

_I knew I'd be all over the internet with a snotty nose. Crap._

The bubble head continued:

_**Our reporter discovered that the beauty, Isabella Swan, was none other than the sister of Emmett Swan of Seattle Seahawk fame. Isabella was working as Edward's personal assistant during his stay in Seattle.** _

_**We were shocked to find that her duties must have included kissing in public on New Year's Eve and embracing in a movie theatre. The pair were also spotted sitting quite close together in St James Cathedral in downtown Seattle on Sunday.** _

_**Over the weekend, before Edward's return to L.A., our reporters caught up with Tanya Madison, Edward's long-suffering girlfriend, and were told, and I quote, "It's well known that Edward has his fun when we're apart, but he always comes back to me, this time won't be any different."** _

_**It seems that Ms. Madison was quite accurate in her assessment, because she and Edward shared dinner late last night at an exclusive eatery in Beverly Hills. Later, they were both seen entering Ms. Madison's home. The 'kiss and make-up' portion of the evening lasted quite a while, because it wasn't until two hours later that Edward emerged and returned to his home.** _

The video accompanying this part of the report showed Edward and Tanya entering her home, with Edward's bodyguard Felix following several feet behind. I felt a sharp stab to my heart when I saw Edward place his hand on the small of Tanya's back as he guided her through the door.

_**Stay tuned for all the latest news from Hollywood and beyond.** _

The report ended. I stood there stunned.

Mike tried to take my hand. I grabbed it away immediately as I fell apart.

"You don't ever touch me! You NEVER touch me! Do you understand?"

Terrified that I would have a meltdown in front of everyone at the station, I bolted from the office. I didn't stop running until I was outside of the building.

I began my slow trek home, leaving my car behind, my feet heavier with every step.

_Edward went back to her. They were still together. Was anything he said to me true?_

All I knew was that he deserved an Academy Award for the spectacular 'mind-fucking' performance of a lifetime.

I could barely breathe as I rode the elevator to my floor. Somehow I made it to my apartment. As I fumbled with my keys trying to unlock the door, it suddenly flew open, and I looked into the agonized eyes of my brother.

He pulled me inside, and I collapsed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Emmett tried to soothe me but, in the end, my emotional breakdown had to run its course before I was ready to speak.

"Bells, I tried to call you for hours."

"I forgot my phone." I mumbled weakly.

"I figured that out when I found it on your nightstand.  _He's_ called like fifty times. I finally answered it just to tell him that he was a fucking  _dead_ man." I hadn't seen Emmett this upset since our mother's death.

"No, Emmett. Just leave him alone. It's not worth it." I said as I pulled away. "I think I'm going to go lie down."

Emmett nodded as he watched me with worried eyes.

I crawled into my bed, still fully clothed. I lay there watching the ceiling for hours until the sun had set, and there were no longer any shadows stretched across it.

Every now and then I could hear Emmett's voice speaking in low, muted tones from my living room.

_Probably on the phone with Rose._

I thought about the last two weeks of my life, everything that had happened, everything that was said, every touch, every kiss. My mind couldn't fathom the truth of what I'd seen and heard today, but it was there nonetheless. No matter how much it hurt I had to face that truth. The truth that Edward had done the  _one_ thing he'd promised not to do.

_Edward had lied to me._

With that realization, I closed my eyes and let the black depth of my despair take me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big fat helping of angst served up proper. I do believe in HEA…so don't fret.


	14. Pedophiles & Daddy's Little Girl

I got the feeling that I'd been sleeping for a long time. I opened my eyes and looked around my room. My alarm clock said it was 5:30, and I was still wearing the clothes I'd had on the night before.

I dragged myself from the bed, picked up my cell phone and switched it on.

_Emmett wasn't kidding._

There were a lot of missed calls from Edward. There were also some from Rose and Emmett, obviously before they realized I didn't have my phone. Even Charlie had tried to reach me a couple of times.

_My poor Dad does not need to worry about me again._

I felt like shit, physically and emotionally. I knew I couldn't yet handle listening to the phone messages Edward had left, I needed to clear my head. I walked out to my living room and found Emmett sitting on my sofa, still half asleep. He'd obviously been there all night.

"Hey." He said as he warily studied my face.

"Hey." I responded in a voice that even I didn't recognize.

Emmett patted the space next to him on the sofa. I sat down beside him and hunched over with my face in my hands as Emmett rubbed soothing circles on my back.

"Tell Charlie not to come." I'd much rather my Dad not be a witness to this particular breakdown.

"Yeah, okay Bells. You should call him though. He's pretty worried."

"I will, later today." I sighed and got up from the sofa. "Coffee?"

"Sure, let me help." He answered.

"Just come sit with me." I directed.

We didn't talk. Emmett just sat and watched me make coffee for him and tea for myself. When I sat down, he placed his hand over mine. We didn't need to talk.

_-V &V-_

I had decided to go to class. At first Emmett tried to talk me out of it then, when that didn't work, he offered to go with me.

"Emmett that's silly." He looked so worried that I felt compelled to add, "I'm not going to throw myself in front of a truck or anything. I promise. I would never do that to you, Charlie and Rose, okay?"

After a while, he relented and didn't try to change my mind any more. I took my shower in a daze. I numbly got dressed. I grabbed my backpack, and this time remembered my phone. My morning classes were uneventful. The smirks from my classmates were now accompanied with pointing and whispering in some cases. I didn't care.

I was so numb, nothing could affect me now. At lunch time I suddenly realized I was starving. I couldn't remember when I'd last eaten.

_When did I eat? I guess it was lunchtime yesterday._

I bought a salad and took it to my car. I didn't want to be around crowds of people. As I sat there eating, all the things Edward had ever said about Tanya came flooding back. In light of what he'd told me, none of this made any sense.

It wasn't as if Edward had gotten some physical benefit out of lying to me. We'd never gone further than kissing. But if his goal had been to break my heart, then I'd say mission accomplished. Who would do that?

_An evil person Bella, that's who._

Just then my phone beeped with an incoming text. I decided I'd look. It was from Alice.

_**Bella-** _

_**Please believe me when I tell you he didn't lie to you. He's not an 'evil person' Bella. He loves you. Listen to him. Give him a chance to explain.** _

_**-Alice** _

Her weird psychic ability didn't even phase me this time.

I looked at the clock, I still had some time before my next class. I decided to further risk my heart by attempting to listen to Edward's messages. I went back to the first one, sent early yesterday.

" _Bella, call me as soon as you get this. There's some stuff going around the internet that's misleading. Please don't look at anything until I have a chance to talk to you. I love you Bella, please call me."_

He sounded a little flustered, I guess he didn't like getting caught in his lies. So much for the great 'actor'. The next two or three messages were much the same. After those, the tone of his messages changed, sounding more desperate.

" _Oh God Bella, why won't you call me? Baby if you've seen that stuff on those gossip sites, please don't believe them. I need to talk to you. Please, please call me."_

I skipped to the ones he sent last night.

" _Bella, I spoke with Emmett. I don't blame him for wanting to fucking kill me. Believe me Bella, if I'd really done anything to hurt you, I'd want to kill myself. Please let me talk to you, I need to explain. I love you Bella."_

When he talked about killing himself, I felt another stab to my heart, just like yesterday. I had promised Emmett that I wouldn't hurt myself, but for Edward to contemplate hurting himself was unacceptable.

_Bella, remember that he attempted suicide once before when he thought he'd hurt his girlfriend. He shouldn't care that he hurt you, it's Tanya that he should care about._

Again, nothing made sense.

I decided to listen to the last message he left. It was from about an hour before.

" _Bella. I guess you hate me. If I were you, I'd hate me too. I can't live without you, though. It's too much, I hate it here. You know what I just did? I was in a meeting with some studio execs, and I told everyone to go fuck themselves and left. I don't care. I just want you. Please talk to me."_

He sounded so broken. I was sure he hadn't slept. I found myself worrying about Edward's health, Edward's sleep, and Edward's broken heart.

I was pathetic.

_No Bella, you love him._

Yes, and I knew that would never change. I'd go to my grave loving Edward Masen.

I went to my last classes of the day. I was the subject of more of the same whispering and pointing as before. I ignored it as best I could. In the midst of one of those classes, I got a text from Rose telling me she'd arrived back in Seattle. She, of course, wanted to see me at home as soon as I was done with class.

I had an appointment with my advisor at three, so Rose would have to wait a while.

I walked into my advisor's office expecting to find the affable person I'd known for over three and a half years. Instead, Mr. Cosby looked serious and grim as I took the seat in front of his desk.

"Good afternoon Miss Swan." He stated coolly.

"Good afternoon Mr. Cosby."

_Maybe he's having a bad day too._

"Miss Swan, I'll get right to the point." He said.

_I wish he would, because I want to go home and fall apart._

"I need to know if you are serious about your future career? Are you still intending to pursue a teaching position after graduation?"

"Yes, Mr. Cosby. That's the plan." I stated dryly.

 _That_ _**was** _ _the plan. Before Edward. Now that Edward wasn't a factor any more, I guess we're back to old Bella again, and her plans for the future. A future without Edward._

I suddenly had the urge to cry. I wanted to lay my head right down on Mr. Cosby's desk and cry like an infant. His voice broke me away from my pity party.

"I'm having difficulty believing that Miss Swan. Especially in light of events recently brought to my attention."

I looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"If you seriously want to teach other people's children Miss Swan, it won't do to have an illicit affair with a Hollywood celebrity."

I sat there with my mouth hanging open. Shocked into silence.

"With all the scandals in the news in recent years regarding teachers having inappropriate relationships with their students, I would have hoped that a young woman such as yourself would not be so indiscreet."

_What? I'm a whore, and possibly a future pedophile? What the fuck?_

"How can a parent be comfortable leaving their child in the care of someone who has no regard for their own reputation?"

You know those stages of grief they're always talking about. The stages you experience after a death or breakup or as, in my case, losing your soul mate, the love of your life, the reason for you existence? Well, I knew at that moment that I had just made a beeline for stage 2: Anger. I was angry, pissed off, 'ready to set the building on fire' mad.

"Mr. Cosby let me just interrupt you right there. You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not having an 'affair' with anyone. I'm assuming you're referring to some rumors and idle talk found on disreputable websites. The people that write that garbage don't know me. They have no idea what I'm like, they know nothing about my life."

"Miss Swan, the photos speak for themselves." He answered in an arrogant tone.

"Well then you shouldn't believe everything you see. Maybe you should seek an explanation before you jump to erroneous conclusions!" I said angrily. "And Mr. Cosby, I believe that my  _personal life_ is just that,  _personal_. Which would also mean that it's none of your damn business!"

I stormed out of his office, and headed toward my car. I thought about what I'd just said to Mr. Cosby, and realized the truth of my words.

_I shouldn't believe what I see without at least letting Edward give his side of things. If he truly lied to me, I owed him nothing. But, I owed myself and the love I feel for him, the opportunity to know everything, no matter how much it may hurt._

I pulled out my phone and sent a text.

_**Edward-** _

_**I'll talk to you.** _

_**-Bella** _

Less than a minute later, my phone chirped with a response.

_**Beautiful-** _

_**Thank you, that means so much to me. I love you so much.** _

_**-Edward** _

I was surprised that the phone didn't ring with an incoming call as soon as I read the text, but it remained silent. I got in my car and headed for home, glancing now and then at my silent phone.

_I wonder why he hasn't called me._

I couldn't think about this any more. My head hurt, and I was dead tired.

Rose and Emmett were waiting at my apartment when I got there. Rose immediately pulled me into a tight hug. She pulled back and studied my face, not saying anything for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry Bella." She said remorsefully.

"Rose, why on earth are you sorry?" I was confused.

"I didn't try hard enough to stop your involvement with him. My first instincts were correct and I should have fought harder to protect you."

"No, Rose. I wanted this more than anything I've ever wanted. I should have known that I wasn't meant to have the fairy tale. When have I ever?" I sat down dejectedly on my sofa.

"Come on honey, you'll get through this. We'll help you. You'll never be alone." She said as she put her arm around my shoulders.

"I know Rose, but you guys shouldn't have to constantly be worried about me. You're getting married, you need to have a life together that doesn't always include me."

"You're part of our life Bells, we can't change that. We wouldn't want to change that." Emmett chimed in.

Rose nodded. "Listen, I've ordered pizza, we're going to relax tonight. I'm staying here with you." She arched her eyebrow when she noticed I was going to argue. "No arguments from you missy."

I kept quiet.

After dinner, Emmett went back to their apartment and I excused myself to my room in order to phone my father.

"Hi Dad." I realized how sad my voice sounded.

"Hi baby. How are you? The  _truth_." Dad sounded upset. "Do you need me to come to Seattle?"

"I'll be alright Dad. It was just a shock, you know?"

"I understand kiddo. Listen, do I need to go down to L.A. and sort this out?"

"Dad please, no. I actually decided to hear Edward's side of things because I need to get this behind me."

_This will never be behind me. I secretly wonder if I just want to talk to him again because I'm so hopelessly in love. In love with someone I can't have._

"Are you sure Bells? I don't want him to hurt you any more than he has already. You're still my little girl, and I won't allow some bastard to do this to you. I don't know what I'll do if you go back into that depression." Charlie's voice cracked.

"I can't promise that I won't Dad, all I can tell you is that I'm fighting against it now. I'll go back to the doctor if I can't handle it."

For several years after my mother's death, I was on anti-anxiety medication. I was finally able to wean myself off when I started college.

"Okay honey. Why don't you plan on coming home this weekend. I think it would do you some good." He asked hopefully.

"That sounds like a good idea Dad. I'll call you tomorrow, and thanks."

"No need to thank me for anything Bells. Stay close to Rose and Emmett until this weekend okay?"

"Okay Dad, I love you."

"Love you too baby, goodbye now."

"Bye." I felt so terribly sad, and very sorry for myself at that moment.

I walked quietly out of my room, stopping dead in the living room doorway when I saw Edward's face on the television. Rose was watching one of those evening entertainment news shows.

_**Hollywood is in a uproar today after reports surfaced of 'bad boy' Edward Masen cursing at movie executives and walking out of a meeting this morning.** _

The video showed Edward storming out of a building being followed by a pleading Jasper as Edward got in his car and sped away. I wasn't startled by seeing Edward on television, but I  _was_ startled by his appearance.

He obviously hadn't shaved. His clothes were rumpled, as if he'd slept in them. Although by the looks of him, I would have bet that he hadn't slept in two days.

_**Insiders said that issues of a 'personal' nature had Masen upset to the point of lashing out at others attending the meeting. Maybe girlfriend, Tanya Madison, hadn't been as forgiving of his indiscretions as we had originally thought. Stay tuned for further developments in this story.** _

Rose was muttering to herself, when she saw me standing in the doorway. She immediately shut off the television.

"Bells, I'm sorry you had to see that." She jumped up and came over to me. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just so you know Rose, I texted Edward and told him I'd listen to his side of things. I need that in order to have closure."

"No way Bella, he'll try to manipulate you again. I'm not letting that happen." Rose wasn't going to change her mind this time, I could tell.

"Well, it may not matter any more anyway. As soon as I let him know I was willing to talk, he stopped calling. Maybe he can't think up a good enough lie after all." I said sadly. "Listen, I'm going to shower and then probably head to bed. If you really insist on staying here, you can either make up the sleeper sofa or sleep in with me, okay?" I could feel the fatigue overtaking me again.

"Sure honey. I'll be up for a while yet, you go on to bed. Emmett's staying over at our place."

After my shower I crawled into bed, dead to the world.

I was awoken by voices coming from my living room. I glanced at the clock. It was still night.

_Ten-thirty? What's going on._

I opened my door so that I could hear.

"Please Rose, I have to talk to her. None of those reports are true, you have to believe me."

_Edward was here? How long had they been standing there arguing?_

"I don't  _have_  to do anything Masen, except kick your sorry ass back to Hollywood where you fit right in with all the other phonies." Rose was beyond pissed.

"I never lied to Bella, I'll admit I didn't tell her everything, but I was planning to tell her this weekend, I swear." Edward sounded awful.

"I'll do  _anything._ Please Rose I can't lose her."

I was glad I couldn't see Edward's face because it would probably further break my already shattered heart.

Rose seemed to be thinking for a minute. "Alice called me tonight. For some reason she's on your side."

"Alice knows everything." Edward answered quietly.

"Well then why don't you enlighten me Edward? I'm dying to know what the big secret is. I can promise you that it better be fucking impressive if you expect to get past me to talk to Bella." Rose was seething.

I walked closer to them, and Edward spotted me over Rose's shoulder.

"Bella" he whispered. The expression on his face was heartbreaking. I walked toward him, it was so easy to forget how he'd broken my heart.

"Stop Bella! Don't you move one step closer to him." I stopped, sensing that Rose was beyond reason and I didn't want her any more upset.

Rose thought for a minute. "Masen, come with me." She then turned to me. "Bella, you stay here until I come back."

"Okay." I said, defeated.

Edward didn't take his eyes from mine until he was in Rose and Emmett's apartment. I closed my door, and sat on the sofa.

A few minutes later I heard muffled voices out in the hall, and then my door flew open. Emmett came in, walked over to the sofa and sat down beside me. He was fuming.

"Rose sent me over here while she talks to that asshole."

"It's okay Emmett, Rose will get to the bottom of everything." I said weakly, not holding out much hope that Edward would regain Rose's trust.

I fought to keep my eyes open, but after a while, I lost the battle. I had just drifted off to sleep against Emmett's chest when my door opened again.

Rose was standing there, the angry expression gone from her face. She actually looked a little stunned, and maybe even  _happy_? Edward followed her into my apartment, his expression serious, but relieved.

"Bella, after the events of the last two days, I find it hard to believe I'm going to say this." Rose began, shaking her head.

"What Rose?"

"Come with me Emmett, we're going back to our apartment. Edward needs to speak with Bella alone."

Emmett and I both gasped in shock.

Rose then turned to Edward with a small smile, patted his hand and said "Good luck."


	15. Bourbon & Epitaphs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **All will be revealed…..

Emmett and I stood there gaping in shock not only at what Rose had said, but at her whole change in demeanor from just an hour ago. We had fully expected Edward to barely make it out of there alive, but instead they both march into my apartment like they were the best of friends.

_Where was the verbal tsunami that only Rose can inflict on her enemies?_

It seemed to have evaporated. I was stunned into silence. Emmett on the other hand was having none of it. "You've got to be kidding Rose." He said incredulously.

"Do I look like I'm kidding Emmett?" Rose said quietly. "Look, I heard Edward's side of  _everything_." Rose raised her eyebrows and exhaled a breath. "I also called Alice to corroborate certain facts, and Bella doesn't have any reason to be angry with Edward. The only thing he did wrong was try to be too much of a gentleman by not talking to Bella about this sooner."

I was so confused now that my head felt like it was spinning.

Emmett was still hostile. "No fucking way does he get to talk to my sister alone."

"Emmett! You know that I'm a pit bull where Bella's concerned, if I say they need to talk, THEY NEED TO TALK! You will come with me now!"

My brother knew when he'd lost a fight. Before exiting my apartment, he turned to Edward and said "I still owe you a good ass-kicking, don't think I'll forget."

"Emmett!" Rose grabbed his arm and they both headed out of the door.

Edward and I were left alone in my living room. I sat at one end of my sofa, he at the other. He watched me warily for a few minutes.

"I'm trying to think of where to start." He said.

"The beginning would be nice." I stated coolly.

"Okay. So I already told you about the reasons I was more than happy to leave Seattle, and move to L.A. right?"

"Yes, Edward."

_I wish he'd just get to the point._

"Well, if you ever saw my first film, you know that it was a silly teenage fluff piece. Boy meets girl, boy almost loses girl as a result of his own stupidity, boy redeems himself, gets girl back."

"Yes Edward, I've seen it."

"That was the first time Tanya and I worked together. The studio got so much positive feedback about us as a couple that, they made it be known, in no uncertain terms, that they 'liked' our on-screen relationship. They liked it so much, that they encouraged us to pursue an 'off-screen' relationship as well."

With those words, my chest started to feel a little tight.

"Tanya even expressed interest in doing so, but I let her know that we would never be more than friends. You have to understand Bella that after what Meghan had done to me, I wasn't sure that I could ever trust a woman again. Tanya and I have  _never_  been more than friends."

I was stunned into silence again. All the stories, all the 'kiss and make up' moments reported ad nauseam by the gossip rags, all the photos of the 'happy couple', everything had been manufactured? For all these years?

Edward continued. "In the beginning, we only appeared together in public at premieres and award shows. I was happy that the press's attention had been diverted from speculating about my personal life. Tanya and I were both satisfied with the arrangement, especially when the increase in our popularity benefited our careers. We both became willing accomplices of the studio's lust for money."

"Edward, why would you agree to this? What if you met someone and fell in love?"

"Bella, I never thought it would happen. I'd been so utterly destroyed by Meghan, that I never put another thought into the fact that there may have been someone out there for me. Looking back, I realize just how foolish that was." His eyes glimmered as he watched my face.

"The next part of this story is the reason I couldn't tell you everything right away. This part wasn't mine to tell, and I needed to meet with Tanya and explain how I felt about you, before letting you know everything."

"Okay." I was still reeling from part one of his confession, I couldn't imagine where this conversation would go next.

"By the way, she feels terrible about what she said to the press over the weekend. I hadn't spoken with her yet about us when they got that soundbyte, she had no idea."

I guess I can appreciate Tanya's remorse. It would be weird to start thinking of her in a good light.

_I've been so jealous of her._

"Tanya was swept away by Hollywood excess. Those first several years, she became quite a partier. The studio tried to guard her image, but she did several stupid things. When she was caught on video snorting cocaine, the studio acquired the film, and have kept it 'under wraps' biding their time. Tanya was told she'd have no need to worry about its release, as long as she continued doing the studio's bidding."

_Hollywood is such a cesspool. This sounds like the plot to a movie itself._

"She began making more of our relationship to the press. I, on the other hand, never said a word about our fictitious romance."

That was true, as Rose and I could testify, Edward adamantly refused to speak about his personal life to the press.

He continued.

"Whereas I didn't have a problem giving the appearance of being Tanya's love interest, I was never comfortable with telling outright lies."

He paused, thinking. "Tanya calmed down when she met Felix."

"Felix? Wait, as in Felix your bodyguard?" I asked.

"Yes. I hired Felix three years ago. Tanya met him on set one day when I worked with her on a film. After that, she didn't go out to parties, she didn't drink to excess, and she  _never_  did any more drugs. They fell hopelessly in love with each other, and were secretly married last year."

_What the? This shit is getting weirder and weirder._

I looked at the time. It was after midnight. I seriously needed a drink to handle the crazy.  _If_ I ever woke up from this bizarre dream, I wouldn't give a flying rat's ass if I did it with a hangover.

"Edward, I need alcohol." Edward actually laughed, it was the most relaxed I'd seen him since he appeared at my door earlier this evening.

A few minutes later, with my bourbon and coke in hand, I let him continue.

"Anyway, Felix and Tanya are married. I asked Sidney to move to L.A. as my full-time bodyguard. He's coming out next month. Felix is going to be with his wife, where he belongs. I also told them that they need to make some decisions because I wasn't going to keep my relationship with you a secret."

"Tanya's got the most to lose. She has lied to the media, kept her marriage a secret, and also, keep in mind that the studio could release that video and ruin her career. That's why I'm letting her and Felix decide how they want to handle this. I will continue to be silent about Tanya in order to allow them a little time."

"Well I guess it now makes sense that Tanya was never bothered by the other women." I stated more to myself than to him.

Edward looked a little uncomfortable. "I promised I would tell you everything, and I will Bella." He took a deep breath. "There were no 'other women' Bella. Those dates started about three years ago, and were the studio's attempt to promote my 'bad boy' image. I never chose to go out with those women. Once again I was just 'playing a part'."

"For some reason, every time I was seen with someone other than Tanya, my popularity, along with hers, would explode. Hers was because everyone felt sorry for her. But mine was because people evidently like me better when I'm naughty." He grinned.

"Edward, forgive me for doubting you but, that's impossible. Some of those women would have blabbed that information to every gossip site and magazine out there."

"They wouldn't if they wanted to have a career in the business. The studio's choices for these 'dates' were always very carefully thought out. They chose aspiring actresses or models, and always had them sign a non-disclosure agreement."

_Holy shit. Is anything written about celebrities' lives true?_

"So you see, every bit of the public image of Edward Masen has been manufactured. None of it is real. Edward Masen is not real. On the other hand, Edward  _Cullen_ , sitting here with you now, loves you more than anything, and hopes you will give him another chance." Edward had moved closer as he took my hand in his.

I wasn't so easily distracted, I had questions. "Hold on, what kind of women would want to play the part of the 'other woman' in public?" I asked.

" _Ambitious_ ones Bella. Look, those girls came away thinking I was a wonderful guy that would never cheat on his 'girlfriend', and they got a shot at their 'dream career'." He smirked. "It was a win-win situation."

He laughed as he thought of something.

"What are you laughing about Edward?"

"I was just thinking. I'm pretty sure that, up until I told her about you, Tanya was certain I was gay." He was chuckling and shaking his head.

I didn't see the humor in that statement. "Why would she think that Edward? Is her ego so inflated that just because you didn't want  _her_ , you must be gay?"

"Bella, haven't you been listening? When I said there have been no 'other women', I meant it. There have been  **no**  other women."

 _Hold on. Could he be saying what I think he is?_  "Edward, what are you saying?"

He sighed in frustration. "Do I need to spell it out Bella. Until you, I haven't had a relationship with anyone since Meghan. Apart from that, I haven't had a  _physical_ relationship with  _anyone_."

_I think Edward just told me he's never had sex. Ever. With anyone. I need clarification._

"Edward, are you telling me that you've never had sex?"

He nodded apprehensively, looking as embarrassed as I felt.

As usual, my verbal filter failed me as I opened my mouth and breathed the words. " _Fuck Me"._

Edward raised an eyebrow and smirked at me. "Really Bella?"

_Oh my God. My head will NEVER be able to wrap around this._

"I need another drink." I muttered. Edward joined me this time.

I didn't know how long it would be before I'd be able to hold an intelligent conversation again. My brain was in serious need of a reboot.

We sat there quietly for a long time.

I scooted closer to him on the sofa. "So?"

"So?" he answered with a small smile.

"You realize I'm having a hard time processing this right?"

"I understand. Believe me, I would have gladly gone to my grave with that information but, you'd already been through so much in the last two days. I've put you through so much pain because of my stupidity Bella. I just decided that you should know everything." He was so sweet and sincere and vulnerable.

I studied him for a few minutes. "You know what? I think it's pretty great."

He looked up with surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah. I always thought you were one of a kind Edward, this just proves it more." I couldn't help myself, I crawled into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He put his face against my neck and released a labored sigh. "I was so afraid I'd lost you."

"I was afraid too Edward, I couldn't see my future without you in it. It was terrifying." I said sadly.

_Maybe I am allowed to have the fairy tale after all._

"Bella, do you remember when we were in my old bedroom?" He asked.

"Yes."

"I thought you would have figured it out that day when I told you that I wanted you  _that way_. And about you being the 'only one ever'."

_Holy crap. He did say that. I really need to pay better attention. Edward wants us to cash our v-cards in together! I don't know whether to squee or throw up._

"Edward, I know it won't be today, or even next week but, someday I'd like you to be my first and my last." I whispered.

He looked at me with an awed expression on his face. "Me too Bella, me too." He whispered back.

He pulled me into a tender embrace and kissed me passionately. We expressed our love through that kiss, making it clear that we would be each other's first, last and only.

I lay in Edward's arms, still seated on my sofa. Something was nagging at the edge of my brain. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It was as if I'd forgotten something, something important.

Then it hit me. "Edward, how much of this did you have to tell Rosalie?"

Edward looked chagrined. "Pretty much all of it."

"Pretty much?" I asked, a sick feeling starting in the bottom of my stomach.

"Okay, I told her everything. I had to Bella, she wasn't going to let me speak with you otherwise. I was desperate." He said with a pleading look in his eyes.

I started to panic. "Edward, you don't understand. If you told Rosalie, she will tell Emmett!"

Edward looked nervous.

"Bella, she said she'd keep the  _sex_  part to herself."

"Oh Edward, I'm sure she'll try, but you don't know my brother. He will figure out that there's more to the story, especially since Rose looked so freaked out. God help us if he finds out you're a vir-"

Just then my door flew open. Edward jumped up and, of course, I landed on the floor.

_Speak of the freaking devil._

Emmett stood there with a crazed look on his face, while Edward helped me up. "I want to hear it from you, because there's no  _fucking_  way I believe that you're a virgin!" He shouted.

I'm sure that Edward and I bore matching expressions of horror at that exact moment.

Rosalie followed behind my brother looking sheepish and apologetic. "I'm so sorry Edward, I didn't tell him, he figured it out."

"I want to hear it Eddie? Is it true?" My brother asked incredulously.

"Yes." Edward answered with a resigned sigh.

Emmett thought for a moment before speaking. A rare occurrence. "You mean to tell me that you're twenty-four and never had  _in-ter-course_?" Emmett pronounced each syllable.

Edward, defeated, shook his head.

"Bumped uglies? Split the wishbone? Knocked boots? Mashed brakes? Bulled a chick? Lay Rail?"

Edward continued shaking his head through the entire interrogation, as my eyes grew wide at my brothers idiocy.

"Emmett! Who are you Austin Powers? Shut Up!" I yelled.

But Emmett wasn't done. "Edward, are you gay?"

Edward seemed unable to speak and therefore continued to shake his head in response.

"Are you sure?" my stupid brother pressed.

"Emmett!"

"Alright, aright!" Emmett got very quiet as he contemplated his new-found knowledge. After what seemed like forever, he finally spoke.

"Okay Eddie, tell you what I'll do." Emmett placed his arm around Edward's shoulder as he walked him across the room. "I won't tell anyone about your ' _issue_ ', but you've got to do something for me."

I thought of all the ways Emmett could make Edward's life a living hell. "Agree to it Edward!" I shouted. I didn't care what Emmett wanted, Edward needed to agree, or face a life of torment.

If anyone thought Emmett's teasing of Jasper about the whole 'Francis' issue was bad, one could only imagine the million times worse it would be when Emmett capitalized on Edward's 'virgin' status.

Emmett smiled like the Cheshire cat. "Before setting up the meeting between Charlie and Clint, you need to let me know so that we can plan things together."

_Oh shit. Was I willing to throw Charlie under the bus to save Edward? Abso-freakin-lutely._

I felt bad for a nanosecond.

"I'm going to teach you how to  _fuck….._ um let me re-phrase, because I'm definitely not teaching you  _that. And_  you'd better not practice on my sister, oh God, I mean you'd better not practice on anyone else either and hurt my sister. Oh shit…my advice is just stay a virgin til you die dude. _"_

"Anyway, as I was saying, I'm going to teach you how to  _fuck with_ Chief Charlie Swan." Emmett said as a mischievous smile spread across his face.

_I've said it before, and I'll say it again, so often that it will probably be carved on my tombstone: Fuck My Life._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst. yeah you, come here…remember the title..there's an S in virgins
> 
> Anyway, yeah, I know. When Edward came to tell me about his 'status', I was just as floored as you were. Something like that could throw all the planets out of alignment and destroy the universe. I offered to 'fix' the problem for him myself but, alas he seemed determined to wait for Bella.
> 
> Seriously though, I just decided that since S.M. has a 104 year old virgin Edward in her story, I could have a 24 year old one in mine. This was the plan from the beginning …just think of the gift we've given Emmett. (if I could change the fic description from 'humor' to 'farce', I would!)
> 
> Hopefully you've made it this far without reading any of 'Love Rescue Me' (Edward's POV of V&V), because there are spoilers in it that would make this chapter of V&V less of a surprise. If you decide to read LRM along with V&V, make sure to read the author's notes at the beginning of each chapter


	16. Tasers & Interrogations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** When last me left the virginal duo…

I was standing in my living room watching Edward sleep. Last night's talk had been exhausting, and thanks to the drinking, my head was now throbbing. It was so late, or should I say early, when Rose and Emmett finally left that I wouldn't allow Edward to go to a hotel. I made up the sleeper sofa for him, and that's where I found him this morning.

While I slept, it had been oddly comforting knowing that he was in the next room, not miles away at a hotel or at his parents' house.

I slipped into the kitchen and started the coffee pot. I took some headache meds and a bottle of water. Before leaving the apartment, I touched his cheek with my hand. Edward stirred awake, smiling up at me.

"Morning." I smiled back.

"Morning beautiful."

"I'm just heading out to class and then to work for a little while. I'll be back by 4:30 at the latest. I've started a pot of coffee."

"Thanks. I'm supposed to have some clothes and toiletries delivered shortly, I left L.A. without anything. Alice knew I'd need them of course." He smiled. "After that, I was going to see about checking into a hotel."

My face fell. "Edward, you don't have to. I mean, were you comfortable last night?."

"Yes, very comfortable, especially knowing that you were so close. I just didn't want to impose…" He trailed off.

"Edward, I want you here. I don't know, it just feels better with you here."

He smiled. "Then I'll stay, if you're sure it's not any trouble?"

"Edward, I love you, I'll always want you here." I smiled back.

I kissed him goodbye, and headed out.

On my way to class I thought about last night. I was still having a hard time absorbing all the new information. In the end I decided it didn't matter how long it took to finally accept and understand everything. For the moment, it was enough to know that Edward had  _never_  lied to me. It was more than I had ever dared hope for.

I couldn't seem to wipe the silly smile from my face, truthfully I didn't even try. The smirks, whispers and pointing continued, but meant nothing. I knew the truth. I also knew that eventually the media would get bored and move on.

Edward texted me throughout the day.

_**B-** _

_**Hope your day is going well. I miss you. Can't wait until you come home to me. Love you.** _

_**-E** _

That sounded nice. Edward calling my apartment  _home_  felt right.

After class I headed to WIRI. I didn't intend to stay long. I texted Edward to let him know that I'd arrived at work, and wouldn't be too much longer.

Rose was relaxed and smiling when she saw me. "Well hello there Bells. You look quite happy, maybe even a little giddy today. I wonder  _what_  could be the reason for that?"

"You know very well Rose. I've never been so happy." I returned her smile. "Rose, in the midst of all the eye-opening events of yesterday, I forgot to ask you about New York?"

"Oh gosh. Bella, they're still working out the details, but it looks like I'm really going to get my own show! I'm waiting to see what their offer will be, and they're aware that my contract with WIRI doesn't run out until June, so right now it's just 'wait and see', but I'm pretty excited."

"That's great Rose."

"Anyway, get out of here, go home. You only get a couple of days with Edward, then you won't see him for a while." She said as she started pushing me toward the door.

"Are you sure? Don't you need help with anything?" I asked.

"If I do, I'll get someone else. I want you to go."

I laughed. "Okay! See you later then."

I thought I'd made a clean get-away as I headed out, but then I heard the voice of that jack-ass Mike Newton.

"Bella, I'm so glad you made it in." He said as he looked me up and down. "You look good. Decided to take me up on my offer?"

I gave him an arched glare. "What offer would that be  _Mike_?"

"Remember, I told you that when he dumped you I'd be around."

"Mike, Edward didn't dump me. Now leave me alone, I'm going home." I tried to push past him to leave. He blocked my way.

"Don't be delusional Bella, he's done with you. He uses women. You're just the latest in a long line."

"Mike, first of all you don't know what you're talking about, and secondly you shouldn't be the one to accuse anyone of that. Or do I need to go ask Jessica's opinion of what kind of a person you are?"

It was well-known throughout the station that Jessica, one of our newest reporters, had been seeing Mike when he unceremoniously dumped her to chase a new skirt. Jessica was devastated.

Mike narrowed his eyes at me. "I don't get you Bella. You play hard to get for months, then you meet Masen and are all too willing to become his whore."

I didn't have a chance to respond, because just as Mike said those words Edward had appeared around the corner, walking toward us.

His reaction was immediate. He grabbed Mike and pushed him against the wall, holding him by the throat. "Who the hell do you think you are? You will never speak to Bella in that manner again. She's the most wonderful person I've ever known, you'd do well to show respect when speaking to her."

I could tell that Mike was having a little trouble breathing. I didn't give a shit.

Just then Rose walked up behind me, watching the display, her expression admiring.

"If I hear that you've been speaking to her or about her in that manner again, I will drop whatever I'm doing, come back here, and rip your fucking head off. Are we clear?"

Mike couldn't answer, but was able to nod his stupid head. Edward released him. Mike started coughing, Edward wasn't finished. "Apologize to Miss Swan." He directed.

Mike turned to me then. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"You bet it won't." Rose crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke. "You know what Newton? I've got a new taser in my office, and I'm just dying to test it out on your ball sac."

Mike's eyes grew wide with fear and he turned and fled back toward his office.

"Well done Edward." Rose congratulated.

Edward nodded to Rose, then turned to me. "Are you ready to leave?" He said with a smile that melted my heart.

I took my hero's hand and answered "Absolutely."

Even though I was blissfully happy that Edward had defended me, I was also aware that the outside world probably viewed me the same way Mike did. To those who didn't know the truth, I looked like the 'other woman', Masen's whore. I dismissed the thought for the moment, but knew I would have to revisit it later.

_-V &V-_

We ordered in for dinner, and spent the rest of the evening relaxing together on my sofa, watching television. It was the down time we both needed after the stress of the last few days.

"How is it that you don't have to be in L.A. right now?"

He looked a little sheepish. "Well, after I lashed out at everyone at that meeting, Jasper cancelled my appointments for the rest of the week. I'm free until I fly back on Sunday."

I had suspected as much. I was just selfish enough to be happy he'd cursed out those movie execs, because it gave me more time with him.

"Speaking of flying." Edward said as he went to pull something out of his backpack. "Here's your flight information for Aspen. After I leave Sunday, I won't see you again until then." He said sadly.

After getting ready for bed, I put on my pajamas and came back out to the living room. I ended up snuggling with Edward in the sofa bed. There was no 'funny business' as Charlie would say. We both just felt the need to be close.

- _V &V-_

I opened my eyes to see two beautiful green ones watching me. It felt a little strange, realizing that I'd never made it back to my room. "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep, I hope I didn't crowd you." I said sheepishly.

"No, Bella. Truth be told, I loved having you here beside me. I don't know how I'm going to stand it when I have to go back to California." He whispered sadly. I reached up and stroked his cheek.

"Look, you can call me every day. You already know my schedule. We'll make it work. The time will fly by, you'll see."

He nodded.

I left for class, promising Edward that since I wasn't going to work, I'd be back early.

At about 11am I got a curious text from him.

_**B-** _

_**Where are you getting lunch today?** _

_**-E** _

I answered.

_**E-** _

_**I'll probably pick up a sandwich from the Hub. Why?** _

_**-B** _

My phone chirped again.

_**B-** _

_**Just curious as to where my girl is spending her time. Love you.** _

_**-E** _

Odd.

_**E-** _

_**Love you more.** _

_**-B** _

Of course he responded immediately.

_**B-** _

_**Impossible.** _

_**-E** _

Oh my, I felt warm and tingly all over. The warm and tingly feeling increased when later, as I entered the Hub, I found him standing, waiting for me, at the entrance to the cafeteria.

He had an awkward smile on his face. "I missed you. I had Sidney drop me off."

"This is a wonderful surprise Edward." I couldn't help but hug him. Then I realized we were in a very public place. "Aren't you afraid of the publicity?"

"No, Bella. I told you that I'm not hiding our relationship. Tanya is the one that has a lot to explain, not me." He gave me a hug and a quick kiss on the lips for emphasis.

I was aware that we were drawing a crowd, no doubt our photos would be plastered all over the internet by tomorrow.

_At least I won't have a snotty nose this time._

We not only had lunch together, but Edward came and sat in on my last class of the day. I felt like flipping off all those people that had whispered and pointed all week.

_Take that bitches._

I realized that we couldn't make a habit of Edward accompanying me to class. Absolutely no work got done because so many of the students, and even the professor, were star struck. Who could blame them really?

_-V &V-_

"Miss Swan, I know I've been remiss in not asking this sooner but, would you do me the honor of going out with me tonight?"

We were riding home in my car, and Edward was smirking again.

I couldn't keep the amused smile from my face. "Why Mr.  _Cullen_ " I decided to go with his real name since he told me Edward  _Masen_ doesn't exist. "Am I right in assuming that you are asking me out on our  _first_ date?"

"Yes Miss Swan, you are correct." He said with a playful smile.

"I accept your invitation, and thank you Mr. Cullen."

"You've made me very happy."

At about 5pm, Rose came to my door, and dragged me to her apartment. But not before raiding my closet and bathroom for everything she need to make me 'drop dead gorgeous', her words not mine, for my date.

I was seated at Rose's vanity, while she worked on my hair, when I decided to phone my Dad.

As part of the agreement with Emmett, he promised to help 'smooth things over' with Charlie. It took a lot of convincing, but Emmett finally got my Dad to agree that Edward deserved a second chance. Emmett clued Charlie in on the 'phony' relationship with Tanya, but was forbidden from mentioning Edward's lack of a 'sexual' past. That, I was afraid, was more information than even my poor Dad should be expected to handle.

"Hi Dad." I said brightly when he answered the phone.

"Hey honey, you sound better." He didn't sound terribly happy.

"I am Dad. Everything is okay now, well actually  _more_  than okay." Trying to change my Dad's low opinion would be harder than I thought.

"Yeah, Emmett explained things to me. I just wish Edward had trusted you enough to tell you about the whole 'Tanya' thing from the get go. Would have saved you both a lot of grief." Yeah, he was not happy with Edward, but didn't hate him. That was good at least.

"He just misjudged how ravenous the media can be Dad. He would never want me to get hurt, he loves me." There. That was the bombshell that I needed to lay on Charlie.

Silence.

"Dad?"

"Yeah. Wow Bells, um, seems a little fast. I just worry about you." He sighed.

"I love him too Dad. I know it was fast, but when we met, we both just knew somehow."

"I'm happy for you baby. Just make it clear that he can't hide things from you any more."

"Right Dad. I'll let him know that. Okay, I'd better go, Edward's taking me out tonight."

"Yeah, I know, Emmett told me that too. Okay baby, be careful, love you."

"Love you too Dad."

_-V &V-_

I sat on Rose and Emmett's sofa waiting. The doorbell rang. I tried to reach it before Emmett, but I wasn't fast enough. He tore past me, and I had to do a double-take.

_Is Emmett wearing a plaid flannel shirt?_

My brother wasn't dressed as he usually did. He was dressed like….like Charlie?

_What the hell? Yep, he's even got the fake moustache._

Emmett was wearing his 'Chief Swan' costume. He'd worn it last year to a party, NOT a Halloween party, mind you. He did it merely to mess with the Chief, who was also in attendance.

I couldn't figure out why he was wearing it now. "Emmett, what are you doing?"

"Well you see Bells, since Pops can't be here for your 'first date' he has asked me to be his surrogate on this important occasion. It's a big responsibility and I don't want to fuck it up."

_Oh for cripes sake._

Emmett opened the door, and I resigned myself to my fate. My life would never be dull as long as Emmett was around.

Edward stood there grinning from ear to ear. His grin turned into a confused expression within about ten seconds as he took in my brother's appearance.

Emmett folded his arms across his chest and looked Edward up and down. "Yes? May I help you? Edgar was it?" He said in his best Charlie voice.

"Edward." Edward and I both said at the same time. "I'm here to pick up Bella."

"I see. Well  _Edward_ , have a seat, let's have a little chat."

I groaned, and flopped down on the sofa next to Rose, who just looked amused.

Edward still looked confused but took a seat in one of the arm chairs.

"I want you to take a good long look at our little girl sitting over there. Her feelings are not to be toyed with. Do you understand?"

Edward nodded.

"Good. I've prepared a list of questions. The way you answer will determine whether you are worthy to escort Bella tonight. Still following Edwin? You won't find the answers written on Bella's legs, eyes over here boy."

Edward blinked, looked at Emmett and swallowed hard. My brother was such an ass.

If I hadn't been so pissed, I'd have been amazed at how much Emmett sounded and acted like Charlie, it was eerie.

"Question number one. Your car runs out of gas while on your date with Bella, what do you do?"

Edward squirmed, he obviously also felt the connection Emmett had to Charlie was uncanny.

"Um, I call my roadside service to gas up the car?" Edward answered as a question.

"Wrong. You gas the vehicle up before the date, therefore there will be no chance of that happening Edmund."

"Let's try again."

"Bella trips, falls and cuts her leg on the way into a restaurant. What do you do?"

"I administer first aid. If I determine she needs stitches, I take her to the emergency room?" Edward was still unsure of himself.

"Wrong. You sure are fucking this up Edwina. The correct answer is that you should have been holding her arm, so that she wouldn't have tripped in the first place."

"One more."

"You take a wrong turn and end up in a dangerous neighborhood, then you discover your tire has gone flat. While waiting for roadside assistance, a hooker propositions you. How do you handle that one?"

"I stay in the car with Bella, and lock the doors." Edward said in a defeated tone.

"Enough Emmett. You are driving me crazy." I shouted. As usual, Emmett had taken things too far.

"What am I going to tell the Chief Bells? Eddie just can't seem to do anything right. So far he's let the car run out of gas, let you injure yourself, requiring stitches, gotten a flat tire, and paid fifty bucks for a BJ from a hooker. I am damn disappointed in you Ed." Emmett said while shaking his head.

"Emmett! He didn't do any of those things. You're just an idiot." I shouted.

Just then Edward spoke up. "How about I just let my driver take us, as planned. I promise to protect Bella from drug-dealers, crazy fans, and even roving bands of gypsies if we encounter any." He smiled.

Emmett thought about it. "Okay. I guess I've got to let the bird leave the nest sometime." He sighed, defeated.

"Have a great time guys." Rose chirped as she hugged me goodbye. Emmett was still sulking. I hugged him and kissed his cheek.

Once out in the hall, Edward offered his arm. "Shall we Miss Swan?"

"Definitely Mr. Cullen." I smiled.


	17. First Dates & Riff Raff

Edward had made reservations at one of the best restaurants in Seattle. He not only made reservations, he reserved a private dining room. It was lovely with a spectacular view of the river and the city lights.

Rose always talked about this place, and how you needed to make reservations a couple of weeks in advance. I was almost certain that someone was bumped from this room in order to give it to Mr. Movie Star. The perks of being famous were pretty sweet, I had to admit.

It was beautiful, all rich deep wood and sparking crystal. It almost gave the feeling of being aboard ship as we looked out over the river.

We drank wine and talked about Edward's next movie. For the first two months, filming would be done primarily in the Los Angeles area. After that, he was scheduled to shoot on location in London for a few more weeks. Edward's part in the film should be completed sometime in May.

I hated to think about all the time I'd be without him, but it couldn't be helped. Besides, I needed to concentrate on school, graduation only being a few months away.

Our food arrived while I contemplated this. It's funny that before Edward, I didn't know I was missing anything. Now that we'd found each other I couldn't imagine life without him, I couldn't even imagine getting through the next month without him.

I watched him as he talked about his part in the new movie. He was so animated and full of life. It was obvious that he really loved what he did, his enthusiasm was contagious. The movie was about three boyhood friends that were separated when one family loses everything in the great depression. All three end up meeting again as grown men, in the midst of World War II in England. I got so engrossed in the story that I hadn't realized that I'd finished my salmon as I listened to Edward talk.

We declined desert, because Edward said he had something else in mind.

Our next stop was a little jazz club downtown. It was dark enough that no one recognized Edward. I was grateful for that, I didn't want the outside world to intrude on our bubble just yet.

"Edward, where did you learn to dance so well?" I asked. This was the second time tonight he'd coaxed me out of my seat and to the dance floor.

"My mother insisted I have lessons while I was a teenager. I hated it at the time, but I guess I'm thankful now. If nothing else, it's come in handy for at least two of my movies. Not to mention the benefit of getting to hold you close Miss Swan." He said as he winked.

After a few moments he murmured in my ear. "Bella."

I looked up at him questioningly.

"This moment, right now is the one I want to keep with me. For the three weeks that we're apart, this is the moment I will think of when I miss you the most, it's perfect. This is my moment to treasure."

And then he kissed me. Not a slow careful kiss, but an urgent, passionate kiss. I felt my legs go weak, but it didn't matter. I felt the gaze of strangers on us, and somewhere in the back of my mind I hoped no one recognized Edward, but even that didn't matter. Nothing mattered except Edward holding me in his arms, and the way our bodies felt pressed against one another.

He was right, this was my moment also.

The more time I spent with him, the more deeply in love I seemed to be falling. When Edward held me in his arms, it felt so natural and normal, like that was where I was always meant to be. Despite all of this, I couldn't help the nagging fear that all of this was too good to be true, and that someday he'd discover that I wasn't enough.

_Why do I always try to talk myself out of being happy?_

As he held me close, he sang along with the music, low in my ear.

"Edward, I never knew you could sing." I whispered.

"I also play the piano, but don't tell anyone. I don't necessarily want to do that in the movies." He smiled.

_Is there anything he can't do?_

The last stop of the night was a little gourmet ice cream shop in order to have desert, of course. The shop closed about an hour before we arrived, but again, Edward had made special arrangements. They reopened for us.

It was a perfect evening, he had planned everything so beautifully. I felt a lot like a princess in a fairytale, but without the midnight deadline looming over my head. When we got home we kissed in the elevator, and again at my door. I finally broke away and said goodnight, stepping into my apartment in a daze.

A couple minutes later there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Edward casually leaning against the door frame.

"Bella."

"Yes Edward."

"All my stuff is here." He said smiling.

"Sorry." I couldn't control the blush as I laughed at myself.

_I had officially lost the capacity to think._

_-V &V-_

Later, I lay snuggled against Edward's chest.

"Edward."

"Yes, love."

"Tomorrow is our last night together for a while. You did such a wonderful job planning tonight, that I'd like to plan a special evening for us tomorrow, if that's okay?"

"Do I get to know ahead of time?"

"No, I think I'd like to surprise you. Are you game?"

"I'll go anywhere you lead Miss Swan."

I slept on the sleeper sofa with Edward again. We needed to be close. We were both painfully aware that in less than two days we'd be separated again, this time for almost three weeks.

He was still asleep when I opened my eyes in the morning. I spent a few minutes studying his face.

I realized that no matter what imaginary obstacles or worries my mind could conjure up, I knew deep down to the core of my soul that Edward and I were meant to be together. He was all I'd ever want. It may have sounded silly to others that had never experienced it, but I was beginning to believe in destiny.

I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep. I was aware of arms around me, and feeling incredibly warm. When I opened my eyes, Edward was holding me and smiling.

"Morning beautiful. Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

_Oh crap. I hope I didn't embarrass myself._

I wracked my brain trying to think of what I had been dreaming about. Hoping that would clue me in about my sleep-talking.

"What did I say?" I asked fearfully.

He smiled. "It was very jumbled, most of it didn't make sense. You did say my name, and that you loved me." His arms tightened around me.

"I do." I answered simply. I then realized that I probably had dragon breath and tried to wiggle out of his arms.

"Where are you going?" He asked, a bit forlorn.

"Morning breath." I answered with one hand over my mouth.

Edward laughed as he released me and flopped back down on the bed. "I don't care about that Bella."

"Yes, but I do." I said as I ran to the bathroom.

When I came out, I found Edward in the kitchen making coffee. He slipped out to the bathroom and upon returning gave me a kiss tasting of mint. "Hey I thought morning breath didn't matter?"

"Yours doesn't, mine does." He laughed.

_-V &V-_

We spent the afternoon with Edward's parents since he wouldn't see them for a while. They were taking us out on the lake to have lunch. I got a chance to speak with Esme alone while Edward helped his father prepare the boat.

"Bella, I understand that Edward told you about his ordeal." She winced as she said the words.

"Yes, we had a long talk, several actually." I said quietly.

"It was the darkest period of our lives. And even after he was cleared of any wrongdoing, we worried about him so much. After that first year in California, he seemed to settle into a 'public' personality that was very different from his true self. As a parent, it was strange for me to watch Edward being interviewed, and find that the person speaking bore no resemblance to the son I knew so well."

"Of course when he was with us, he was himself, but never in public. The first time I've seen a glimmer of the old Edward in public, was the interview Rosalie did. He was relaxed, and his newfound happiness showed through."

Esme reached over and grasped my hand. "You are responsible for that my dear, I can't tell you how much that means to us." Esme's eyes were brimming with tears.

"We love each other. Edward knows my pain, and I know his. We found that we're much better together rather than apart." I responded quietly.

Esme looked a little questioning when I mentioned my pain, but didn't press me for more information.

We spent a couple of hours on the lake, until the mist turned into more of a downpour, and forced us to head back to the dock.

When Edward and I got back to my apartment, we took a nap because my plan for tonight would start very late and we probably wouldn't be back home until the middle of the night.

I could tell that Edward was dying of curiosity, but I was keeping my trap shut for once. I had a nagging fear that he may hate my plan. His date night had been so elegant and lovely, whereas my plan was kind of silly and ridiculous, but hopefully fun. We shall see.

As per my instructions, Edward dressed in jeans, t-shirt, hoodie and baseball cap. My goal was to keep him unrecognizable for as long as possible. Where we were going, I knew there would be a crowd but I was hoping they'd be cool with having Mr. Movie Star in their midst, if and when they figured out who he was.

We left the apartment at about 9pm. No Sidney tonight. This was  _my_ date night so we were cabbing it. The taxi dropped us at a burger joint a couple blocks from our ultimate destination. After our food, we walked to the Admiral Twin Theater.

As soon as we got close, I saw understanding dawn on his face, and then he laughed. "Really Bella?" He asked skeptically. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show?"

"Yes Edward. Emmett and Rose go all the time, I've never been. Of course I've seen the movie, but never experienced it with an audience. Emmett loves it because he can act like an idiot in a theatre and not get tossed out."

"I never wanted to go before, but when I'm with you I feel normal, and I want to try new things, it'll be fun. Besides, from what I hear, the entire audience becomes part of the act, so you should feel right at home, Mr. Movie Star." I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the doors.

"If you say so." He smiled. We waited in the ever-growing line.

People standing there watched us with curiosity, but if anyone recognized Edward, they didn't make a big deal about it.

We were finally ushered inside, and took our seats.

"Bella, you said Emmett and Rose come to this all the time. Are they going to be here tonight?"

"Definitely not. I made sure of it. I got all the information about it from Rose, but she told me that they had plans this evening."

_There's no way I'd be here if my brother was anywhere nearby to embarrass me._

At that precise moment I heard a very familiar voice to my right. "Well look what we have here."

_Emmett. Shit! I will never believe Rose again._

"I believe I've found two virgins." He announced.

_Oh my God! Why would he say that. We need to get out of here!_

I was horrified, and Edward looked like he was about to shit a brick.

I finally took a look at my brother. What a freak show. I think he was attempting to look like Riff Raff, to me he just looked like an asshole.

"Come on  _virgins_. Get up on stage."

Some weird chick came up to us, ushering us toward the stage. "Don't panic Bells, it's not what you think."

"Rose?"

She nodded. I looked at her, she pulled off the 'Magenta' look quite well.

_Edward was going to hate me after this. My date plan officially sucks ass._

Edward and I held hands as we walked up to face our doom. We lined up on stage with all the other 'virgins'.

_Hey, that woman looks pregnant? No way she's a virgin. What the hell is going on?_

"Since this is your first time here, you are all  _Rocky_ virgins. Welcome to your initiation." My brother announced.

Edward breathed a sigh of relief at the same time I did.

_Oh thank God. I was convinced that Emmett had 'outed' us to a theater full of people. I'm still going to kill him for scaring me shitless._

We each got one smack with a paddle as our initiation. I rolled my eyes at my brother when he promised Edward he wouldn't bruise his 'stellar ass'.

Once past the initial scare, the rest of the evening was a lot of fun. Emmett and Rose, along with others, acted out the various scenes as the originals were projected onto the screen. With our bag of 'props' we were able to participate with the rest of the audience, making an otherwise really stupid movie a fantastic experience.

Edward  _was_ recognized, but the theatergoers were very cool about it. Some told him which of his movies were their favorites. Others asked politely if they could take a picture with him. A few asked for autographs. It was a great evening.

"Sorry my brother almost turned our night into a disaster." I apologized to Edward on the way home.

"Don't worry about it Bella." Edward said with a smile. "I'm starting to get used to him. I guess with Emmett I should always 'Expect the Unexpected'."

_Words to live by._

_-V &V-_

We dragged ourselves out of bed rather early. I was determined to make the 8 o'clock Mass at the Cathedral in order to avoid the witnesses to my previous shame.

It turned out that I had no reason to worry. The only people there were a few elderly parishioners, and a couple of frat boys reeking of alcohol from the night before.

_Why the Hell would you go to Church with a hangover? Guilty conscience?_

There were so few people in attendance, that the chances of anyone getting close enough to grope Edward were minimal.

As we tried to leave the Cathedral, we became aware rather quickly that the press had finally figured out that Edward was back in Seattle. There were a few photographers outside, and we were bombarded with questions.

"Hey Edward, how many other women do you have stashed in cities around the world?" We ignored them.

"Isabella, does it ease your conscience to go to Church after spending the night with someone else's boyfriend?" Edward gritted his teeth and pulled me along faster.

I thought about what they'd said.

_Everyone I know or have ever known will think I'm a home wrecking whore._

My stomach started to hurt.

They were waiting for us at my apartment building too.

When it was time to leave for the airport, Edward made me put my earbuds in so that I couldn't hear their shouting.

_-V &V-_

Emmett and Rose drove us to the airport. I know that Edward had asked them to because he didn't want me to be alone on the way back home.

We were standing near security, off to the side in a relatively quiet corner. I could follow him no further. Edward held me against him, my arms around his neck. I was vaguely aware that Em and Rose were running interference with nosy fans trying to intrude on our 'moment'.

"Nineteen days beautiful girl. Only nineteen days and we'll be together again in Aspen."

I was trying to be brave, but a couple of renegade tears escaped anyway. Edward wiped them away.

"I don't think I need to say this, but I will anyway. Please don't believe anything said about me while I'm gone." He chuckled.

"Point taken Mr. Cullen." I said between my sniffles. "I'll never believe anything about you again, unless it comes from you."

"Bella, I'm going to miss you so much. I'm miserable even thinking about it."

"Hey, like you said, only nineteen days right? That's not long. You have work to keep you busy, I have school." I looked into his eyes and broke down. "Oh Edward." I sobbed into his chest.

He rubbed soothing circles on my back until I calmed. "I've got to go beautiful, they'll be boarding my flight soon."

"I've ruined your shirt." I said as I looked at the big wet spot on his t-shirt.

"I think I'll survive." He smiled.

"I have a confession." I half-smiled through my tears. "I stole the t-shirt you slept in last night because it smells like you." I admitted.

Edward smirked. "I guess that's okay. Especially since I did the same thing with yours, it's in my carryon."

We both smiled at each other. "I love you Edward." I whispered.

"I love you too sweetheart. I'll call you when I land." He murmured back.

We kissed goodbye, each not wanting the kiss to end, both panting for air when we finally broke apart. With one last hug, Edward turned to walk through security, and down the hall leading away from me.

I watched him until I couldn't see him any more.

Emmett and Rose held me close as we exited the airport.

More reporters.

"Hey Isabella, how does it feel knowing he's going back to Tanya's bed?"

Knowing the truth, I almost laughed in their faces. Almost.

Emmett and Rose were less composed. Rose flipped them the bird.

"Hey douchebag, you tell me how it feels when I rip your head off and piss down your neck." My brother shouted. It was a beautiful thing.

The reporters were silent after that.

_I could survive nineteen days right?_


	18. Haircuts & Pepper Spray

 

"Well, what do you think?" Edward asked.

"I don't know Edward. I kind of liked running my fingers through your unruly mop. I may not be able to date you anymore. Maybe Carrot Top is single? Might be worth a shot." I said as I giggled.

"Very funny Miss Swan." Edward said with a grin.

We were talking on Skype, and Edward was showing off his World War II era military haircut. It was shorn close on the sides and back, but there was still enough left on top to be able to 'run my fingers through' when I see him in Aspen.

"Seriously though, Edward, you look tired. You'd better be taking care of yourself, I don't want you to get sick."

"I could say the same about you sweetheart. I can see the circles under your eyes, even on Skype."

We both sighed.

"We're a fine pair aren't we?" I murmured. "Okay, I promise to take better care of myself, if you do the same. I just haven't been sleeping well. I miss you."

"I know how you feel. I got used to having you beside me. Those few nights were the best sleep of my entire life."

"Wow, I sound like a security blanket." I chuckled.

"Not exactly, I miss your warmth, your scent, your sleep talking, the sounds you make when you breathe."

"Are you saying I snore Edward?"

"Well.." He laughed.

"I do not!" I said indignantly

"No, you don't, but if you did, I'd miss that too." He said quietly.

"I love you." I answered his unspoken thought.

Edward rested his chin in his hand while looking into the screen. "I love you so much it hurts Isabella."

We both chuckled at our sappiness.

"I have an idea."

Edward looked at me questioningly.

"Why don't we leave Skype on while we're sleeping, it would be just like being next to each other again. Well, sort of."

"Sounds like a plan." He answered smiling. "Sixteen more days baby."

_-V &V-_

"At this rate, I estimate that you'll be down to one stalker by the time you leave for Aspen." Rose said.

"Motherfuckers." Emmett muttered.

We were seated in Rose and Emmett's dining room, having dinner. The topic of discussion being the number of paps that had been shadowing my every move since Edward left nine days before. The number had decreased so that now there were about four of them.

"I told you that I lead a boring life, I knew they'd lose interest in me eventually." I said.

I patted my brother's hand. He became visibly angry every time this subject was discussed. Emmett hated every last one of those reporters. If Rose and I hadn't begged, pleaded and sometimes thrown ourselves in front of the doors, Emmett would probably have been sitting in a jail cell by now. He wanted nothing more than to, in his words, "fuck up their shit".

He was so hell-bent on going after them one time, that nothing short of a call from Chief Swan was able to calm him down.

I hated what this was doing to my happy-go-lucky brother. The sooner the paps lost interest in me, the better.

I decided to change the subject. "So Rose, did you accept the offer yet?"

"I've got my parents' lawyer checking it over first. If everything goes well, my show will be on the air by September." Rose stopped and took a deep breath. "It's amazing that this is happening. I mean think about it Bells, this will be such a year to remember. I'm getting married, and getting my own television show. I've been waking up every morning and pinching myself to see if it's all real." Rose was so happy that she was actually glowing.

Emmett smiled at her adoringly, his bad mood of a few moments ago all but forgotten.

After we cleared away the dinner dishes, I sat with Rose in the living room looking through bridal magazines. It didn't take long before I was completely overwhelmed.

"I think I'm out of my element here Rose. I'm seriously thinking of turning in my chick card, because I'm useless." I said while shaking my head.

"Don't worry about it Bells. I can't make any other decisions until Emmett and I set a date. I'm hoping we can get married right after the Route 66 trip, but before my show starts. We may have to cut the honeymoon short, but I don't think Emmett will mind."

"Where were you thinking of going?" I asked.

Rose got a little starry eyed. "I've always wanted to go to Paris on my honeymoon." She said in a low voice.

_Oh that sounds so romantic. The Eiffel Tower. The Louvre. Notre Dame Cathedral. Walking along the Seine in the moonlight._

Then my eyes grew wide in horror.

"Rose." I gasped. "Do you think France could survive  _Emmett_?"

Rose shook her head in disgust. "I know. He's like all four fucking Griswolds rolled into one." She muttered.

I nodded in agreement.

_-V &V-_

"We're driving out tomorrow and coming back on Sunday." I said quietly.

"I wish I could go with you Bella. Are you going to be okay?" Edward asked, his voice full of concern.

"I think I'll be fine Edward. Her birthday isn't as hard to deal with as the anniversary of …you know."

My Mom's birthday was on Sunday and, as we did every year, we were driving to Forks to remember it.

"Besides, my family decided early on that her birthday was the day to celebrate Renee's life, not mourn her death. We have dinner at her favorite restaurant in Port Angeles, and we have birthday cake for desert. After the first couple of years, it stopped being a sad day." I smiled remembering.

"I still wish I could be there. I want to help you face these things from now on." He said sadly.

"I won't be alone, but I have to admit that I wish you could be there too…maybe next year?"

"Definitely." Edward nodded. "Only seven more days my love."

_-V &V-_

On Saturday afternoon I found myself sitting in the back pew of Saint Anne's Church in Forks, having a quiet conversation with Father Pat. With Edward's permission, I had told Father everything.

Father Pat was quiet for a long while. "Well Isabella, that is quite a story. It has all the elements of a Greek tragedy. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the news reports about you and Edward are going to get worse for a while, but as long as you can both weather that, I believe you  _will_  get your happily ever after."

"The question is, are you ready to allow yourself to be truly happy Isabella?"

I thought about that. Had I forgiven myself for my mother's death?

"I think so Father. For a long time, I felt responsible for what happened that day. More recently though, as Edward and I have discussed it, I've come to accept the fact that that horrible man would have found a way to hurt us no matter what I could have done."

"My mother would want me to be happy. If I don't live my life, I may as well have died with her that day, and that would dishonor the sacrifice she made for me."

"It sounds like you've got it all figured out Isabella. You really are quite a remarkable young woman, your mother would be very proud."

_-V &V-_

It was Sunday afternoon and we were all gathered at my mother's favorite restaurant in Port Angeles. After the meal, we always took turns toasting Renee, and each of us would share something about her. Sometimes it was a memory, sometimes we just talked about something that was on our mind.

"To Mom" Emmett said as he raised his glass. "It's hard to believe that you would be forty-eight today. I wish you could be here to see Rosie and I get married, but I hope you can at least see it from where you are." Emmett's head bowed and his voice sank to a whisper. "I miss you every day Mom. I miss your smile, your hugs, but most of all I miss your laughter. You had the best laugh. I hope they appreciate you in heaven." Rose patted Emmett's hand.

"To Renee." My father began. "You were and still are the love of my life. As the years have passed, and I've had time to think about it, I now realize that Forks was always too small to hold you. I should never have expected someone with a heart as big as yours to be content there. I hope you remember me fondly, and have forgiven me all my shortcomings."

"Mom." I started. "I was remembering the time that you planned a picnic, I guess I was about eight. We never got to enjoy it because in the first five minutes, I was attacked by a couple of angry yellow jackets. You took me home and tended to my stings and fixed me an oatmeal bath. When I came out of the bathroom, you had put on my favorite CD, and spread the picnic blanket across the living room floor. To this day, that remains the best picnic I've ever had. I miss you Mom."

"To Renee." Rose began. "I will always count myself fortunate to have known you, if only for a little while. One of the last things you said to me was that you had a feeling that Emmett and I would be together forever. I'd like to tell Renee and everyone else that 'forever' starts on July 24th, we set the date!"

I squealed as I jumped up and hugged Rose and then my brother. Charlie was even in a hugging mood. "I'm so happy for you guys! Now you have to start planning Rose." I was delighted that everything was coming together for them.

"It's going to be quite a summer." Emmett said with a smile.

_-V &V-_

"So, I got a special delivery today."

"Oh yeah?" Edward questioned.

"My dress and shoes for the wedding. Alice sent them, but I know that you paid for them Edward."

"Bella, don't give me a hard time about this. It's only money, and believe me when I say that I have more than I could ever spend in my lifetime."

_Holy crap I find that hard to wrap my head around._

"I won't give you a hard time, and thank you." I smiled, resigned to my fate. "The dress is lovely."

"You make anything you wear 'lovely' Miss Swan. Truth be told, I haven't seen the dress, but I'm sure Alice is coordinating our outfits. She's very thorough." He chuckled.

"So." I said

"So?"

"Have you had to kiss any girls during filming, Mr. Movie Star?" All of a sudden I was experiencing an irrational pang of jealousy.

"No, but even if I did there's only one girl I'm interested in kissing."

"Oh? And who would that be? Your girlfriend?"

"Why yes, as a matter of fact. You may know her, she lives in Seattle." He smirked.

"What a coincidence. My boyfriend lives in L.A." I smiled.

"Tell me about this  _boyfriend_."

"Well, he's sweet and gentle, handsome, intelligent and sexy. His kisses are 'to die for'." I said as I faked a swoon. "He's the best thing in my life." I added sincerely.

"Tell me about your  _girlfriend_." I pressed.

"She's witty and smart, absolutely gorgeous."

I rolled my eyes. I would never get used to the way Edward regarded me. He has been in the company of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, and always insisted that I far outshone any of them.

"I think you may need glasses Mr. Movie Star."

"Hey! Don't knock my girlfriend." He glared at me, I chuckled. "As I was saying, she's absolutely gorgeous, with the most beautiful brown eyes, and when she smiles I think my heart might stop." He said in a low voice, clutching his chest.

"She's everything to me." He added.

"Four more days baby."

_-V &V-_

"Did you see the photos of Edward Masen with his  _new_ distraction? He must have gotten tired of cheating long distance, and decided to hunt closer to home."

I was sitting, waiting for my last class of the day to start, while two skanks sitting nearby discussed the photos that were all over the net. They showed Edward having lunch with one of his female co-stars. I knew better than to jump to conclusions this time.

It was obvious that these two bimbos were trying to get a rise out of me, I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction.

"I never did understand what he saw in his  _Seattle_  hook-up. She's definitely not up to his usual standards." The bitches giggled while sneaking sidelong glances at me.

I blocked out their chatter, and decided to text Edward.

_**E-** _

_**Don't worry, I don't believe any of it. I love you.** _

_**-B** _

My phone chirped back a response almost instantly.

_**B-** _

_**Well thank God for that. Call me as soon as you're out of class. Love you.** _

_**-E** _

The minute class was over I dialed Edward while walking to my car.

"I just can't believe this shit. Rachel is a  _friend._  She's also married with two children. Her husband Sean was sitting at that table with us, but they conveniently cut him out of the photos." He barked as soon as he answered the phone.

"Hello to you too Edward." I said as I laughed.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm just kind of angry at the moment."

"Really? I couldn't tell." I said still laughing at him. "Look Edward, this stuff is probably going to get worse before it gets better. You said you'd give Tanya time to speak out, but even after she does so, we'll never fully escape the rumors and gossip. We just have to learn to ignore it and live our lives."

"Wow. Bella you're amazing. You're handling this so much better than I am. I just can't stand anyone thinking poorly of you. If they only knew the truth…"

"They would still say terrible things Edward. Some of those people make a lot of money off of other people's misery. I'm starting to develop a thick skin. I can take whatever they want to throw at me." I stated.

"Have I told you today that I love you?" He asked.

"You just did Mr. Movie Star, now get back to work. Two more days babe."

_-V &V-_

It was finally Friday. I would see Edward tonight in Aspen. My bags were packed and ready to go. I went to my morning classes but was skipping the afternoon ones in order to make my flight.

Rose had taken the afternoon off to drive me to the airport.

I popped over to their apartment after returning from school.

I couldn't believe what I saw. Emmett was eating lunch. That wasn't the problem, but  _what_ he was eating was definitely the shocker. He was wolfing down all the food that Rosalie had banned from his diet. All the  _'_ gas-producing' foods.

_I never saw that many kinds of beans._

"I know I'll probably be sorry for asking this Emmett, but what the heck are you doing?"

"Look Bells, we're down to only two of those assholes following you. But they are pretty determined. Every time you've gone anywhere, it's been impossible to shake them. So I've devised a strategy."

"I'm going outside to see our little friends." I raised my eyebrows in alarm. "Don't worry Bells, I'm going to play nice. Then when they least expect it, I'm going to gas those motherfuckers, while you and Rose escape to the airport."

"Emmett are you seriously planning to fart on the paparazzi?" I asked, stunned.

Emmett nodded.

_My brother, the man with the plan._

"Yep. My only fear is that , if I overdo it I may pass more than just gas if you know what I mean." He grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows

I gagged a little at the thought.

Rose chimed in then. "He's been planning this all week Bells. If it works, it will be worth the stench I suppose."

Emmett left to visit his new friends.

Rose and I took my luggage down to the parking deck, and waited in the hummer. Rose watched her phone screen intently. When it chirped with an incoming message she started the car. "It's time."

We pulled out of the deck to see Emmett standing on the sidewalk, a satisfied smile on his face. Both of the paps looked absolutely green. One was doubled over struggling to breathe, as if he were about to vomit. The other one was stumbling around with his head bobbing and his eyes crossed, looking like someone on a really bad acid trip.

Rose and I burst into hysterical laughter. As we passed, Emmett got a shit-eating grin on his face and gave us the double thumbs-up.

No way those guys were going to recover in time to follow us in their cars.

When Rose was finally able to speak again, she spluttered, "That shit's better than pepper spray!"


	19. Aspen & Cold Showers

 

"Something to drink?" The blandly beautiful flight attendant asked. It would be my second glass of wine, I wasn't a very good flier. I already had a nervous nature, and flying seemed to increase that exponentially. I needed to be careful or I'd be a drunken mess by the time I met Edward.

I accepted the wine happily. I had to admit that flying first class  _did_  reduce my stress level somewhat. Not that I flew coach, or even flew at all that often. The few times I'd flown with Rose, she refused to sit in the 'cheap seats', therefore we always went first class.

The butterflies started to flutter as soon as the plane began to descend. I saw the Aspen airport getting closer, and knew Edward waited below. I couldn't keep the giggle from escaping my lips. The lady next to me eyed me curiously.

_Geesshh, some people don't remember what it's like to be in love._

I silently prayed that would never happen to Edward and me.

As soon as I passed the security area, I saw Sidney standing off to the side, silently waiting for me. I knew that I must have been grinning from ear to ear. Sidney returned my grin with a kind smile. We got my bags, and he ushered me outside.

_Holy shit! It's freezing. I mean Seattle isn't warm but this is Siberia cold! Bella, don't exaggerate._

I was just thankful that Rose made me wear her faux fur coat, hat, and gloves.

_I wish I had on fur underpants, because I'm seriously going to freeze my ass off._

Sidney guided me to the car, and there was my Edward waiting for me in the back seat. I dove onto his lap. I was so happy. "Edward." I sighed.

"I missed you so much sweetheart." He breathed.

I think it was a short drive from the airport to the Hotel Jerome, but I didn't keep track of the time. Edward and I spent the entire time kissing. We didn't come up for air until Sidney announced that we'd arrived.

I gasped when I saw the hotel. It was older and classically beautiful. I couldn't imagine a lovelier setting to be married. Well, except of course my little Church back in Forks.

_Holy crap why am I thinking about marriage?_

I chastised myself, Edward and I had only know each other a little over a month. I blamed it on the romantic setting and our purpose for being here.

Sylvia and Mark had reserved the entire hotel for the weekend. Everyone was issued a special ID card to get in and out. They'd thought of literally everything to keep the paps away.

I chuckled to myself when I pondered my newly discovered paparazzi repellent in the form of Emmett's noxious farts. I was so lost in my silly thoughts that I didn't realize we'd arrived at the suite.

It was charming. Since we knew we couldn't be parted this weekend, Edward had reserved a two-bedroom suite. One room for us, the other for Alice and Jasper.

Edward went to stow my bags as I admired the sitting room. At that precise moment, Alice came gliding in from her bedroom. "Bella! I'm so glad you're here." She said as she grabbed my arm, pulling me to the sofa. "We've got a very busy day tomorrow. Since the wedding isn't until night, I've already informed Edward that you are  _mine_ for the afternoon. We're going to the spa, and getting our hair done."

_Does she ever take a breath?_

"Okay." I knew that resistance was futile.

Edward had thought of everything. Knowing that I'd be nervous about my flight, and wouldn't have eaten dinner, he'd arranged to have a food tray delivered to the suite.

I suddenly realized I was ravenous as I dug into the fruit, cheeses, crackers and finger sandwiches. Edward helped me eat some of it, and poured us each a glass of champagne.

On top of the wine I'd already had on the plane, the champagne managed to make Bella a very relaxed and happy girl.

That was until I opened my suitcase.

_Rose._

Before I got home from class today, Rose must have  _re-packed_  my suitcase. I panicked. No jeans, sweatpants or t-shirts. I checked the garment bag to see if some of my missing things were there, but no, all it contained was the dress for the wedding.

I grabbed my cell and dialed her.

_I hope I wake her ass up._

"Hey Bells. Before you start, I didn't throw anything away, I just removed all your frumpy clothes and replaced them."

"Why Rose?" I whined.

"Because Bella. You're gorgeous, and you're dating a movie star, you need to look the part. I'm afraid those nasty sweatpants and t-shirts are not going to work."

"Do you realize that you've left me with nothing to sleep in? Did you seriously expect me to parade around in front of Edward in lingerie?"

"Of course you've got something to sleep in. I packed two lovely  _modest_ nighties in your bag." Rose breathed out a sigh. "Look you two are wound entirely too tight, you both need to be more comfortable with each other. Don't worry, it's not like you're going to lose your virginity this weekend."

"I feel sick." I really did. "You have a twisted mind Rose."

"Bella trust me, when you see Edward's reaction, you'll be thanking me. By the way, Alice has your ski apparel for your ski lesson tomorrow morning."

"What ski lesson?" I asked bewildered.

"Edward will tell you. Oh, it looks like Emmett really did a number on those paps." She said with a chuckle. "If they ever come back, I'm sure they'll be sporting gas masks."

I had to laugh at that.

"Have a great time sweetie, and don't worry so much. See you Sunday night."

"Bye Rose." I said, still feeling a little unnerved.

_No comfortable clothing for two days!_

I was regretting flying in a sweater and skirt.

_Ugh I wish I'd worn my jeans._

I took the suitcase with me into the opulent bathroom. Actually, the nightgowns weren't bad. The one I chose for tonight was burgundy satin with spaghetti straps, the neckline plunged a little low, but the hem came down to my mid-thigh, plenty long enough to cover my skimpy undies.

When I exited the bathroom, I found Edward lying across our bed channel-surfing. He glanced over at me and froze. His eyes grew wide, his eyebrows flew up and he seemed to have lost the power of speech momentarily.

"Um, Rose re-packed my suitcase, removing all my comfortable clothes. Do you think this looks okay?"

Edward finally closed his gaping mouth and visibly swallowed. He cleared his throat. "You look very nice." He answered in a subdued voice.

"I need a shower." He said as he stood abruptly and breezed past me into the bathroom.

_What the hell? Rose was right._

I found myself silently pleased with his reaction.

I made sure I was under the covers when Edward came back to bed. He laid on his side facing me, with his head propped on one hand. I could tell he wanted to talk about something.

"What's wrong Edward?"

He let out a deep breath. "You know Bella, I've always prided myself on my self-control." He shook his head while chuckling darkly. "I realized when I met you that I'd never really been tested until then. Despite that, I still felt I was handling things pretty well." He abruptly sat up in the bed and ran his hands roughly through his hair. "I owe you an apology."

I looked at him, confused.

"When you came out in that nightgown just now, it was everything I could do not to go all caveman, throw you over my shoulder and take you to bed." He murmured.

I gasped in surprise.

"Maybe if I'd had a little warning, I would have reacted more gentlemanly. I'm so sorry."

I wasn't sure what to think. Edward was apologizing for reacting like a normal boyfriend? I couldn't let him continue feeling guilty.

"Edward please don't apologize. It's hard for me to say this but, I'm feeling really flattered right now." I said in a whisper. "It makes me happy to know you want me in  _that_ way. I know we talked about wanting to be each other's firsts, but you've been so reserved that I wasn't sure if you were really interested."

Edward's mouth fell open, then he smirked. "Forgive me Miss Swan for not expressing my thoughts before now." He let out a breath and took my hand. "Bella, don't hate me for this but, I've thought of little else since you spilled coffee on your shirt the first day we met." He chuckled. "Let's just say that I'm getting used to cold showers."

I was shocked, and I seriously wanted to do a little happy dance, but that would have been inappropriate.

Instead, I knelt in front of him and stroked his face with my hand.

When he kissed me this time, something was different. For one thing, his hands didn't stay in one place as they normally did. I was vaguely aware that they were traveling along the bare skin of my shoulders, then down my back, coming to rest on my hips as he pulled my body to his.

Edward deepened the kiss. I opened my mouth and tentatively stroked his lower lip with my tongue. Feeling brave, I gently sucked on his lip. His reaction was immediate, and soon both our tongues moved together, each fighting for dominance over the other. Before I knew it, we were a blur of tongues, lips, hands and muffled moans. Our bodies were pressed against each other. Edward's hands had wandered down to grasp my upper thighs, dangerously close to the hem of my nightie. Mine were under his shirt feeling the muscled planes of his back.

_I need to get his shirt off right now!_

I was suddenly brought back to my senses when I felt the evidence of his growing um,  _arousal_  against my stomach.

_Oh my._

I realized that I needed to slow things down, or I would give over completely to these new sensations.

It was difficult, but I pulled back slightly, catching my breath, my lips swollen from Edward's kisses. He pulled back and looked at me, his eyes burning with desire. He closed them for a few seconds, and then blinked several times. He sighed.

"Maybe we should just talk for a little while." He suggested.

He both relaxed and sat down. The only physical connection, our clasped hands.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked, regaining my composure.

"Well, since we're already on the subject…. Oh hell, I'm just going to ask. Bella, how much do you know about sex?"

That caught me a little off-guard. "Um." I was thinking.

"I'm sorry, I've made you feel uncomfortable." He was back to dragging his hand through his hair again.

"Edward, stop. I'm not uncomfortable." I said. "I'm just trying to think how to word this without sounding stupid."

"Bella, you're not going to sound stupid." He smiled encouragingly.

"Okay. Well, about three years ago Rose discovered that I was woefully ignorant about sex. She made it her mission to become my own personal 'Dr. Ruth'." I frowned and shook my head.

"She started forcing me to read all the sex-related articles in Cosmo. At first I pretended to read them. She found me out pretty quickly, so she started  _quizzing_  me on what I was supposed to have read." I cringed at the memory. "It was horrifying, and it went on for months. The worst part was that she would decide to quiz me at the most bizarre times, and sometimes in public places. I've never been so embarrassed before or since, even by the things Emmett has done."

"I explained to Father Pat that I didn't think it was a sin, because I hated every minute of it. And at the time, I was more afraid of Rose than of my punishment from God. She can be pretty intimidating." I shuddered.

I stopped my rambling when I realized that Edward was laughing his ass off at me,  _again._

"You know, I'm so glad I amuse you Mr. Movie Star. I suppose you know everything about sex?" I said while I smacked his arm.

"Bella, I'm a guy, I think we're born knowing it." He said, still chuckling. "What we're not  _born_ knowing, we learn from each other and  _other_  sources."

"At the risk of sounding like an idiot, what _sources_  are you talking about Edward?"

"Bella, come on, every guy I know has watched at least one porno, or a hundred." He laughed out loud.

_I'm stunned at the direction this conversation has taken._

"I think that was too much information Edward."

"Don't feel bad." He said, gauging my reaction. "It was back in high school Bella."

"Listen" He grew serious again. "I know your history, and I would never push you into anything you weren't ready for. When we  _are_  ready for the next step, I think we'll know. I don't just want you for a few months or even years, Bella, I want you forever. Believe me, I'm willing to wait as long as I need to."

That night I fell asleep in Edward's arms, completely content.

 

_-V &V-_

The next morning, as Rose had warned, I was scheduled for a 'ski lesson'. I was beside myself with worry. I could only imagine that I'd lose control and end up crashing 'ass over tit' into a group of unsuspecting tourists.

"It'll be fine Bella, you worry too much." Edward tried to soothe.

"You don't understand Edward, I'm a walking disaster. When I was eleven, Emmett took me roller skating. I lost control when I was coming off the rink, and crashed into a group of older boys that were standing there talking. They cursed me out and I spent the next twenty minutes crying in the bathroom."

Edward looked angry. "Please tell me that Emmett did something to them."

"Well, when Emmett finally coaxed me out of the ladies' room, he had all three of them lined up to apologize. When I asked him later what happened while I was in the rest room, he told me that he never laid a finger on them, but that he was so  _verbally_ persuasive that one of them started crying, and the other two pissed their pants." I smiled remembering.

_I really do love my brother._

As it turned out, I actually did pretty well during my lesson. The downside was that I was the oldest, and tallest, person on the beginner's slope, therefore I spent an hour being 'shown up' by a bunch of seven year olds.

_Assholes._

_-V &V-_

"I need to seriously get back to the gym. I've been really lazy since Christmas." I said.

"I know what you mean. If I didn't have my aerobics class I'd be the size of a heifer." Alice responded.

As promised, we were at the spa. We'd been plucked, waxed, buffed and kneaded, and at the moment, were waiting for our nails to dry. Next on the agenda would be our hair.

Despite our location, I was enjoying my time with Alice immensely. She couldn't have been more different from Edward though.

_Sort of like Emmett and me._

"Were you always interested in fashion Alice?"

"For as long as I can remember." She answered. "My mother likes to tell the story of when I was four years old, I somehow discovered that babies came into the world naked, and it sent me into hysterics."

"I was so upset, it took Mother hours to calm me down. I couldn't understand why God wouldn't let us choose a fabulous outfit to wear for our arrival on the planet. It seemed so  _wrong._ "

I giggled at her sincerity.

_I think I'm going to enjoy Spring break after all._

After we finished with our afternoon, Alice and I went back to the suite. She texted Jasper to let him know where we were.

"He and Edward went to the bar for a drink." She smiled as she came to sit beside me. "They'll be a little while yet. Now we can talk without anyone around." She smiled sweetly.

"What do you want to talk about?" I was curious.

"Just something that's been on my mind." She hesitated, seeming to choose her words carefully. "Bella, I just can't help but get the feeling that Edward is going to screw this up somehow."

I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Don't get me wrong, he would never do anything to hurt you on purpose, but he would sacrifice his own happiness if he thought that was what was best for you."

I thought about her words. It was true, Edward was a selfless person, especially when it concerned me. But I couldn't imagine a circumstance where he would do what Alice was implying.

She noticed my confusion and patted my hand. "Don't over think it Bella. It's probably nothing. I just hope that if he does anything stupid, you'll remember how much you love him. Now that he has you, I don't think he could survive without you."

_Nor could I survive without him._

Alice and I went to our respective rooms to dress for the wedding. The dress Alice had designed for me was so elegant. It was a teal tea-length strapless gown with bands of sheer material looping over each shoulder, giving the illusion of straps. After I had on my dress and shoes, I stepped out into the sitting room.

Edward and Jasper had just gotten back. Edward immediately came over to me, taking my hands, as he looked me over.

Jasper smiled knowingly and escaped to his room.

"Bella" Edward gasped "you take my breath away. You're absolutely stunning."

And because I can never be serious I responded "Now you know how I feel all the time, Mr. Movie Star."

He smiled. "Silly girl. Okay, I'll go get dressed, and then we can go downstairs."

When Edward stepped back into the sitting room, it was my turn to gasp. He was gorgeous, and he was mine.

_I've told myself this before, but it bears repeating. Bella you are one lucky bitch!_

Alice made sure to coordinate Edward's tie to match my dress. For the first time since I'd known him, I almost felt deserving to be on Edward's arm.

_-V &V-_

_  
_

The Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Jerome was a sea of candlelight. All the guests were seated at elegantly decorated tables. When the orchestra began Wagner's traditional Bridal Chorus, all eyes were on the bride. Escorted by her father, she carried a bouquet of white calla lilies, the ballroom itself was decorated with bouquets of calla lilies in various shades from pale pink to deep burgundy.

The bride met her groom under an arch of twinkling lights.

The wedding guests included very few members of the 'Hollywood' community. They consisted, for the most part, of relatives of the bride and groom. I was introduced to exactly five actors, two directors and one producer, which accounted for a very small percentage of the entire guest list.

Sylvia and Mark were so down to earth. They welcomed me as a new friend with open arms. They also seemed to be aware that Edward never had a relationship with Tanya. I felt comfortable with them immediately.

Once again, I was impressed by the people that Edward had chosen to surround himself with. They were part of Hollywood, but lived their lives outside of the crazy, just like Edward.

"Why do you look sad Bella?" Edward asked.

I was in Edward's arms, dancing with him to the strains of  _Truly Madly Deeply_.

"It's our last night." I whispered, afraid that if I spoke too loudly the magic of the evening would be over too quickly. His arms tightened around me.

"I'm looking forward to the day that we won't have to be apart any more Bella."

"Me too." I whispered.

_-V &V-_

I was lying in bed, spooning with Edward, his arms wrapped around me. I couldn't help the silent tears that were streaming down my face when I thought of leaving him tomorrow.

He began to sing very softly, his lips close to my left ear:

_I want to stand with you on a mountain,_

_I want to bathe with you in the sea,_

_I want to lay like this forever,_

_Until the sky falls down on me…._

His voice was the last thing I heard as I drifted off to sleep.


	20. Handcuffs & Power Suits

 

It was Super Bowl Sunday. My brother and Rose were in Florida to attend the game of course. I didn't want to go, I was still exhausted from the Aspen trip last weekend. So today I found myself alone and lonely.

I had the idea to drive out to Olympic National Park. I wanted to find the lake where Edward and I had spent our very emotional afternoon. I needed to feel close to him again.

I found the lake easily, less than two miles after entering the park. I got out of my car and walked down to where Edward and I had stood. I didn't fully appreciate how beautiful the view was that day.

I snapped a couple of photos, and thought back to last Sunday. The best part, if there was a best part, of having to leave Edward was that we flew together for the first leg of the journey home.

_*flashback_

_I curled into Edward's side on the flight to Denver. The weekend had passed too quickly, and I wasn't sure if I'd see him again before Spring break. Almost two months. How would I survive two months?_

_Edward, always in tune with my thoughts, broke me from my reverie. "Bella, I'm going to try and come to Seattle when I'm not needed on set. I'm sure there will be a few days here and there that I'll be free before I have to leave for London."_

" _Edward, you don't need to do that, I don't want you exhausted because you're worrying about me."_

" _Sweetheart, it would be just as much for my own sanity as for yours." He answered with a smile._

_We said a tearful goodbye at the gate to my connecting flight. This time it was his turn to watch me until I was gone from sight._

_*end of flashback_

I was suddenly jolted from my memories when I heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. I turned my head and saw a park ranger car pull up and park beside mine.

My instinct to panic, which had been fairly dormant since meeting Edward, immediately kicked in. I started to walk toward my car, intending to leave.

_You're being silly Bella. You're always so suspicious._

The ranger got out of his car smiling at me. He was probably mid-thirties, tall but not athletic.

_Be honest Bella, he's flabby and unattractive._

My nervous feelings increased the closer he got to me. By this time, I was about ten feet from my car.

"Hello there miss, is everything okay?" the ranger asked. His tone of voice was polite, but as he spoke, he leered at me, as his eyes roamed over my body.

_Okay, first instincts were correct, he's a creep._

My hands started to shake as I grasped my keys.

"Yes, I'm fine" I took a couple steps closer to my vehicle.

"Just checking, it's not every day that an attractive young lady chooses to explore the park alone" He said, while still leering at me. "We wouldn't want anything happening to you now, would we?"

My nervousness tripled. Reading the name on his badge,  _Barry Kershner,_ I made a mental note to ask Charlie to check into this guy.

"Thanks for your concern, Ranger Kershner, but I'm just leaving, I'm supposed to meet some friends." I lied, I needed to get out of there.

I took a couple more steps toward my car. He stepped into my path.

"I recognize you by the way, you're that pretty little piece of ass that hooked up with  _Masen._  I wouldn't mind having a go with you myself." He said as he inched closer.

 _Oh my God. This can't be happening_.

I truly started to panic, I gathered every last ounce of my courage and darted past him. He grabbed my arm just as I reached my door handle. I couldn't help it, I shrieked. This surprised him and he let go, giving me a chance to open my door and jump in. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely get the key into the ignition.

My breaths started to come in short pants, I felt the onset of a panic attack. I needed to fight it, and I needed to get out of there now. I was not giving him the chance to grab me again.

The ranger was red-faced. He angrily shouted at me as I put my car in reverse. "You need to exit the vehicle immediately Miss, I was not finished with you!" He tried to grab my door handle as I pulled away.

Oh dear God, now I was in full panic mode. I saw him run to his vehicle. I was certain he planned to follow me. Within a minute, he was behind me, lights flashing as he followed me out of the park.

After exiting the park, I pulled into the first gas station I found. It was approximately two miles from where the ranger had accosted me.

There were several people there, so I felt more comfortable stopping. I parked my car beside the building, and Ranger Kershner pulled his car, lights still flashing, diagonally behind me, blocking my exit.

_Why is this happening?_

The ranger yelled for me to exit the vehicle. I got out, planning to make a dash for the mini-mart, but he immediately grabbed my arm, turning me. He then spoke low and menacingly in my ear. "You little bitch, what did you hope to accomplish by running from me? I am going to make your life Hell now."

"Don't touch me." I screamed as I fought to get out of his grasp. He jerked my arms harder and pulled them behind me. I kicked and screamed and fought my hardest but he was stronger, always stronger. The tears were streaming down my face, I couldn't get away. Just like Jeff, just like Jeff…

He was saying something about speeding and assaulting an officer, but I couldn't understand. He sounded far away.

I continued to fight until I felt cold metal wrap around my wrists.

_Handcuffs. No, no, no. How could I escape this nightmare?_

My mind was filled with images of Jeff hurting me, hurting my mother, our hands tied, my mother dying in a pool of her own blood. I couldn't stop him, my hands were tied, I couldn't save her. I could hear someone screaming. Then I realized that it was me.

I felt my knees buckle, and everything around me went dark.

_-V &V-V&V-_

I could hear someone speaking low and urgently.

"The son of a bitch  _cuffed_  her for a speeding violation Charlie. I pulled up just as she collapsed. I guess about ten minutes ago."

I opened my eyes. I was lying on the front seat of a car. A police car?

"Oh, she's awake." A female police officer was in the car with me. "Bella. Bella are you okay?" She looked vaguely familiar, but my mind was so muddled.

_Who is she?_

I struggled to remember how I got there. I looked around. I was at a gas station. I then saw my car and _, oh no_ , the park ranger car. It all came flooding back and I started to shake.

"Bella honey, your Dad's on the phone, can you speak with him?"

I nodded and took my cell phone from her.

"Daddy?"

"Bella baby. Are you okay?" Charlie sounded frantic.

"I don't know. He grabbed me Daddy. He said terrible things to me…." I said in a hoarse whisper as I started to cry.

"Baby, I'm on my way. The officer that's with you is Sarah Burton, she used to work for me. I think she should take you to the hospital to be checked out."

"No Dad, I'd rather not. I'm not hurt. Not  _physically_ anyway." I mumbled.

"Well, Sarah's going to take you home and stay with you until I get there."

"Okay Dad. Please hurry." I still couldn't speak above a whisper. My hands were shaking so badly that Officer Burton had to take my phone to disconnect the call.

She patted my hand. "Bella, I'm going to speak with the ranger, I'll be right back."

I watched her as she walked over to him. He had a smug smile on his face while Officer Burton appeared to be yelling at him. He handed her some paperwork, and she carried it over to me.

When she turned her back to him, Ranger Kershner looked at me and winked. I felt sick. I looked at my wrists. The handcuffs were gone, but I could still see red marks where they had been, along with the scars from seven years ago. I shivered.

"Bella, I need you to sign these papers. The jackass claims he stopped you for speeding, and when he was leaning on your car, you sped away. That's where the assault charge comes from."

"None of that is true." I croaked out.

"Just sign these now, and I'll let Charlie talk to you about it when he gets here, okay?"

I nodded, unable to speak.

After I signed the papers, the ranger left. I was thankful for that. Officer Burton took me home. I was drinking a cup of tea while trying to pull myself together when my phone rang. I looked at the screen.

_Edward._

"Hello." I tried and failed to sound normal.

"Hello baby. Did you go to the park?" He asked.

"Yeah, um I left a while ago." I said, my voice still shaky.

"Bella you've been crying, what's wrong?" He asked in a rushed voice.

"I went to the lake, oh Edward, I was stopped by a park ranger." I started to cry. "He grabbed me, it was awful. He's charging me with assault. He's lying Edward, he's lying about everything." I was sobbing by this time.

"Bella, sweetheart, slow down. Please explain exactly what happened." His voice was tortured.

So I did. I gave Edward every detail, and completely fell apart when I had to tell about the handcuffs.

Edward cursed. He said words I'd never heard him say before. "This is because of me. If not for me, he wouldn't have seen your photo on the news. He wouldn't have said those awful things to you."

"Edward, stop blaming yourself. I get the feeling that this guy would have messed with me whether he knew who I was or not."

Edward dropped the subject, but I felt certain that wouldn't be the end of it.

"I'm coming there."

"But won't you get in trouble leaving the movie."

"Don't worry about that Bella. I'll tell them I've got an emergency. Oh God Bella, being this far away when you need me is awful." I could just imagine his hand running wildly through his hair as he spoke.

I couldn't stop him from coming. Truth was that I needed him, desperately. The ordeal had sent my entire system into shock. I kept having flashbacks of the day my mother died.

A little while later, there was a knock at the door. I was surprised to open it and find Carlisle and Esme standing there. Esme rushed in and gave me a fierce hug. "Oh Bella sweetheart are you alright?" She asked as she rubbed her hands up and down my arms. "Edward called us, he wants Carlisle to check you over. He's very upset." Esme had tears in her eyes.

Carlisle asked me a few questions. He explained that this type of shock to the system was just as bad as a physical injury. It would take a little while for the body and mind to heal.

"Bella, I need to apologize." He said in a low voice.

"Why Carlisle?" I asked, confused.

"Well, Edward explained to us what happened to you" He eyed me warily "seven years ago. He was loathe to do it because he would never betray your trust, but I needed to know in order to help you."

"Don't worry about that Carlisle." I tried to reassure. "I trust Edward. He always has my best interest at heart. I'm glad you and Esme know."

Carlisle administered a mild sedative. I said goodbye to Sarah after reassuring her that Carlisle and Esme would stay with me until Charlie got there.

By the time my Dad arrived, I was very drowsy. I vaguely remember saying goodbye to Carlisle and Esme. At one point, my Dad was talking on the phone to, I assume, Rose and Emmett.

I could make out bits and pieces of the conversation. "trumped-up charges…..bastard cuffed her…blacked out…Cullen's lawyer coming…rip him a new asshole…no Emmett you'll get arrested…I mean it boy, listen to your old man…."

I drifted in and out of consciousness. It must have been getting late when Charlie helped me walk to my bed.

I tossed and turned all night. My nightmares had returned full-force, and I woke up more than once screaming. Charlie soothed me as best he could, but the dreams wouldn't go away.

Sometime during the night, I felt someone climb into bed with me.

_Edward._

I relaxed when his warm arms wrapped around me and I settled into a deep dreamless sleep.

_-V &V-V&V-_

I woke up to warm lips kisses my shoulder, and then my cheek. "Bella, wake up sweetheart."

I turned over in bed. "Edward" I croaked.

He was watching me with a sad smile on his face. "I'm sorry to wake you Bella, but the lawyer will be here soon, and I thought you'd like to get a shower before that."

"Lawyer?" I questioned.

"Yes. My parents' lawyer is sending over one of their firm's 'brightest and best'. "

"Oh, okay. I'll get a quick shower." I stood up stiffly.

After I was dressed, I ventured out to the living room. All eyes turned toward me. Emmett and Rose had returned from Florida, and they immediately came over and hugged me.

Emmett was shaking with anger. "I want to kill him Bells." He choked out.

"Emmett, that wouldn't be helpful. We can't lose you. I'm just scared about what will happen in court. I never want that man to get near me again." I added quietly.

Dad fixed me tea, and forced me to eat some toast.

I had just settled on the sofa beside Edward, when there was a knock at the door. Charlie opened it to reveal three visitors who I assumed to be from the law firm.

The first one through the door was a stunning brunette. She was in a navy power suit and 'F'-me heels. She shook hands with all of us. "Good morning Isabella, Edward, Chief Swan." Then she turned to my brother and Rose "And you are Emmett and Rosalie I believe?"

They nodded.

_Interesting, she knew everyone by name._

Turning back to me. "I'm Wendy Graham, I'll be the lead counsel on your case Isabella." Wendy then introduced her colleagues. "This is Karen Wall, my assistant." She said as she pointed to a perky blonde to her left. "And this is Kyle Browning. Kyle is an attorney specializing in Civil law. He has an interest in this case which I will explain in a few minutes."

"Before I begin Isabella, do you have any questions for me?"

"No." I answered in a small voice. I believe Wendy may be even more intimidating than Rose. Quite an accomplishment.

"First, Isabella, I need you to tell me everything that happened yesterday."

Edward held my hand while I told Wendy everything. It was obvious that Emmett and Rose didn't know all the details until then. At one point I couldn't tell if they were both going to cry, or commit a murder.

When I had finished, Wendy began. "Thank you Isabella. Let me say that since this morning, we've been able to gather quite a lot of information about  _Ranger Kershner_." Wendy showed her distaste at his name. "It seems that our friend the ranger has been quite busy harassing innocent citizens such as yourself for several years now."

"Unfortunately, many of those citizens have lost to him in court because they were unable to afford good legal counsel. That's where my friend Kyle comes in. His firm is willing to work 'pro bono' while putting together a civil case against the ranger. He is hoping to involve every one of Kershner's current and past victims in order to sue the Hell out of him. By the time Kyle's through with him, Ranger Kershner will have to sell a kidney to pay his victim's back for their accumulated 'pain and suffering'." Wendy chuckled.

_Wow, just wow. I was totally impressed. This woman knew her shit._

My family looked equally stunned.

"Now, back to your criminal case Isabella." She smiled. "As an aside, I'd just like you to know that I take  _particular_  pleasure in defeating the federal prosecutor for your case, one  _Geri Chance_. The woman, and believe me I use the term loosely, has enabled this ranger for years. Every frivolous charge he's brought, she gladly prosecutes."

"Quite frankly, I personally despise her. She twists the law to her advantage, and prosecutes cases that she thinks will make her look good. Take for example the 'assault on an officer' charge. If she wins in court, that win looks great on paper. The police association sees that and, without knowing all the details, immediately identifies her as their champion."

"Above everything, she has her eye on being appointed a judge, it's all she's been working toward for the past five years. I will do my part to see that that never happens. Every time she's defeated in court, the opportunity of becoming a judge slips further away from her grasping fingers."

"And I will defeat her this time, just as I have  _every_ time we've met in the courtroom." Wendy finished with a smile. "I don't want you to worry."

With those words, Wendy stood, shook my hand, and breezed back out the door just as quickly as she'd entered.

Rose stood looking at the door in awed amazement and muttered " _That's_ who I want to be when I grow up."

_Amazing. It take a lot to impress Rose._

After Wendy and her team left, I started feeling much better about the court case. Although I still dreaded the fact that I was due to appear for an arraignment the next Monday.

Charlie headed home after the attorneys left. Emmett rode with him to my car, and drove it back to our building. After that, he and Rose, exhausted from their trip, went back to their apartment.

"How long can you stay?" I asked Edward.

"I have to fly back tomorrow afternoon, but only if you're okay."

"I'll be okay." I lied.

I was determined that he would go back the next day, so I pretended. Edward wasn't fooled.

I knew that  _assault_  convictions usually carried jail time, and so, as the day wore on, my constant nagging fear that, despite Wendy's confidence, maybe I'd lose, started to grow.

The thought kept running through my mind on repeat, taking the joy out of everything I did.

By evening, I felt wrung out. I couldn't take any more stress and worry, and decided to drink. Edward eyed me skeptically as I fixed a pitcher of cocktails.

"Are we expecting company Bella?"

"No, but you're welcome to share." I answered him with a smirk.

I really let loose, and Edward, God bless him, let me. He never once criticized. He let me ramble about how I wanted to hurt the ranger. Then I started laughing uncontrollably when I thought about one of the charges being for 'assault' and how I'd gladly plan the man's demise. After the laughter, came tears. Lots of tears.

Edward held me as I soaked and ruined his shirt. Eventually he put me to bed.

When I woke in the morning feeling like hammered shit, he was there with Tylenol, water and strong coffee, putting me back together.

He went to my classes with me. The stares and whispers didn't even bother me. The girls flirting with Edward did annoy me though, and I flipped off my fair share of bitches throughout the day. Edward kept an almost constant smile on his face, amused by my antics.

By the time Emmett and I took Edward to the airport, I felt well enough to pretend, successfully this time, that it was okay for him to leave.

Inside, what little strength I had was crumbling. I was becoming aware that my need for Edward wasn't just emotional, it was physical. He kept my nightmares away. He calmed me. He helped me be something I hadn't been for seven years,  _normal._

Saying goodbye this time was harder than ever before.

Emmett held my hand as he drove me back to the apartment in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, if you weren't aware, many park rangers have the same power as state police officers. Thank heaven most don't abuse that power, but some do.


	21. Valentines & The Masters of The Universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief Explanation- In the last chapter, the papers that Bella signed weren't an admission of guilt. They simply stated that she was aware of the charges being brought against her. If she'd refused to sign, the ranger would have been within his rights to arrest her and take her to jail. I don't think our sweet little Bella would have survived that. Sorry I wasn't clear.

 

I never used to care about Valentine's Day. It seemed a rather silly holiday from the perspective of someone who had no desire to have a boyfriend. Now that I  _did_  have one, I'd have to admit that my opinion had altered somewhat.

 _My boyfriend_. Such a simplistic term to apply to one such as Edward. A more apt term might be  _soul mate_ , or maybe  _keeper of my heart_.

_You sure have gotten sappy since falling in love Bella._

I sighed and looked at the pink roses sent by  _my boyfriend._  My boyfriend who couldn't be here for Valentine's Day because he was filming. As a matter of fact, he was going to be filming every day for the next five straight.

I read the card again.

_**Beautiful-** _

_**These come to you, along with all the love I hold in my heart.** _

_**Know that I'll be thinking of you every minute of every day until we're together again. Happy Valentine's Day sweetheart, I guess we'll have to make our own celebration when I see you next.** _

_**All my love forever,** _

_**Edward** _

I'd spoken to him this morning before I went to Mass. I disguised the sadness in my voice. I missed him terribly, but I didn't want him to feel guilty because he had to work.

He'd be tied up shooting all day, but promised to call me before bed.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by my phone ringing.

"Hello."

"Hey Bells. What say you get dressed up and meet me by five o'clock at Bella Italia?"

I smiled. "Dad are you asking me out to dinner?"

"What's wrong with me wanting to take my best girl out?"

"How did you get last minute reservations on Valentine's Day?" I asked, curious.

"I called in a favor, now hang up the phone and get ready." He ordered.

I couldn't refuse Charlie anything. "Okay Dad, and thanks. I'll see you at five."

I checked the time, it was after one o'clock. That gave me about an hour to get ready and start driving if I wanted to reach Port Angeles by five. Rose popped over just as I was pulling dresses out of my closet.

"Definitely the red one Bells." She smiled. "I hear Charlie's taking you out. Who knew the old man was such a softy?"

"He  _can_ be surprisingly sweet sometimes." I smiled back.

"When are you and Emmett going out?"

"Not until about six. Let's get you ready to go." Rose said as she took charge.

_-V &V-V&V-_

During the drive to Port Angeles, I had a lot of time to think. Over the last week, my nerves had not settled down. On the contrary, the closer it got to tomorrow's arraignment, the worse I felt. I had barely been able to eat at all this week, and I knew that I'd lost weight.

_It's probably a good thing I wouldn't see Edward today._

Emmett and Rose had forced me to eat dinner every night with them, but they weren't quite aware that those dinners had been my only meal each day. I was pretty sure that this dinner with Charlie was part of the plan to 'keep Bella fed'.

I arrived at the restaurant a little early, and was greeted by a smiling Charlie. He escorted me inside, and within a few minutes, we were seated.

We ordered drinks, and Charlie blushed pink when he handed me a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

"Thanks Dad." I smiled.

"You're supposed to get candy today. I didn't want you to miss out." He answered gruffly.

Charlie then looked at me with a serious expression "Bells, you've lost weight."

_My very observant Father._

I opened my mouth to make an excuse, but just then, Charlie's cell phone rang.

"Hello. Yeah we're here. Oh really?" Charlie looked surprised, then he chuckled. "Well doesn't that just figure? I'll see what I can do. Thanks, bye."

He turned to me after he'd hung up. "Just Mark at the station asking me a question."

After that phone call Charlie started acting weird. I wondered if he regretted asking me out because he kept eyeing the door as if he was going to get up and bolt at any moment.

_I guess he's entitled to exhibit goofy behavior once in a while. He is Emmett's father after all._

When the waitress came to take our order he told her he wasn't ready and sent her away.

_What the Hell?_

I was just about to demand that he explain himself when, once again he glanced toward the door, but this time his face broke into a big grin.

I followed his gaze to the restaurant entrance, and what I saw there took my breath away. Standing just inside the door, dressed in a designer suit, and holding a bouquet of red roses, was the center of my world. The look of adoration on his face as he looked over at me overwhelmed my senses.

_Edward._

Before I could stop myself I was out of my chair, across the room, and throwing myself into his arms. He kissed me passionately, not caring that all the eyes in the restaurant were on us. That is until we heard the clearing of a throat.

_Crap my Dad's still here._

I pulled Edward to the table. "How are you here?" I demanded, bewildered.

He laughed. "After I hung up with you this morning, I got a call informing me that filming was cancelled for the next two days because of the weather. All my scenes this week take place outdoors you see. I've never been so damn glad to see rain in southern California." He said with a dazzling smile.

"Alice arrived at my house before I'd even finished the call, and threw a bag together. She forced me into this suit and drove me to the airport."

"When I arrived at your apartment, Rose informed me that you'd just left. I kept throwing money at the cab driver to drive faster on the way here."

"Wait a minute." I turned to my father "Was that Edward you were talking to on the phone a while ago."

Dad looked sheepish. "Yeah, I had to stall for time until he got here."

I laughed. "Gosh Dad, I thought you were losing it."

My Dad smiled. "On that note, I'm going to head out. I just remembered a football game on TV that I don't want to miss."

"Dad, I thought football season was over?" I was on to him.

"Well, er, Bear Grylls, I don't want to miss Bear Grylls." He grinned as he kissed me goodbye and shook hands with Edward.

I sighed as I turned back to Edward. He studied me for a moment, and his smile vanished. "Bella, what have you been doing?" He sounded upset as he grabbed my hand.

_Oh, the weight loss._

"Look at you. You haven't been eating. I suspected as much, but hoped I was wrong." His voice turned desperate, pleading. "Bella, you can't do this to yourself."

"I don't know what to say Edward." I whispered.

He let out a breath and seemed to calm. "Bella, you have to promise me that you'll eat. Please. I wouldn't survive if anything happened to you." The expression on his face broke my heart.

I had been so unfair. I didn't need to be a source for his worry. I needed to fix this.

"I'm so sorry Edward. I promise I'll do better. I love you so much, I don't want you to worry about me."

He seemed to relax, but continued to eye me warily. We ordered our food, and I made a conscious effort to eat every bite. As we waited for dessert, he pulled a small box from his jacket pocket.

"I didn't think I'd be able to give this to you on Valentine's Day. But it seems that fate had other plans." He said with a smile.

He handed the box to me. "Happy Valentine's darling."

The box was from Tiffany's,  _of course._  I opened it and inside I found a dazzling diamond necklace. It was exquisite, I could only imagine how much he'd spent.

"Edward, it's lovely." I smiled at him. "Would you help me put it on?"

Edward clasped my gift around my neck. I touched it as I spoke. "You know you didn't need to get me anything.  _You_ are enough." I said as I held his hand. "But thank you."

_-V &V-V&V-_

"Isabella, you can stay seated, I'll do all the talking." Wendy was the picture of professionalism. Today she was wearing a deep red suit with matching Manolo Blahniks.

"What exactly is going to happen." I was a bundle of nerves. I was so thankful that Edward was able to be with me.

"The court needs to determine that you have legal representation, and the Judge will set a court date. It should only take a few minutes."

"Is  _he_ going to be here?"

"Yes, unfortunately the  _ranger_  has to be here." She whispered.

"He will not come near you Bella." Edward said forcefully, his eyes were blazing.

I looked around, the room was filling up with attorneys and their clients. I saw a few police officers enter, and then the person I dreaded most,  _Ranger Kershner._ I watched him as he looked around the room until his eyes fell on me. I squeezed Edward's hand.

The ranger and Edward beheld each other at the same moment. I saw Edward's eyes narrow as a look of pure hatred came over his features. He immediately put his arm around my shoulders, and pulled me close to him. The ranger's eyes widened at Edward's movement, and his mouth dropped open before he had the chance to compose his expression.

_And you thought I was just Edward's 'hookup'. Rat bastard._

A few minutes later, the prosecutor entered. Geri Chance was the polar opposite of Wendy in every way.

Ms. Chance was a large woman with a bad perm. The outfit she'd chosen for today would have been appropriate in a 1970's disco, but not for a court of law.

_Hopefully a very dark disco where the eyes of the innocent could be shielded from having to witness Ms. Chance's rolls of fat rippling under the polyester._

I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud at this cartoon character posing as a federal prosecutor. Edward smirked at me and I realized his thoughts mirrored my own.

Just as Wendy had promised, the proceedings were over in mere minutes, with a trial date set for March 11. Edward and I made a quick exit, making sure to glare at the asshole ranger on our way out.

My nervous feelings were quickly giving way to anger. I had been so intimidated by that piece of garbage, but after seeing him again today I realized that he wasn't Jeff, no where close. My mind had built him up in such a way that I had myself tied in knots worrying about seeing him again.

I had to face the fact that Jeff would always be the boogeyman that haunted my dreams, a creature of pure evil that had shattered my young life. But, Ranger Kershner was just some loser that got off on using his power to hurt people.

New Bella had been in hibernation for a while, but now she was waking up with a vengeance.

As we exited the building on the way to my car, Edward looked at me with a questioning stare "What are you thinking Bella?"

I stopped before we reached my car, and turned to face him. Everything that was on my mind proceeded to spew forth from my mouth.

"I'm thinking that I'm tired of being upset about this. I'm thinking that I've let that piece of shit ranger ruin too many days of my life already, and I'm not going to allow him to ruin any more. I refuse to let him have that kind of power over me."

"I'm thinking that a fat bitch in clown makeup is not going to get away with having me punished for something I didn't do."

"I have allowed those assholes to mess with our happiness long enough Edward. I'm through letting evil people hurt me, because when they do that, they're also hurting you, and they're hurting my family, and that's unacceptable."

"I'm going to fight. I'm going to do whatever I can to stop those two. Their sick little game ends with me."

"We need help though, we need the expertise of someone well-versed in all the elements of revenge. We need someone who can devise and execute a plan that will be lay waste to their pathetic lives, and leave them powerless. We need  _Rose_."

Edward stood there in stunned silence, and then his mouth turned up into a wicked smirk. "Glad to hear it baby, let's go." He said as he took my hand and led me to the car.

_-V &V-V&V-_

By the time we reached WIRI, I had calmed somewhat, but it only took thinking about the Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee of evil to rile me back up.

We walked into Rose's office without knocking. She was on the phone. Apparently New Bella was lacking in manners.

"Okay, sounds good." Rose smiled while talking on her phone. "Everything is coming together beautifully. Talk to you later, okay bye Wendy." She hung up the phone.

_Wendy? Rose is talking to my lawyer?_

Rose regarded me for a moment before she spoke. "Well, well, well, I'm thinking that Bella finally got rid of her Little Mermaid underwear and put on her 'big girl' panties."

_How the hell does she know about my Little Mermaid undies? I thought I'd successfully hidden those._

Rose continued. "I've been working on something, with Wendy's assistance, that will rock Geri Chance's world." She chuckled. "But not in a good way."

"Kyle Browning is putting together the civil case against Ranger Dickhead. He's planning to serve notice to him during your court case, make a little show of it." She chuckled again.

"So, all you have to do Bella is sit back and enjoy the ride."

_But it's still a matter of my word against his._

Rose caught my expression. "The judge will believe you Bella. Now, you two go home and enjoy the rest of your afternoon."

And so we did. Edward took me out to lunch, and then we just lazed around my apartment, well lazed, kissed and snuggled, until, once again we made the trek to the airport.

Emmett drove us in the hummer, and as we passed the paparazzi camped out on the sidewalk, he made sure to wave and blow them air kisses. I saw them cringe.

_I can't believe those two dudes stuck around, especially after Emmett's stealth gas attack. They must be dedicated, or desperate for money._

We said our emotional goodbyes, but I didn't fall apart. I knew we'd be together again soon. Until then, New Bella would survive.

_-V &V-_

"Bellaboo, would it bother you to see me in my underwear?" Emmett asked on the way back to the apartment.

"Emmett you are so random. What the hell are you going on about?"

"I've gotten a bunch of endorsement offers, one of them is to make me the 'face and body', for a line of designer underwear." He said as he laughed. "I'm considering it."

"So….would it bother you to see me in my underwear?" He asked again.

"Let me rephrase. You walk into Times Square, you look up, and see a thirty foot billboard of my glorious bod clothed in only my skivvies."

"Or maybe you're sitting at a little outdoor café, having lunch with friends."

_I can't imagine what friends he's referring to._

"A city bus drives by and on the side is a photo of me sprawled out in nothing but my tidy whities, although they probably wouldn't be white. Would it embarrass you?" He pressed.

"Well, considering that you embarrass me already on a daily basis, and also considering that you have embarrassed me at least once while in nothing but your underwear, I guess I'd have to say it's okay. If you want to do the ad, do the ad. It won't bother me."

"Damn. I can't believe you remember the He-Man Masters of the Universe incident. You were pretty young."

"It's hard to forget something like that." I sighed.

"I had a more impressive package than He-Man though."

"Emmett stop talking."

"Even more impressive now."

"Emmett!"

"Just sayin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to read about the incident referred to by Bella and Emmett, go to my story entitled: 'Outtakes: Virgins & Villains', and read Chapter 1 - The He-Man Incident. It's very enlightening.


	22. Chipmunks & Oscars

 

I watched as Wendy tapped her French-tipped acrylic nails rhythmically on her desk, while leafing through a stack of papers with her other hand.

She had asked me to be at her office by four because she had some things to discuss with me. It was now 4:10, and she hadn't said anything beyond 'Hello'.

She put down the papers looked at me, narrowing her eyes as she thought.

"Okay Isabella, here's the thing. There's something I need to tell you, I'm required to by law, but I don't want you to freak out."

I started to feel a knot forming in my stomach. I took a deep breath.

Wendy continued, "The prosecutor has offered a plea deal. Before I tell you what it is, I must stress that I recommend that you refuse it."

"What is it?" I asked.

"They're willing to drop the speeding charge, if you plea guilty to assault."

"But I'm innocent."

"I know that, and honestly so does the prosecutor. It's standard for her to offer an asinine deal. Some people actually agree to it because they are so unsure they'll win their case. We  _are_ going to win Isabella."

"But there's a chance that the judge will believe the ranger's story over mine." I stated.

"There is always that chance. I can't see the future and promise one hundred percent that you'll be acquitted, but your chances are very high." Wendy tried to sound reassuring.

"What happens if I take the deal?"

Wendy cleared her throat. "She wants you to take an anger management class."

"And?"

Wendy looked uncomfortable. "And she wants a night in jail."

_Oh I don't fucking think so._

Instantly, I was boiling mad. I jumped to my feet and stated in a loud, forceful voice "If she wants a night in jail, then tell her to go spend the night in jail, because there's no fucking way that  _I'm_ going to!"

Wendy smiled a brilliant smile. "That's my girl. I'm going to write your reply  _word for word_ , and take pleasure handing it to Ms. Chance myself."

I called Edward as I was leaving Wendy's office.

It had been two weeks since he'd gone back to L.A., and, as expected, I missed him terribly. I'd kept my promise though. I was eating regularly and had gained back the few pounds I had lost.

I had thrown myself into school and work, and even found time to go to the gym with Emmett or Rose a few times a week.

All these distractions kept me from dwelling on my looming court case, and slowly driving myself insane.

The one thing I'd been unable to do though, was to think beyond that court date. Every time Edward or Alice tried to make plans for my L.A. visit at the end of the month, I changed the subject. All future plans remained in limbo until the court case was resolved.

"Hey sweetheart, how did your meeting go?" Edward asked when he answered the phone.

"Let's just say it  _went_." I replied with a sarcastic edge to my voice.

"What do you mean? What happened?" He was concerned now.

_Should I tell him?_

At the risk of upsetting Edward, I decided to tell him everything.

"Wendy just needed to tell me that Ms. Chance offered a plea agreement."

"Which was?" He asked warily.

"Plea guilty to assault, spend a night in jail."

"WHAT?" He was angry.

"Oh and take an anger management class. I told them no, of course."

"Christ, Bella. I can't believe those lying assholes had the nerve to.."

"Edward, calm down. For better or worse this will all be over in ten days." I stated calmly, belying my true feelings.

Edward spoke in a quiet voice, "Everything will be fine baby, you'll see."

"I hope so."

_-V &V-_

"I am so fucking bored." Emmett muttered. "I'm going to go talk to the guys."

The  _guys_  Emmett referred to were the two paps that he farted on just over a month ago.

I will never understand how my brother's mind works. Now that football season was over, he had entirely too much time on his hands. He decided about a week ago to  _apologize_ for the 'gas attack', truth be told he was just being nosy. In the span of one afternoon, Dale and Brian, or as Emmett preferred to call him  _Chip_ , became his new best friends.

_I suppose it's easier to remember someone's name when you can associate them with a Disney character._

Emmett came home and told us all about how they wanted to be legitimate photographers, but how difficult it was to make a living at it.

As it turned out, they were both decent guys, and they stressed to Emmett that they were never the ones shouting rude questions at Edward and me.

Rose put her foot down when he tried to invite them up to the apartment though. In her mind, they were still the enemy.

After Emmett left, Rose pulled out a couple bridal books. She also pulled out the sketches Alice had made of her gown. Alice had also sent her options for the bridesmaids dresses, and Rose had narrowed it down to two.

We were knee-deep in talk of organza, satin and lace when the door flew open and a very flustered Emmett entered dragging a bewildered Chip,  _or was it Dale?_ by the collar.

Rose immediately took an aggressive posture, standing with her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed. "What the hell Emmett?"

She then turned her glare on the stranger. "Which one are you?"

"I'm Brian, Miss Whitlock." He stuttered out.

"Start talking  _Chip_. You are lucky I'm such a patient guy, but my patience is wearing thin." Emmett demanded.

_What the hell is going on?_

"Okay Emmett, I'll talk but you have to promise me.." He pleaded.

"Yeah, yeah, I promise not to hurt you, but you've got to tell us everything."

"I don't care if you hurt me dude. Just promise that you'll  _never_  fart on me again. That was heinous, I thought one of my lungs had collapsed." He begged.

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. This guy was totally serious. I could see Emmett struggle against a smile.

Emmett threw down a stack of photos. "I caught him showing these to Dale. He tried to hide them when he saw me coming. I assumed they were intrusive photos of Bells, but I was wrong."

I inched closer to the photos and gasped. I looked at Chip and whispered, "You were there."

He looked at me fearfully, and then nodded his head.

_He had followed me to the park. He'd seen what the ranger did. He even had photos._

"I'm so sorry Miss Bella. Emmett had gone out of town, so I thought it would be okay to follow you. I parked my car quite a ways up the road and walked back near where you were. I stayed hidden in the trees, hoping maybe you were meeting Mr. Masen, and I'd get some good shots. After a while I realized that wasn't going to happen. I was just about to give up and go home when that ranger showed up."

"I didn't tell Dale anything about it until today. I knew you were going to court, and I was asking him if I should tell you that I was there that day."

"You probably don't need my testimony, you've got that hot shot lawyer and all, but I can make a statement or something if you like."

Emmett shook his head in disgust. "You disappoint me Chip. I thought we were friends. How could you have kept this from me?"

"Man, I knew you'd be pissed if you found out that I followed Bella that day. I was afraid to tell you."

Emmett's face broke into a huge grin as he put his arm around Chip's shoulders, "This is the one time I'm  _glad_  you stalked her dude."

Suddenly, Rose was in motion. She was on the phone with Wendy faster than I could blink, and she refused to let Chip leave until Wendy had come and spoken with him.

I called Edward and he was ecstatic over the turn of events.

Before Wendy left, she turned to me and winked. "Isabella, I  _can_ promise you 100 percent now."

After Wendy and Chip had gone, Emmett sat back on the sofa with his arms folded over his chest, a self-satisfied grin on his face. "And to think, this all came about because of a fart."

Rose and I laughed, really laughed, and I realized I hadn't been this carefree in a month. It felt great.

_-V &V-_

"When do you have to leave?" I asked Edward.

"A car will be here to pick me up in about a half hour." He replied.

It was Oscar night. We were talking on the phone, I refused to speak with him on skype until later, because I wanted my first sight of him in his tux to be at the awards show. I was going to watch it with Rose and Emmett on their jumbo screen.

"When the awards show is over, I have to attend two after-parties, I'll call you when I get home." He breathed out.

"You sound tired." I remarked.

"Well, as you're aware the filming schedule has been grueling. I'm glad I have tomorrow off. Although I'd rather it be Thursday." He said.

Thursday was my court date, and Edward wouldn't be able to be here with me.

"No, Edward. I'm glad you can't try to do a one-day trip like that. You'd be even more exhausted. You're going to get sick." I scolded.

"You sound like my mother." He chuckled.

"When are you going to realize that your mother is always right?" I laughed.

He was quiet for a moment.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

"For what?" I asked.

"For worrying about me, for being you. I love you Bella."

"I love you too."

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Next year would you be my date for the Academy Awards?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I would be honored Mr. Movie Star."

_-V &V-_

Rose was such a nut, no wonder she was Emmett's perfect match. She insisted that we dress up to watch the Academy Awards.

So here I was in my most beautiful dress, it was actually the one I'd worn to the wedding in Aspen, sitting on Emmett and Rose's sofa eating popcorn.

_Bella you actually have butterflies. You've got it bad girl._

The first glimpse I caught of Edward was on the red carpet. I screamed like a thirteen year old fan. My brother and Rose proceeded to laugh their asses off at me.

"I'm here with Edward Masen. Star of  _Time Stands Still._ Now Edward, a lot of people felt that you should have been nominated for your performance in that movie."

"I appreciate that Shari, and I appreciate the fans that support all my movies. The nominees for best actor all gave outstanding performances, and I wouldn't want to be the one to take the nomination away from any of them. There's always next year." And then he gave his panty-dropping smile and winked.  _Shari_ was a quivering mess after that, and the interview wound up quickly.

Shari went on to interview other stars, but I didn't care, Brangelina who?

"I'm telling you, Ed would have been nominated if he'd shown his ass in that movie." My brother decided to impart his words of wisdom.

"Emmett if that were the case, he should have been nominated for  _September Ends_." I shot back, although why I even gave his statement credibility by answering, I don't know.

He thought about it. "True. I guess it's the whole award system that's flawed. Someday I should start my own awards show. Instead of  _Oscars_ , we could give out  _Emmetts._ " He smiled as he contemplated his stroke of genius.

"Think about it ladies, we could give awards for 'best boob job in a movie', 'best cat fight', there could even be a horror category with the prizes going to any movie 'terrifying enough to make you shit yourself'."

Rose and I looked at him incredulously as he blathered on.

Finally the actual show started. The first time the camera panned to Edward seated in the audience I gasped. Beside him was none other than Tanya Madison. My jealousy surged. She was all red dress, cleavage and teeth. Then I remembered that she was married to Felix, and I relaxed.

_Those seats are assigned to them Bella._

Sometimes I forgot that I didn't need to hate her.

When it was time for Edward to present an award, I wasn't too surprised that she presented with him.

_Damn Plateau studios, they did that on purpose._

Now the rumor mill, which had been rather quiet of late, will start up again. I really didn't need that just before my court date.

I ignored Tanya and focused on my gorgeous boyfriend. He was sex on legs in that Armani suit.

"We're here to present the award for best original song." Edward said.

"I don't know about you Edward, but I stand in awe of the musically gifted." Tanya read her lines like the pro that she was.

Edward agreed.

_Proves she knows nothing about him. My boyfriend is musically gifted._

The screen then showed the nominees, I tuned out and just watched Edward until the award was presented, and he escorted Tanya off the stage.

I pulled my attention away from the screen and looked at Rose who was eyeing me with a knowing smirk on her face.

_-V &V-_

"Did you have a chance to speak with Tanya at the award show?" I asked.

Edward and I were chatting on skype.

"I tried, but she kept leaving, she was really sick. I was afraid that I'd end up presenting the award alone."

"What was wrong with her?" I asked, curious.

"I don't know. Hopefully nothing serious, but she did abuse her body pretty severely when she was using drugs. I voiced my concern, but she informed me that she was going to see a specialist next week."

"Oh. Maybe that's why she hasn't come forth with a statement yet. Could it be that she's been sick?"

"Maybe. I'm really starting to get impatient with this situation. It puts you in such a bad light, and I'm sorry for that."

"Edward stop worrying about me please."

"I can't help it. I know I said I'd give Tanya and Felix time, but it's been two months. This is getting ridiculous."

"Why don't you say something to the press then?" I asked.

"It would never work Bella. Without Tanya to back me up, I'd just look like a worse bastard than I already do."

I thought about that. Edward was correct, as usual. The public is not going to take his word alone.

"Well let's hope she's planning something soon, for both our sakes."

_-V &V-_

The fallout from the Academy Awards, as predicted, was bad. The number of paps stalking me increased again.

People at school were being outright rude to me, not even trying to disguise their insults by whispering them.

I tried to ignore it all. My court case was only a couple of days away, and soon after that I would go see Edward.

_I can get through this._

If I'd only known that this was just the tip of the iceberg. If I had realized how bad things were going to get, I would never have believed my own words.


	23. Perjury & Sweet Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** Okay, so I rewrote the court stuff a couple of times because the original way I had written it was BORING. I shortened it up a lot. I also had to temporarily suspend reality for the courtroom scene. The order in which things are really done in court would have been crap for my story, so I rewrote all courtroom procedures my way, in order to give the best flow. It's fun playing God.

 

Thursday, March 11

Once again I was seated in court, although this time I was at the defendant's table with my attorney.

Rose was unable to come with me today. She made up some excuse about a project for work, but I knew she was up to something. She'd been very secretive. The more I thought about it, I realized I probably didn't want to know.

Emmett was seated behind me with Chip, whose full name, I discovered, was Brian Carter. The courtroom was beginning to fill up with others who were also on the docket today.

As expected, Ms. Chance arrived dressed for drinks and dancing at the Starlight disco lounge out by the airport.

_Maybe she's hoping to get lucky later?_

I shuddered at the thought of how drunk some poor guy would have to be to find her attractive.

I felt a warm hand pat my shoulder. I looked back and saw Charlie and Father Pat now sitting beside Emmett.

I gave them both a grateful smile.

I watched the judge take his seat. He was an elderly gray-haired man with a kind face. Unlike the court cases I'd seen on television, this would be decided by a judge, not a jury. I said a silent prayer that he would be fair.

The ranger made his statement first. He seemed a little nervous, then I remembered that my incredible hulk of a brother was behind me. He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett.

Even if he was nervous, it didn't stop him from lying through his teeth. He claimed that I was speeding through the park like a maniac. After he 'pulled me over', I supposedly yelled profanities at him and pulled away while he had his hand on my vehicle, an action that is classified as 'assault on an officer'.

As I sat there listening, I realized that the only truthful part of his entire statement had been when he gave his name at the beginning.

Wendy stood and read my sworn statement, then she questioned the ranger.

"Ranger Kershner, isn't it true that Miss Swan was never speeding, and that when you first saw her, her vehicle was parked and she wasn't even in it?"

"No. I already said what happened. Miss Swan is not being truthful." He answered smugly.

Wendy nodded, a serious expression on her face. "So, you didn't approach Miss Swan and make inappropriate remarks to her about her relationship with Edward Masen?"

"No I did not."

"You didn't then proposition her in a way that can only be viewed as sexual harassment, and grab her arm when she attempted to flee?"

"No. Miss Swan has a vivid imagination." He smirked.

"So, just for the record  _Ranger_ , you never touched her and you never sexually harassed her?"

"That's correct, I never did those things."

"Thank you. No more questions."

Wendy called a young woman to the stand. A witness from the gas station.

"Mrs. McCann, would you please tell the judge why you were at the gas station, and what you witnessed that day."

"I had just come out of the shop, according to my husband we needed more snacks for the big game. Anyway, I came around the corner and saw Miss Swan pull her car in slowly and park next to mine. The ranger car came tearing in behind her and parked diagonally, effectively blocking her car and mine from leaving."

"The ranger was really pissed. Oh, sorry, he was really  _angry_. He yelled for Miss Swan to get out of the car, and she did. She tried to run into the shop, but he grabbed her. I felt sorry for her, despite what the internet says about her, no one should be treated like that."

_Jeebus, everyone has an opinion about me._

Geri Chance objected to Mrs. McCann including her opinion in the testimony, so of course that part was stricken. She then proceeded to pontificate on the difficulties poor Ranger Kershner faced while trying to do his job.

"Suffice it to say that the court has no interest in Mrs. McCann's opinion of what she witnessed at the gas station, just the facts of what she saw."

"Your honor, none of us saw the assault upon Ranger Kershner, but we cannot find fault that he used force when taking Miss Swan into custody. She'd already proven herself to be dangerous."

Wendy remained completely calm, actually sporting a serene smile on her face through all of Ms. Chance's ridiculous remarks.

Finally, it was time to call Chip to the stand. I watched the Ranger's face morph into one of horror as Chip recounted everything he'd seen that day. I saw Ms. Chance's face blanch white, and then she turned toward the Ranger with an angry glare.

Ms. Chance was still angry when she stood. "Your honor, forgive me but why should we take the word of a man of questionable means against a decorated officer? I believe Mr. Carter has just perjured himself." She said with a nasty smirk. The Ranger regained his look of moral superiority.

Wendy moved toward our table and grabbed the envelope of photos she had tucked away in her briefcase.

"Your honor, I'd like to submit into evidence these photographs take by Brian Carter in the park. I think they will prove exactly who is guilty of perjury here today."

Wendy handed the judge one stack of photos, and the second copy she dropped with a flourish across Ms. Chance's table.

I saw the Ranger's expression turn to one of complete and total panic. Ms. Chance just looked angry again.

"In light of this evidence your honor, I request that all charges against Miss Swan be dropped." Wendy stated calmly.

The judge looked at the photos for several minutes. Then he spoke. The first part of his remarks, he addressed to me.

"Miss Swan, as a servant of the court I wish to offer you my sincere apology for what you went through at the hands of someone sworn to serve and protect our citizens. I am truly sorry for any anguish and suffering this has caused you and your family. Believe me when I say that the guilty shall be punished." His voice raised to an angry level during the last sentence.

"Thank you your honor." I answered.

"As for you Madam prosecutor, it seems the wrong person has been on trial here today. I expect, and I'd better receive a list of charges you intend to bring against Ranger Kershner in my chambers by five o'clock today, or I will find you in contempt of my court. Am I making myself clear, prosecutor?"

Geri nodded her head. "Yes your honor."

_I think she's sweating. Eww I have no desire to see that clown makeup start to run._

The case was dismissed, and we exited to the hallway. My family and Father Pat proceeded to give me congratulatory hugs.

"I'm so glad you're here." I said to Dad and Father Pat.

"Well, originally your attorney asked me to be a character witness for you Isabella." Father Pat said. "But a few days ago she called to say I wouldn't be needed. I decided to come out with your Dad anyway. Moral support." He grinned.

Wendy came through the doors and shook my hand.

"I have to say Isabella, that was quite enjoyable. But not as much fun as part two will be."

I looked at her, confused. "I believe that is Rose's story to tell." She winked.

We all thanked her and watched her leave.

At that precise moment, Geri Chance and Ranger Kershner exited the courtroom. They gave my family and I a wide berth as they passed us on their way to the elevators. I watched as Kyle Browning approached Ranger Kershner and handed him a paper.

"You've been served Ranger. Have a great day." He said before he left.

The ranger read over the paper, undoubtedly the summons informing him that he was being sued in civil court by several of his victims, including myself.

He was so upset that I saw his face turn the most delightful shade of purple as he read it.

Just then, the first set of elevator doors opened and I watched as the ranger and Ms. Chance boarded the elevator.

Emmett spoke in turn to each of them before the elevator doors closed. "Have a nice life Mimi." He shouted at Ms. Chance. "And Barry, don't drop the soap." was his advice to the ranger.

I just shook my head as Dad and Father Pat chuckled.

Emmett looked wistfully toward the elevator. "I seriously considered riding down with them and, you know,  _farting_  on them. But I don't want to overplay that hand. I may need it again someday, don't want to become predictable."

"Em, as I've said before, nobody will ever accuse you of being a deep thinker." I laughed.

_-V &V-_

"So Barry the ranger is well on his way to becoming someone's prison bitch." Rose mused.

"Seems that way." I answered.

We were sitting in her office, it was four o'clock in the afternoon. I'd gone to class after court this morning, and then gone on to work, arriving about an hour ago. I was almost giddy with relief after the events of this morning, but I was determined to find out what Rose had been hiding.

"Rose, Wendy alluded to something this morning, but said I needed to ask you."

Rose smirked. "Bells, I didn't want to say anything before. You needed to get this court case behind you. Now I can tell you a little bit."

I waited.

She blew out a breath. "I've invited Geri Chance on the show, she'll be on next month. She has no idea that I'm connected to you, I doubt she even knows you work here. For someone in the position she's in, she certainly isn't very thorough. For example, when she saw Brian Carter, okay  _Chip_ , on the witness list, she should have done a little research. In the end, I'm glad she didn't of course."

_Now I understand why Rose couldn't be with me in court._

"Anyway, about the show, she thinks we're doing a serious piece, highlighting her accomplishments."

"Yeah" Rose said sarcastically. "We'll be highlighting her accomplishments alright. She's hoping my show will help her get a judicial appointment, and beyond that she wants to get into politics."

I had to laugh. It was a shallow thought but, I couldn't imagine someone so sloppy and unattractive winning an election.

Rose, ever in tune with my thoughts said "I know Bells, but anyone can get a makeover and become presentable to the voters, it's been done before. We need to stop her before she gets that close. She could undoubtedly find enough stupid people to vote her into office."

I cringed at the thought.

"I'm not doubting your talent Rose, but how can you stop her through a simple interview?" I asked.

"Bells, I  _have_  to stop her. You wouldn't believe the evil that woman has done. Not just with the ranger, but she's prosecuted some cases that have caused a lot of heartache for a lot of people. She truly is a vindictive bitch."

_Wow, I wonder what Rose uncovered._

"I've talked to Wendy about several of the cases she's familiar with, but I've also investigated a few others and quite frankly I was shocked at what I found."

"As for how I'm going to succeed, you'll just have to watch." She winked, and I knew I'd never get any more information out of her.

_-V &V-_

It was now Friday, more importantly it was one week until Spring Break, and my flight to L.A. I was finally able to look forward to the trip.

While pushing my cart through the grocery store, my mind was, of course, miles away with Edward in California. He was supposed to finish the California portion of filming sometime next week, just in time for my visit. I was getting very excited.

My mind was not distracted by the stares and curious looks of others. Truth be told I'd grown accustomed to that part of being Edward's girlfriend, and was learning to tune them out.

After the Oscars, things had escalated somewhat. I avoided reading about Edward and myself on the internet, but Rose would keep me informed. She told me that Tanya and Edward's appearance was being viewed as 'a reconciliation', and once again I was viewed as the 'other woman', the home wrecker, the tramp who would dare to damage America's sweetheart, Tanya Madison.

The fact that Tanya hadn't come forward with the truth yet, had started to make me worry that she'd made the decision to  _never_ be honest with the public. That thought made me very uneasy.

"Aren't you Isabella Swan?" I heard a nasally sounding woman's voice ask. I turned to see two women looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"Yes." I admitted.

One of the women started spewing her venom "You deserve to be alone for the rest of your pathetic life. How dare you try to take Edward away from Tanya? She's such a good person. Personally, I think she should have dumped him a long time ago because he cheated, but now that they're having a baby, hopefully he'll start showing some responsibility." She said with a satisfied smirk.

The other woman nodded her head in agreement.

_A baby? What is going on?_

I had to get away from them. I turned my cart, heading for the checkout. "You'll never see him again." The other woman shouted, and then I heard her mutter ' _bitch'_  under her breath.

When I reached the checkout, I wanted to wretch when I saw that the cover of every tabloid sporting photos of a smiling Tanya and Edward. The headlines varied:

**All is forgiven. Pregnant Tanya takes back repentant Edward. Are there wedding bells in the near future?**

**Tanya's ultimatum to Edward: give up Isabella, or never see your child!**

**Edward and Tanya, reunited just in time for baby, while 'the other woman' licks her wounds in Seattle.**

The last cover was particularly insulting because in the corner, it showed that old photo of me at the movie theatre with a runny nose. They'd conveniently cut Edward out of it.

_Shit. At least now we know what Tanya's mystery illness was. Am I not allowed to be happy for one stinking day?_

_**Fuck My Life** _ _should be tattooed across my forehead._

Once I got to my car, I decided to call Edward. I was curious why I hadn't heard from him all day. I wondered how he was dealing with the fallout from all this mess.

When I pulled my phone out, I discovered that it was dead.

_Damn it. Of all the days to forget to charge your phone Bella!_

I hurried home so that I could call him.

"Oh my God sweetheart, where have you been?" Edward was frantic.

"Relax Edward, I just forgot to charge my phone." I tried to sound calm.

"I guess you heard?" He asked warily.

"Saw the headlines while in line at the grocery store." I stated.

He groaned. "Bella, we just can't catch a break."

"Edward, I'm starting to think that Tanya is never going to come forward. I think we need to come up with an alternate plan." I suggested.

He was quiet for a minute. "Let me talk to Jasper. Maybe we can come up with something. I don't want you to worry."

_Should I tell him about the confrontation in the grocery store?_

I decided no, Edward already worried enough about me. I wasn't going to add to it.

It wasn't easy, but I was able to change the subject to my L.A. trip.

"Are you really going to stay with Alice?" He asked.

"Yes Edward. She's the one who invited me, not you." I teased.

"Bella…you have to stay with me part of the time at least, and I'd like to take you to Laguna Beach." He pleaded.

"My boyfriend might get jealous Mr. Movie Star. He has a little bit of a temper." I smiled.

"Miss Swan, let me handle your boyfriend." He answered. "I can't wait to see you again baby. It's been so long."

_-V &V-_

Rose came over later, tabloids in hand. "I can't read these in front of Emmett, I'm afraid he'll go postal."

"Rose, do me a favor and read them to yourself. You can paraphrase what they say okay?"

Rose nodded. "Okay hun."

After a while she set them aside. "Well, it seems that someone who knows Tanya, has blabbed to the press about her pregnancy. She's about two months along, which means she got pregnant in early January."

"As expected, the press is pinpointing the exact time to that meeting between her and Edward." Rose shook her head.

"No one will believe Edward if he makes a statement Bells. He needs to contact Tanya, or maybe Felix would be a better option, and persuade them to come forward, the sooner the better."

"Amen to that." I answered.

_-V &V-_

_I was gazing through a pair of French doors out across the balcony toward a beautiful white sand beach, and beyond that to the azure blue of the ocean. It was a spectacular sight._

_Suddenly, I felt warm arms wrap around me._

_Edward._

_One hand traveled downward until it reached the hem of my satin sleep shirt, slipping underneath. Edward moved his hand slowly upward, across my stomach, until his fingertips gently touched the underside of my breast._

_My body was suddenly on fire. My heart was beating fast, my breath coming in short pants. I reached up and ran my hands through his hair._

_I dropped my arms as Edward's other hand started to unbutton my shirt, one button, two buttons, the shirt fell away from my left shoulder. I felt his lips leave a trail of warm kisses from my neck, down across that shoulder. His hand continued working on the buttons, as his lips continued their journey._

_Another button, his other hand now moved up to cup my breast, his thumb grazing the nipple. I gasped._

" _Bella" He whispered, "I love you, I want you, say you want this too." His lips murmured into my ear. I could feel the evidence of his want, hard against my lower back._

_At his words, my will crumbled. "Edward, I've wanted you ever since I saw your naked ass in September Ends. I think we should hump like bunnies."_

_Wow Bella, that was blunt. Verbal filter nonexistent again I see._

_Edward chuckled, but didn't pause in his ministrations. The hand that was cupping my breast moved so that it was laying flat against my heart. "Feel how quickly your heart is beating. Is that for me Bella?"_

" _Only for you Edward."_

_Edward undid the last button and turned me to face him. He slid both hands between the parted folds of my shirt, pushing it the rest of the way off my shoulders until it dropped to the floor._

_He gazed at me, standing there in nothing but my lace panties. "Bella, you're so beautiful, more beautiful than I even imagined."_

_He wrapped his arms around me, leaned down and started to kiss me. I gently touched his lip with my tongue, parting my lips to invite him in. My hands clutched the muscles of his back and began to push his shirt up. Edward, realizing what I wanted, pulled the shirt over his head. He was left standing in just his sleep pants._

_I then moved my hands downward, under his sleep pants until each hand rested on one of Edward's perfect ass cheeks._

_Oh my._

_He began to murmur. "Isabella", a little louder, "Bella", louder and more urgent, "Bells", that didn't sound like Edward, "Bellaboo!"_

_And then Edward farted._

"WHAT THE FUCK!" I shouted as I sat straight up in bed, only to find my brother standing there doubled over in laughter.

"EMMETT! Was it my imagination, or did you just fart in order to wake me up?"

Emmett finally stopped laughing and pursed his lips. "A little."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? How does someone fart  _a little_?"

_I think I may kill him. Not only did he wake me from the best sexy schmexing Edward dream I've ever had, but he also farted, IN MY ROOM!_

"Emmett, I have had enough of you and your farts. Get out!"

"I swear Bells, it wasn't on purpose. Really, I was just coming to get you to work out with me. Rose won't get up."

I looked at the clock.

_6am. Ugh, I don't blame Rose._

"The fart just slipped out, I swear. Besides it wasn't one of my deadly ones, you're still conscious aren't you?" He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. I couldn't stay mad. He was just too friggin cute for his own good.

"Alright you're a pain in the ass, but I'll come work out with you. Give me a few minutes to get ready."

Before he left the room, he turned back "Bells"

"Yes?" I was still irritated with him.

"What were you dreaming about just now?"

"Um, I don't remember?" I lied unsuccessfully.

"You said some weird things in your sleep about an ass, and bunnies, and a hump." He looked confused.

_Think up a lie Bella._

"Um, I think it was about this new cartoon I saw on Nickelodeon about a donkey, a camel and family of rabbits."

_Bella, you idiot, you forget that Emmett watches more Nick Jr than the average four year old._

"Oh, I'll have to check that out." He said as he nodded his head.

A little while later, I came out of my room to find Emmett perched on my sofa searching the show listing for Nickelodeon.

_Damnit why does he have to be so nosy?_

We headed down to the gym in our apartment building.

It was very early on a Tuesday morning, so we were the only ones there. I decided to go on the treadmill, while Emmett worked on the weight machines.

A while into my run, he decided to get on the treadmill next to mine. After a few minutes of that, he turned to me. "Hey Bells, I looked for the cartoon you mentioned, but I couldn't find anything like that."

_Oh dear God._

I just shrugged.

I decided I'd had enough of the treadmill, and turned it off. Maybe I'd do some weight training. Anything to get me away from Emmett and his stupid questions.

He followed me.

"I told you I don't remember a lot about it Emmett, maybe it was on Disney or something, just drop it."

_Maybe being bitchy will shut him up._

Emmett scratched his chin as he thought. I walked further away, keeping my eyes on him.

I cringed as I saw realization dawn on his face. Then he boomed from across the room, "BELLS! WERE YOU HAVING A SEX DREAM?"

I swore I had to be imagining what I heard next, a low masculine throat clearing coming from the direction of the door.

I turned to find Edward standing there with a wicked grin, chuckling, just like the first day I met him.

 


	24. Vandalism & The Apocalypse

"Edward!" My embarrassment over my brother's question was momentarily forgotten as I ran into Edward's arms.

"What happened? I didn't think you'd be done for a couple more days."

"I finished my scenes late last night. I've had my bag packed for two days hoping this would happen. I hired a private plane to fly me up here early this morning."

He looked exhausted.

Emmett walked over and shook Edward's hand. "Hey Andy, how's it going?" Edward looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"I'm very happy to see you  _Edward_ ", I said as I glared at my brother, "but you look exhausted. You need to get some sleep." I grabbed his hand and led him out of the gym.

I left Edward sleeping in my room, and headed to class, hoping he'd forget about Emmett's stupid 'sex dream' question.

_Who the hell am I kidding? I would never be that lucky._

Coincidentally, at that exact moment I received a text message from Rose.

_**B-** _

_**Emmett is an ass, but he says he's sorry. Promises not to ever mention 'it' again. Although he won't tell me what 'it' is.** _

_**He made me send this because he thought you'd ignore his messages. Love you sweetie.** _

_**-R** _

_Well that's a first. Emmett is actually sorry for embarrassing me, and didn't blab my business to Rose. This may be a sign of the coming Apocalypse._

That made me feel a little better, although I'd still have to explain to Edward, if he asks.

Edward was waiting in the hall outside my last class of the day. I couldn't believe the marked difference from the last time he was here. The hateful glares from women  _and_  men had multiplied.

_I am actually a little afraid for Edward's safety._

"Edward, this was a bad idea, you shouldn't have come here." I whispered as we made our way quickly to my car. "This is going to cause you problems."

"I don't give a shit what they do to me Bella, but I don't want anyone to mess with you. I wasn't even thinking. These people view me as Tanya's baby daddy, and now I'm here with you….good God the hostility is rolling off of them in waves."

By this time we were leaving the parking lot. A small crowd had gathered around to watch us go.

"That was scary. I don't want you going anywhere else without a bodyguard." I demanded.

"Okay, but I need to make sure you're safe too. Has anyone bothered you since the pregnancy story broke?"

"No, Edward. It's been fine." I lied.

_He's so overprotective. It's not like those women grabbed me or anything._

"Tanya finally returned my calls." He said.

_Wow, that's good news. I think._

"What did she say?" I was anxious to hear.

"She said that's she's working on her statement. Her lawyer is advising her. She asked that I give her another week."

"What did you say?" I asked.

"I got pissed, she started crying. I apologized, then she apologized too, saying she understood my anger, but she needed to protect herself and her baby."

"The pregnancy wasn't supposed to be made public until later, she's an emotional mess. She's bracing herself for the fallout from her fans over all the lies."

"Do you think it will be bad?" I wondered.

"I really don't know. Fans are so fickle. They can love you one moment, hate you the next, but also be very forgiving. It's a weird dynamic."

"I told her I'd give her the week. If she doesn't do anything by then Bella, Jasper's going to tip off the reporters about her and Felix's marriage. It would be easy for them to get a copy of the marriage certificate."

"I think she'll do the right thing, she's now aware that I'm not backing down." He added.

"Edward, it will be okay. Always remember that we've both lived through worse." Truer words were never spoken.

_-V &V-_

That night, as I lay in Edward's arms, I pondered the reasons that I was having a difficult time moving toward any kind of 'physical' relationship with him.

I knew that my heart and every other part of me completely belonged to Edward, there would never be anyone else. But as long as the Tanya situation remained unresolved, I would never feel that Edward truly belonged to me.

It was silly. Hadn't he told me countless time how much he loved me? Hadn't he proven it again and again through his words and his actions?

In my dreams, I was obviously ready for a sexual relationship with Edward. But in the stark glare of my waking hours, I was a nervous wreck. Couple that with Catholic guilt over going too far  _way_ too fast and voila, you have insecure little Bella Swan.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Bella you have nothing to apologize for." He tried to soothe.

I felt terrible because I'd just put the kibosh on getting a little too physical.

We had been in the midst of a hot and heavy make out session with Edward's hand traveling under my shirt northward. When he grazed my bare breast, I gasped and placed my hand over his, effectively stopping it's movement.

"Bella, forgive me, I got carried away."

"No Edward, I like it when you get carried away. I'm just….argh. I don't know."

After that we settled comfortably into each other's arms.

Suddenly, I remembered my dream, and realized we'd been very close to acting it out. Not thinking, I chuckled.

He looked at me questioningly. "What?"

I cleared my throat, glad that it was too dark for him to see the blush on my face. "Nothing, just thinking about how goofy my brother is."

Edward thought for a minute. "Yeah, speaking of Emmett, and knowing that I'll probably regret asking but, why exactly does your brother keep calling me  _Andy?_ "

I sighed. "It's because of Andy Stitzer."

"Who?" Edward had no clue.

"Edward, Andy Stitzer is the name of Steve Carell's character in the for-"

"The 40 year old Virgin." Edward groaned out. "I should have seen that one coming."

"Sorry, Emmett lives to embarrass himself and others." I grinned.

"By the way." Edward was smirking now. "What was that Emmett mentioned about a sex dream?"

_Crap, crap, crap! How can I talk my way out of this one. I fail at life._

"Wipe that smirk off your face right now Edward Cullen. Emmett was just teasing me about my sleep-talking." That was all he was going to get out of me.

"Well, maybe I'll be lucky enough to get a 'repeat performance'." He grinned wickedly as he pulled me close and spooned against me.

_-V &V-_

Sometime overnight, I'm assuming the photos of us together again, hit the internet.

I was  _persona non grata_ at school. Even a couple of my professors were rude to me.

_Good grief, how can Edward and Tanya's nonexistent relationship mean so much to people. They must spend their lives living vicariously through celebrities. How sad._

I went to the Hub to get lunch. Since it was cold and rainy, I decided not to eat in my car. I almost changed my mind however, when I felt the hostile glares on me once again as I searched for an empty table.

Luckily two girls that I'd been friendly with last semester had pity on me. They'd been in a couple classes with me, and we'd even partnered on some class projects together. I hadn't seen them since Christmas.

"Come sit with us Bella. There are too many jerks butting into your business." Tara said with a comforting smile as she led me to the table where Joanna was already sitting.

I thanked them both. "Not a problem Bella." Joanna said. "Listen, Tara and I have been talking about this. We like you Bella, and we don't believe the garbage that's being said. I've stopped reading anything about it."

"Me too. We were your friends before all this, so don't worry, we've got your back." Tara added.

I was overwhelmed with emotion. I had tried to remain stoic about the public reaction to my relationship with Edward for so long, that I didn't realize how much it really did hurt my feelings. No one enjoys being hated. I could feel my eyes filling up with tears. These girls didn't know me well, but were willing to give me the benefit of the doubt.

"Thank you both …so much. It means a lot that you wouldn't judge me by those lies." I said as the tears escaped down my cheeks.

"Hey now, Bella, it's okay." Joanna patted my hand. "Even though we don't have class together this semester, we'd still like to hang out with you. You don't need to be dealing with all this alone."

Joanna and Tara walked me to my next class, and we all agreed to meet after my last class of the day. They lived in the dorms, but wanted to see me safely to my car. I was filled with gratitude for my new friends.

The best part was that they never once asked about Edward, leaving it up to me to decide when and what to tell them.

By the time my classes were over, my good mood of last week had returned. Remembering that Edward would be waiting for me at home didn't hurt either. We chatted happily on the way to parking lot until I saw a sight that froze me in my tracks.

Someone had slashed my tires and keyed the paint on my door, spelling out the word 'SLUT' in large letters. My car wasn't worth a lot, but it was mine. I had worked summers and after school back in Forks until I finally had enough to buy it, used. I'd had it for over three years, it had gotten me to and from class and, when necessary, home to Forks.

It made me sad that someone would hate me enough to do something like that. It hurt, but I forced my emotions to remain in check.

Mechanically, I pulled my cell phone from my backpack, but realized that my hands were shaking too badly to call anyone.

Tara took the phone "Who do you want me to call Bella?" she asked.

_I can't let Edward know about this over the phone._

"I .. I guess my brother, Emmett." Tara found Emmett's number and pressed send.

"Yeah, hello, Emmett? Hi, I'm a friend of Bella's from school. Um, she needs to speak with you." Tara handed the phone to me.

"Em, can you come get me from school?" I asked.

"What's going on Bells? Are you having car trouble?" Emmett asked.

"My car got vandalized. Um, I can't drive it, a couple of the tires were slashed."

"Son of a bitch! Do you have any idea who would do that?"

"No Em, just come here and we'll talk about it then. I guess I have to call the police too." I answered softly.

"I'm on my way Bells."

"Oh Emmett, don't tell Edward, okay?"

"Okay. Can your friend stay with you until I get there?" He asked, worried.

"I think so. See you soon."

"Bye Bells."

While I waited, I noticed that a small crowd had formed nearby. Most of the people looked as if they felt sorry for me. But there were a couple of girls that smirked, laughed and made comments just loud enough that I could hear.

Joanna saw me eyeing them. "Don't worry about them Bella. Tara and I have know two of them for years." She said smiling.

"Hey Pauline and Amanda, yeah I'm talking to you,  _whores_ , move along there's nothing to see here." Tara yelled over to two girls that had been rude to me for weeks.

"Yeah, I don't think you hookers will find any customers here." Joanna said with a wicked grin.

The girls glared at us before they left.

After I'd dealt with the police and having my car towed, I was finally able to leave. Joanna and Tara had stayed with me the whole time. Joanna grabbed my phone and put their numbers in it for me.

"We'll see you tomorrow Bella." They said as they hugged me goodbye.

_Now I have to face Edward._

As expected, Edward flipped his shit. He'd already been in touch with Sidney's company to hire protection for his visits to Seattle, so as of tomorrow, Lou, the guy he hired would be escorting me everywhere.

I attempted to protest, but when Emmett and Chief Swan agreed with him, I surrendered. As of tomorrow, I'd have a bodyguard with me at all times. I did get Edward to agree, reluctantly, that Lou would not follow me to my classrooms.

That evening, Edward and I sat in my living room, each of us working on our laptops. I had a little bit of homework to finish before leaving for L.A. Friday night.

Edward's mood had become sullen after the car incident. I knew he was brooding. I tried to make light of it. "Edward, it's only a car. I'll survive."

His eyes flashed with anger. "Bella, it could very well have been you that they attacked, can't you see that? You can't keep hiding your head in the sand. You need to take this seriously. I didn't want to show you this, but look."

He keyed a few things into his laptop and turned the screen toward me.

There, displayed across it, was a blog in which people, a lot of people, were saying how much they hated me, and how the world would be better off without me in it. I wasn't able to see much beyond that, because my eyes welled up with tears. When Edward noticed the expression on my face, he abruptly closed his laptop.

"Oh God Bella. I'm so, so, sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." He moaned as he pulled me to him. "I've been so worried, and then when this happened today, I just lost it. Please, please forgive me." He said as he held me and pressed his face into my neck.

"Edward there's nothing to forgive, you didn't write those hurtful words." I said, pulling myself together. I was determined not to become an emotional wreck. It would just upset Edward more.

The rest of the evening was fairly quiet, and Edward's sullen mood only improved marginally.

The next day, I met my driver/bodyguard. After talking with Lou on the way to school, I decided I really liked him. He was a very positive, upbeat person. He reminded me a lot of Emmett, minus the farting.

After class, I went to work for a couple of hours to help Rose since I'd be leaving the next day for a week.

Mike Newton steered clear of me, although I wish I could say the same for Camille. When I walked into the break room for coffee, she was sitting there, watching a talk show.

_She's probably supposed to be working, and is in here goofing off. Stupid hag._

"Why hello Bella. I had a feeling you'd be here this afternoon. I recorded something that you've just  _got_  to see."

"Camille, I can say with absolute certainty that I'm not interested in  _anything_  you'd want to show me." I said as I grabbed the coffee and started to walk out the door.

I didn't make it to the hallway before I heard  _his_  voice. I wheeled around, completely confused. Then it made sense. Jeff's voice was coming from the television, it was a clip of an old interview done from his prison a couple years ago.

_I can handle this. Camille thinks this will bother me, but I will show her the truth. I can walk away._

Maybe it was morbid curiosity that kept me from leaving, but I found I couldn't move. The host of the talk show then began to speak:

_**Good afternoon everyone. The video you just saw was of Jeffrey Dryden. Mr. Dryden is currently serving a life sentence in a prison in Arizona for the rape and murder almost seven years ago of Renee Swan. Renee, if you aren't aware, was the mother of Isabella Swan, the on again, off again love interest of Edward Masen.** _

_**Our reporters have been investigating this story for some time now and hope to shed some light on exactly who Isabella Swan is.** _

_**We have discovered that Isabella, who was present during the rape and murder of her mother, and witnessed everything, was herself, injured in the ordeal.** _

I was horrified. Why was this considered newsworthy?

_**We have with us today the sister and brother of Jeffrey Dryden. Michelle Thomas and Jason Dryden. Michelle and Jason have agreed to come on the program to give us information about Ms. Swan that, up until now, the general public has not been made aware of.** _

_**Before we begin, I must stress that our program and our sponsors are in no way responsible for and do not necessarily agree with, the opinions of our guests, even though some of our viewers may.** _

_**Let's start with you Michelle. We know that your brother and Renee Swan dated when she and Isabella live in Florida. I'm aware that you knew them both at that time. What can you tell us about the Isabella you knew?** _

Michelle began to speak.

_**Well, I always felt that that little missy led my brother on, she wanted him. Poor Jeff is sick, he's not right mentally. Isabella was like that Lolita girl. She made him do crazy things. I don't think he wanted to kill her mother. She probably wanted her Mother dead, less competition for the men. She's now got her hooks in Edward Masen and is making him do crazy things like abandoning his baby, she's trouble.** _

I couldn't listen anymore. I covered my ears with my hands. My peripheral vision disappeared, and all I could see was Jeff's family before my eyes, their lips spewing lies and venom about me.

_I loved my Mother, I didn't want her dead. Why is this happening to me. I can't breathe._

I became vaguely aware of Rose screaming at Camille, as she pulled me toward her office. I collapsed in Rose's arms on her sofa and cried my heart out.

"Honey shhh, we all know you love your Mom." Rose soothed. "Renee knows you love her. Those lies don't matter Bella. It's just a passing thing, it will be forgotten in a few days. Shhh."

I cried for myself. I cried for my Mom. I cried for the fucked up situation I found myself in. I cried for everything I'd lost. My youth, the chance to have friends in high school, a normal life, being able to share things with my mother, I cried for it all. I cried because people I didn't even know hated me and wished me harm. I cried at the unfairness of it all.

I don't know how long we sat there as Rose rocked me, finally calming me. I pulled away from her a little after finally silencing my sobs. I caught movement in the doorway from the corner of my bleary eye. I turned to look and saw Edward standing there with a look of pure agony on his face.

"How long have you been there?" I asked him with a hoarse voice.

"A while." He answered sadly.

I pulled myself up from the sofa and stood on stiff legs.

Rose then stood and placed her hands on either side of my face. "Bella, listen to me. Nothing anyone says can hurt you. You went through Hell already honey and you survived. You have to live your life, Renee would want nothing less."

"Look, Edward is going to take you home now. I'll check on you later okay." Rose kissed my cheek.

"Thanks Rose."

Edward walked over and held me for a few minutes, then silently led me to the car. We were quiet on the way home, even Lou didn't speak. When I had somewhat recovered, I was kicking myself for letting Edward see me fall apart.

_Although I didn't precisely know he was going to show up at the station._

Emmett was waiting in my living room when I got there, immediately pulling me into his warm protective embrace. After I assured him that I was okay, he retreated to his and Rose's apartment.

Edward and I had a quiet dinner. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep on the sofa shortly after, vaguely aware when Edward carried me to my bed.

My nightmares returned full force that night, and Edward had to calm me more than once.

When I woke up I could barely look him in the eye.

_Just great, Edward witnessed my meltdown and my nightmares all within a 12 hour period. I wouldn't blame him if he ran screaming back to L.A._

I was sitting in the kitchen drinking tea when he came in carrying his suitcase.

I looked at him, puzzled.

In a flat voice, he said "Bella, we need to talk."

I didn't like the look on his face. I was only joking when I thought he'd run back to L.A.

_What is he thinking?_

"Bella, I think it best if I leave early today. It will just make things worse if we fly together tonight."

_He may be right, the paps and the public have been kind of brutal when they've seen us together._

"Okay, um, I'd rather fly with you, but I guess if you're waiting for me when I land, that would be alright."

"Bella, I've decided to go ahead and fly to London as soon as I can. I'm going home to pack my things and head straight out." He said the words robotically, with no emotion reflected in his voice.

I couldn't understand why he was saying this.

_Yes you do understand Bella. He's feeling guilty. You have to fix this!_

"Edward. Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened today. Camille is a bitch. She planned that entire incident, and got the reaction she wanted."

"Bella don't you realize that if I weren't in your life, none of this would be happening. The press wouldn't be hounding you. The park ranger wouldn't have tried to molest you. Your tires wouldn't be slashed. Those evil people on the television program would never have gotten their fifteen minutes of fame today! It's because of me that this is happening. I can't, I  _won't_ let it continue."

I began to panic, Edward was going to leave me. "Edward, as soon as Tanya makes her statement everything will be fine, you'll see. If you want to separate until then, I won't like it, but I'll understand. But please,  _please_  don't leave me like this."

"There will always be something for them to hound you about Bella. They will always bring up your past to hurt you. I can't risk hurting you any more. If I'm not in your life, they will leave you alone."

"Edward,  _you_  will be the one hurting me if you leave, not them."

"When I'm gone, you'll be able to go back to a normal life Bella, that's all I want for you." He stood still as stone. "You should still go to Alice's, she's looking forward to it." He took in a shaky breath. "Lou is taking me to the airport, and he'll be back to take you to school right after."

"Edward, the only time I've had a normal life is with you. Please stay." I whispered. I could hear the desperation in my own voice as I clutched onto his arms.

He gently pried my hands loose. "I'm sorry Bella." he whispered. "I love you." He kissed my forehead and was gone.

I looked around my kitchen. I then pinched my arm  _hard_  to make sure I wasn't still asleep.

_What the fuck just happened? He said he loved me, and then left?_

I sat there in a daze for a few moments.

_Bella, you knew you'd never be enough for him. Maybe this was just Edward bowing out gracefully. He doesn't want you any more._

I was just insecure enough to believe that. Almost.

_No. No no no. Edward loves me. If I know anything, I know that._

Edward may love me, but he left me anyway. At this thought, I finally gave into the tears, and allowed myself a good cry. After yesterday, I was shocked that I had any tears left to shed.

After crying, I tried to clear my head so that I could think. I had to decide what to do.

Just then my phone beeped with an incoming text.

_**I am going to kick his stupid ass.** _

_**-Alice** _

The psychic pixie knows.

Rose came to check on me before school. This was unusual. I had a feeling someone tipped her off.

As it turned out, she was unaware of the circumstances of Edward's departure, all she knew was that he needed to get back to L.A. before tonight. After I relayed the conversation Edward and I had before he left, she was quiet for a while before commenting.

"This might make you angry Bells, but I think Edward may be right." She must have caught my pissed off look, because she continued quickly. "Not about leaving for good, just about separating for a while. Emmett and I are worried about you too, not to mention Charlie. I think it's safer for you not to see him until after the Tanya mess is put to rest."

"I won't have a choice now Rose, because he's going straight to London after he gets home today." I said sadly

_I can't chase him all over the world. Will I ever see him again?_

That was the moment that my depression started to take hold. I was faced with the realization that Edward was rich enough to elude me forever. I would never have the financial resources to follow.

If he really didn't want me in his life, there was nothing I could do about it.

_-V &V-_

I dragged my sorry butt to class, simply because I couldn't stand the thought of hanging around my apartment all day.

Tara and Joanna were supportive, but I knew they wondered what was bothering me. They never pressed for an explanation, probably assuming it was still the attack on my car.

That evening, I cried until my eyes were sore from wiping them, as I watched the clock pass the exact hour that I would have been arriving in L.A.

_Arriving with Edward._

I slept on the pillow that Edward had used, but even his scent didn't make me feel better. My nightmares were vivid and exhausting.

I woke up Saturday feeling sorry for myself, and never changing out of my t-shirt and sweats.

My personal pity party that I had scheduled for 1 o'clock that afternoon was interrupted by the ringing of my phone.

_Now who the hell is calling?_

"Hello." I answered.

"Bella.. Bella it's Alice" Her voice breaking with emotion. "I need you to come to L.A. as soon as possible."

I waited.

"Please Bella you have to come right away, Edward's been arrested."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me please. This isn't going to be like N.M. where he's gone for a bazillion months and B wallows in depression.
> 
> Trust me.


	25. Makeup Kisses & Confessions

 

I tore through my apartment, grabbing things to pack in my suitcase after taking the shortest shower in the history of my life.

_Edward arrested?_

I didn't even have enough sense to ask Alice why he'd been arrested, before I told her I'd be there as soon as I could, and hung up.

I was haphazardly throwing items in my bag when I turned and saw Emmett standing in my bedroom doorway.

"Gah! Emmett you almost gave me a heart attack." I said as I clutched my throat.

"Sorry Bells." He looked serious. "I hear Andy's got his head up his ass."

"I guess that's about right. Did you also hear he'd been arrested?"

Emmett's eyebrows raised in surprise as he shook his head no. "Well, whatever he did to get arrested couldn't have been as stupid as leaving you Bells."

He continued "You know, obviously, that I'm no stranger to making stupid mistakes, and having to be straightened out." Then he thought for a minute. "I think Bells that you're going to have your hands full with that one, just like Rose does with me." He smiled a devilish smile and winked, before leaving.

I thought about my brother's words of wisdom. He was right. Edward was being stupid, and I refuse to curl up into a ball because he can't deal with his shit.

_How dare he leave me? How dare he not stay so we could face things together?_

At that moment I decided that Alice would have to get in line behind me to kick Edward's ass.

My fury had calmed somewhat when my phone rang again.

"Hello"

"Hello, Bella?" A female voice that sounded vaguely familiar asked. "Bella, I hope you don't mind, I got your number from Jasper. This is Tanya Madison."

I gasped in shock.

"Bella, please don't hang up. I hope you'll hear me out first." She pleaded.

"I won't hang up." I answered, still in shock.

"Thank you. First I want to apologize for everything. I'm so sorry about what is being said about you and Edward. And now, Jasper has told me that Edward's in trouble with the police. I am truly sorry Bella, this is all my fault."

"I'm glad you're sorry Tanya, but it doesn't change anything." This  _was_  her fault.

"I'm going to fix this. I'm giving an interview tomorrow night. It's with a national network, and I'm telling them  _everything_. There will be no reason for anyone to hate you or Edward after that. I just wish I could take back everything that's happened already."

"I really have no excuse. I dragged my feet, just as I have for years. My lawyer and I talked with the studio, and they have promised to still support me as long as I don't make them look bad. I don't really know how I'm going to do that, but we'll see. The only thing they have to hold over my head is a video tape. I wouldn't be the first celebrity to have something like that in my past to deal with."

"Tanya, I don't know what to say." And I didn't.

"You don't need to say anything. I just hope that some day you and Edward will find it in your hearts to forgive my selfishness. Felix hasn't been happy with me for weeks now. I need to work on repairing my marriage before we meet our little one. I'll actually be glad to get this behind us and not have to hide our relationship any more."

"I can understand that." I said.

Tanya chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure you can. Anyway, thanks for listening to me, and Bella, I hope you and Edward have a wonderful life together."

_Together?_

"Thank you Tanya." I wanted to scream at her for her selfishness, but I didn't have it in me to yell at a pregnant woman. If she really does what she says, the public's reaction may be punishment enough.

_-V &V-_

During my flight, I was seated next to an elderly woman. I really wasn't in the mood to talk, but when she stuck her hand out for me to shake, introducing herself as Gloria, we fell into easy conversation. She knew who I was, of course.

Gloria was returning home to Los Angeles after visiting her sister in Seattle. She told me that she used to be an actress, but was now retired. That was unless the 'right part' were to come along. She smiled.

_Maybe that's why she looks so familiar. Maybe I've seen her in the movies._

It was unusual for me to feel comfortable talking to strangers, but with Gloria, I felt oddly at ease. As we sat there in first class drinking our wine, I opened up to her about my relationship with Edward. I also told her about the Tanya debacle. I didn't care who knew the truth any more. She nodded sagely, as if she understood more than I was telling her.

"Well I guess I'm not surprised to find out that the studios haven't changed since my day."

I looked at her questioningly.

She continued to explain "When I was a young actress, I was expected to show up in public with 'dates' chosen by the studio. Even after I got married, which was kept secret, I continued doing the studio's bidding." She smiled.

"This is not common knowledge, but I was a married woman expecting my first child when I posed for my most famous magazine photo. The same photo that American G.I.s carried with them all over the world." She sighed wistfully "I wasn't far along of course, and the photos then weren't explicit by any means. I was wearing a blouse and skirt, showing off my famous legs." She winked at me. "But it still makes me chuckle when I think about all those soldiers who didn't know they were ogling the photo of a married, pregnant woman." We both laughed.

The time with Gloria passed so quickly that, before I knew it, we were landing at LAX.

"Bella, it's been a pleasure getting to know you my dear." Gloria said as we started to de-board "I hope we'll meet again." She walked with me to baggage claim where Alice and Sidney were waiting for me. A little while later, I saw her leaving with who I assumed to be her son. She waved before she disappeared through the doors.

"Was that Gloria Powell you were walking with Bella?"

"I guess so, she said her name was Gloria."

_Gloria Powell. O my gosh, now I remember who she is. I was sitting next to a member of Hollywood royalty._

"I'm glad I didn't realize who she was, I would have been too nervous to speak." I smiled.

Alice chuckled at me.

Once we were in the privacy of the car, I started asking questions. "Alice, what happened?"

"Well, after that asshat, otherwise know as my brother, ran away from you, he must have bought out a liquor store before then proceeding to his house and getting blind drunk." Alice shook her head in disgust.

"He drove back to the airport after drinking all night, and picked a fight with the first group of paparazzi he found. Granted, I think a couple of them were saying rude things about you, and that's when Edward threw the first punch."

My mouth fell open in shock.

"Relax Bella, he couldn't land the punch because he was so drunk. He was arrested however for creating a disturbance, damaging some of the paps' equipment, and resisting arrest. Oh, and probably public drunkenness, I'm not sure." She said as she worried her lip.

"When I phoned you, I was on my way to bail him out of jail."

"As soon as we got him home we forced coffee in him, and then put him to bed. A couple hours later we discovered that he was up there drinking again. Jasper and I had to confiscate all the liquor we could find, and hide it from him."

Just then we pulled up in front of a beautiful home. I couldn't take the time to be impressed by Edward's house though, I needed to make sure he was alright.

And then I was considering ripping him a new asshole.

I followed Alice inside. Jasper was there to greet us. "Hello darlin'." He hugged Alice. "Hi Bella." He smiled at me.

"Hey Jasper."

"Well, how's the drunk?" Alice asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Jasper blew out a breath as he raised his eyebrows. "I think we successfully got all the liquor away from him. He's still pretty drunk though. I think we should try to get some more coffee into him."

"Let me go see him." Alice said, in an exasperated tone.

I followed her up a staircase and down a hall to a large door. My insecurities waited until that moment to resurface, "Alice, what if he doesn't want to see me. He left remember?"

Alice smirked at me. "Well then Bella, I suggest you stay right here, but make sure that you listen. You may learn something."

Alice pushed the door open and walked inside, leaving me standing on the threshold.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself, you drunken fool?" she half-shouted at Edward.

Edward groaned from the tangled mess of a bed in the center of the room while attempting to sit up. "Alice, don't yell at me." he slurred.

"Someone needs to yell at you. How many times do I have to be proven right before you'll listen to my advice  _every_  time Edward Cullen." Alice was angrier than I'd ever seen her.

"You don't understand Ali, I left her. She was the best thing in my life and I'll never see her again." He moaned.

"And just whose fault is that jackass? Edward,  _you_  have caused all your problems. I told you never to agree to that phony relationship with Tanya, but you are so hard-headed. And now, you find your soul mate and you what? Just walk out on her, claiming it's for her own good? I should beat you to death right now and put you out of your misery! Ugh." Alice shouted as she kicked the bed.

It was actually comical to watch this tiny person, arms flailing, and shouting at the top of her lungs.

Edward moaned and clutched his head.

"It's okay Ali, just keep yelling, I'm pretty sure my head's going to explode." He murmured and then continued, "You just don't understand."

"Then why don't you explain it to me Edward?" She asked in a softer voice.

"I knew it was just a matter of time until she couldn't take any more. The media attention has been brutal. I knew she'd leave me. I couldn't bear the thought of that…"

_What the hell?_

"And so you decided to break her heart out of fear that she would eventually break yours?" Alice asked incredulously.

Edward nodded while holding his head in his hands. "You don't know Ali. You didn't see her when those horrible lies were said about her. She broke down and it was my fault."

"Then you added to it Edward." She shook her head. "Don't you understand anything? Bella lived through hell, it's only natural that she would react to reminders of that. Did she go into shock?"

"No." He answered. "It took a while, but she eventually calmed down. But then, that night, she had horrible nightmares."

"What did you do about the nightmares?"

"She seemed to recover when I held her." He admitted.

"So let me get this straight. Bella had a reminder of the most horrific day of her life. As a result, she had an emotional breakdown from which she recovered, and nightmares which you helped her deal with."

He hesitated before nodding slowly.

"You really are an idiot. I fail to see how your leaving was supposed to benefit her Edward. It sounds like your presence was what helped her."

Edward didn't say anything, although he appeared deep in thought.

"It doesn't matter Ali. I left her, she'll never forgive me. And right now, I think I'm going to be sick." Edward lurched from the bed toward his bathroom.

Alice stood there watching him disappear, then she turned to me. "He's all yours, good luck with that." She gestured toward the bathroom door. "I'll bring up some coffee."

I was left alone in Edward's bedroom, waiting for him to emerge.

I took a seat in a chair and waited.

Alice popped in to drop off the coffee and left again. A few minutes later, Edward walked on shaky legs out of the bathroom.

He stopped dead when he saw me sitting there.

"Bella" he whispered. "Are you really here or am I dreaming?" He said as he stalked closer.

"Oh I'm here alright Edward. Whether you want me or not." I said as I crossed my arms over my chest.

Edward slowly sat down on the floor and leaned against the foot of his bed, never taking his eyes off me.

"Bella, I'll always want you. I'm not sure I thought everything through yesterday. I was just so worried about you, I may have been rash in my decision to leave."

"Ya think? You know what Edward? You don't get to talk right now, you only get to listen." I said in a cold voice.

He got a stunned expression on his face, and grew silent.

I began "Edward, I can appreciate that you are worried about me. I understand that, I really do. My family makes a profession out of worrying about me. I don't think you realize how much better I've been since I met you."

"I've done things that I've never been able to do before, simply because you were with me. I felt normal for the first time in seven years."

I took in a deep breath before I thought about what I would say next.

"Now, I want the truth from you, no matter how much it hurts me. Do you care for me Edward? Just yes or no please."

Edward looked at me with sad eyes. "Yes."

"Do you love me Edward?"

"Yes." He answered.

"Do you want any kind of future with me?"

"Yes." He nodded while answering.

"Well that's good to know. I've spent over 24 hours trying to convince myself that the past weeks and months really meant nothing to you. Obviously I don't believe that, because I'm here now."

"Edward, you may say that you love me, you may even believe that, but it still wasn't enough to stop you from leaving me. I don't want a relationship with someone who could decide something like that without even consulting me about it first."

"But.." He tried to speak.

I held up my hand to silence him. "No. Not now. I need to finish."

"You discarded my thoughts and feelings on the matter, and treated me like a child. You decided that I 'couldn't handle' the pressure. Edward, did you pay attention when I told you about what happened to my mother? I was  _fifteen_ Edward, I'm not fifteen any more. I can handle a hell of a lot more than you give me credit for. Yeah, sometimes I'm going to fall apart, I'm only human. The important thing is that I recover. Every time I fall, I am somehow able to get back up. You have helped me with that. Since I met you, I haven't had to insulate myself from things the way I used to."

"Sometimes things are going to happen that will upset me. Sometimes they will be very bad, like what happened at the studio yesterday. But you know what? If it means that we can be together, I'll take it. I'll take all the bad stuff and more Edward, because you'll be there to help me through it."

At those words, Edward started to move toward me. I held my hand up again to stop him.

"Now, you have some decisions to make. Understand this, I want to be with you more than anything I've ever wanted in my life. I love you more than anything. If we can't be together, my life will be empty. I've lived that way before, and I guess I could do it again, but I don't want to."

"I also think that maybe we moved too quickly. We should take a step back and decide if this is what we both want, publicity and internet gossip be damned."

"I know that I want you, no matter the consequences. You need to decide if you really want me."

He tried to speak again. I stopped him.

"No Edward. You need to actually commit some time to thinking about this. You claimed you loved me before, but it was too easy for you to decide to leave me. I can't go through that again."

"I'm going to stay with Alice and Jasper. I'll be there when you sober up and want to talk. If you don't come, then I will accept your decision."

I stood and walked over to him, giving him a kiss on his cheek. He wrapped his arms around me, but then released me when I started to pull away.

_-V &V-_

The next afternoon I was sitting with Alice and Jasper on their back patio enjoying the sunshine while I could. Edward was due to arrive at any moment.

"Bella, I still want you and Rose to do my little photo shoot. She's agreed to come out next weekend."

I groaned. "Alice, that kind of stuff is not for me. I'm sure you could find someone better suited for…"

"Nonsense Bella. I'm giving an interview, and I chose you, me and Rose for the photo layout, there's no discussion!" She scolded.

I knew better than to argue with the pixie.

"Are you enjoying the weather Bella?"

I turned to find Edward standing in the doorway, freshly showered and shaven, looking a hundred times better than last night.

I smiled at him.

"Can we talk?" He asked me in a small voice.

"Sure." I said as I stood to go into the house.

Just then Alice jumped to her feet, pulling Jasper's arm to get him to stand too. "That's okay Bella and Edward, you guys stay here. Come on Jasper, I need some help with that thing."

Jasper looked bewildered. "What thing?"

"You know that thing that will give Bella and Edward some privacy."

"Oh" Jasper smiled as realization dawned on him. "Bye y'all, see you in a bit." He said before disappearing in the house with Alice.

Edward sat in the chair next to mine, facing me, rubbing his hands together, his elbows resting on his knees. "So, I've been thinking"

"That's a good start." I said it sarcastically, as I smiled at him.

"I'm sorry I haven't been doing a lot of that lately." he smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "I've made a decision."

I internally braced myself just in case his decision was not what I wanted to hear. I nodded, urging him to continue.

"Bella" He reached for and grasped one of my hands. "I don't want to live without you. Can you forgive me for being a fool. Can we forget Friday ever happened?"

"I don't want to live without you either Edward. Yes, I forgive you. But, no, we can't forget Friday ever happened."

His shoulders slumped at that.

"If what happened Friday eventually makes our relationship stronger, then someday we may look back on it as a good thing."

_It will be a long damn time before that happens Bella._

"I decided that, like you said, I'm willing to put up with all the bad stuff if it means I can keep you. I don't think I can make it without you Bella."

He leaned closer.

I was so happy. I placed my hand on his cheek as I spoke. "Edward, I can't live without you either. We are kind of pathetic." I removed my hand and sat back in my chair. "I think it's a good idea if we spend the time until you leave for England as a test period."

Edward looked confused.

"A time where we can gauge whether or not we  _can_  handle the intrusiveness of the media, and still survive as a couple. We owe that to ourselves. We also don't need to spend every moment together, I think a little separation can be a good thing. Realistically because of your work schedule I can't always be with you, I need to learn to accept that."

He looked into my eyes. "I can't promise not to worry about you Bella."

"Nor would I want you to. Just don't overreact." I answered.

"I understand, and I agree, but right now I really want to kiss you." He grinned.

"So what's stopping you Mr. Movie Star?" I smiled, the most genuine smile in three days.

Edward pulled me into his arms into what started as a slow kiss eventually turned heated, both of us breaking away to catch our breath.

"Well if that's the make-up kiss, I'd love to know what the make-up sex would be like." I blurted before I could stop myself, slapping my hand over my mouth immediately after.

_Real classy Bella._

Edward guffawed at my new onset of verbal diarrhea, and then kissed me again.

"Well, I guess you two lovebirds kissed and made up." Chirped Alice from the doorway. I turned to see her and Jasper grinning like kids on Christmas morning.

"Yes we did nosey." Edward answered with a smile.

"Edward, did you realize that Tanya is making her statement tonight on national television?" I suddenly remembered.

His eyes grew wide with surprise. "No."

"Edward, this will change everything. We won't know until tomorrow what the fall-out will be for you, and for us. Will you be able to handle it?" I asked.

He took my hand again. "If you're with me Bella, I can handle all of it."

_Sweet talking, sexy, stupid boy._

_-V &V-_

_**Tonight, from our studio in Burbank California, we welcome special guest Tanya Madison.** _

We were seated in Alice and Jasper's media room, watching Tanya's interview with keen interest.

_**Tanya, you and Edward Masen have been much in the news lately. I understand that you would like to share some information with our viewers, and make a statement about recently reported events.** _

Tanya answered:

_**Thank you Margo, yes, I wish to share some information that I should have made public a long time ago. If I had been honest, a lot of heartache could have been avoided.** _

_**There is no easy way to say what I need to say. I have been living a lie for several years now, and I need to set the record straight with all my fans around the world.** _

Tanya took a ragged breath.

_**I have never been in a relationship with Edward Masen.** _

I could only imagine the shocked responses in living rooms around the globe.

_**Edward and I have never been more than friends and co-workers. In the beginning, the studio encouraged the public façade of our 'relationship', but I took it upon myself to publicize and embellish our fake relationship simply to garner attention and positive feedback from the fans.** _

_**Edward, who refused to lie to his fans, has spent the last several years dodging questions about his personal life partially in an effort to protect me.** _

_**He is, without a doubt, one of the most gracious people I've ever known, a true gentleman.** _

I squeezed Edward's hand at those words.

_**Aside from the lies, I have done other things of which I am not proud. Suffice it to say that I had become quite a party girl, and did things of which I am ashamed.** _

_**About three years ago I met the man who changed my life. Ironically, it was through Edward that I met him. Felix Morris was working as Edward's bodyguard at the time. We began to date, and last year we were secretly married. About a month ago, we found out that we will be blessed with our first child in late September.** _

_**I know this will all come as a shock to my fans. Please believe me when I say that I am truly sorry for ever deceiving you. Your good opinion means the world to me, and I know I have damaged that probably beyond repair.** _

_**I need to address one more issue before I finish. The media's treatment of Isabella Swan has been reprehensible. She is an innocent victim in all of this nonsense. She has never done anything deceitful or hurtful, and yet she has been savaged on television, in the tabloids, and on the internet. I cannot apologize to her or to Edward enough for my part in allowing that to happen. I am so happy that they have found each other, and wish them nothing but happiness.** _

_**As for myself, I don't have any film projects planned before the birth of my little one, so my husband and I will be spending that time preparing for the addition to our family.** _

And that was it. The host of the show went on to ask for clarification about a couple of things Tanya had said, but nothing new was mentioned.

I had to admit I was surprised that she had been so honest. After her weeks, no  _years_ , of silence, I expected a shallow confession that would still let her save face. Instead, she had proven herself to be a much more decent person than I had ever dared hope for a month ago.

After I sent Edward home to his house, yes I was sticking to my guns about needing a little separation, I lay in bed with the knowledge that after this evening, there would be a dramatic shift in the way I was perceived by the rest of the world.

I only hoped that Tanya's confession would be enough for the shift to be in a positive direction.


	26. Waxward & Sexward

 

Edward came over the next morning, and we decided to hang around Alice and Jasper's house for a while. We didn't want to go out in public until we had some idea of the reaction to Tanya's statement.

Alice had taken the week off of work, sort of. She was on the phone a lot, and did work on her computer part of the morning. The rest of the time she spent rummaging through my clothing, and shaking her head and 'tsk tsking', before informing me that I couldn't be seen in public in some of those  _things_  that I called clothes.

_Great, another Rose._

At least I could forgive Alice, fashion was her life after all.

Edward spent a good part of the morning with Jasper, arranging and re-arranging his schedule for the next few days. Since Edward would be in England for several weeks, Jasper decided to set up a couple of interviews with some entertainment magazines that had been begging for months.

Alice informed me that I had a fitting scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, while Edward was away giving one of those interviews. The fitting was for the clothing I would wear during the photo shoot scheduled for Saturday.

I cringed thinking about that, but didn't dare defy her. I'm an expert at 'picking my battles', and this one just wasn't worth it, especially knowing I wouldn't win.

Then there were the phone calls. First Rose and Emmett called. Rose was ecstatic that Tanya 'got her head out of her ass' and stepped up. She went on about how she never saw that one coming. Emmett inquired about 'Andy'. Then laughed at his own joke. Idiot. They both told me to have fun, and Rose said she'd see me Friday.

Charlie called to make sure I was okay and having fun. I really think he was fishing to see if I was staying at Edward's. He didn't seem to worry when Edward stayed with me.

_Probably because your big brother lives right across the hall Bella. The possibility of Emmett barging through the door guarantees abstinence better than wearing a chastity belt._

Wendy called to let Edward know that she'd be flying down to try and settle his little incident out of court.

The most important call of the day however came from the Cullen house. Esme had heard about Edward's misbehavior at the airport. Edward was speaking to her on his cell phone, and I could hear Esme's voice from all the way across the room as she tore into her son.

Edward's response was a constant stream of 'yes Mother', 'no Mother', 'I'm sorry Mother', and 'it will never happen again's.

It was the difference between night and day when she spoke with me however. "Bella dear, I was so happy to hear what Tanya had to say. Although I wish my son had resolved this issue a long time ago. He tends to be cynical about the world, but then quite naïve sometimes when dealing with other people. He thinks if he ignores something or  _runs away_ he can solve his problems."

_Did Esme know that Edward left me?_

"He should listen to his sister more." She sighed in exasperation.

"I'm beginning to realize that." I chuckled.

"Be that as it may, have a wonderful stay. Relax and let my children show you a good time."

I thanked her and assured her that I would do my best to enjoy myself, before saying our goodbyes.

After lunch, I'd worked up the courage to go on the internet. It was already after 4 o'clock on the east coast so I figured enough time had elapsed to get an inkling of the public reaction to Tanya's statement.

Edward was on the phone with his agent. Jasper left to go to his office. Alice was on the phone with Christopher. Knowing that everyone was otherwise occupied, I went to my room.

First, I did a google search on Edward's name, reading only the articles dated today.

To say I was shocked by what I read would be an understatement. Edward had suddenly become Hollywood's fair haired boy. Site after site went on about his selflessness in not betraying Tanya's deceit.

There were a couple of sites that faulted him for not coming out with the truth sooner, despite what it would have done to Tanya's career. But, for the most part, everyone supported Edward. The 'bad boy' image still existed to some extent, but he was no longer considered a cheater, just a womanizer.

_Eh, I'll take it._

All these sites only mentioned my name in passing, and they did not have many nice things to say about Tanya.

The internet had exploded with lurid stories about her past.

_How the hell did they find out all that stuff so fast?_

I suppose that once the cat was out of the bag, everyone who had a story about her was of sudden interest to the media. What they couldn't find out with actual facts, they made up through conjecture.

A small part of me began to actually feel sorry for her. I didn't want to, especially after the recent weeks of hell that Edward and I had endured, but I couldn't help it. I really couldn't bring myself to be mean or vindictive, I was so deliriously happy to have Edward back that there was no room in my heart for animosity toward anyone. Except maybe Geri Chance, Ranger asswipe, and whoever messed up my car.

_Hey, I never claimed I was Mother Teresa._

After I'd read everything I could stomach about Tanya, I hesitated for a good two minutes, my hands on the keys, before I typed my own name in the search box and hit enter.

I was even more shocked by what I read about myself. It seemed that almost everyone I knew as a child had been contacted and interviewed.

The article that intrigued me the most was from Saturday, so it was written before Tanya's admission. Someone had gotten in touch with my Aunt Lola in Arizona and she had blasted Jeff's family for their slanderous remarks, referring to them as the 'trailer park trash' we all knew them to be.

_Kudos to Aunt Lola._

I made a note to call her and thank her sometime this week.

All of the stories written today were positive. I only scanned over them briefly, because they went into too much detail about the day my Mom died. Even so, it was easy to discern that they were all supportive of the relationship between Edward and me. Not one negative article.

I was so confused. Edward had said that the public was fickle, but this was ridiculous. The pendulum had swung in the completely opposite direction since yesterday.

_Be careful Bella. It's bound to swing back._

I heard a soft knock on the door, and Edward stuck his head in. He glanced at my computer and grinned. "Did you just google yourself Miss Swan?"

"You make that sound kind of dirty Mr. Movie Star." I said as I laughed and walked over to him.

I put my arms around his neck as he held me to him.

"How would you like to go out for a little while? I think we're safe from angry mobs." His eyes were bright, his expression expectant.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked.

"Well, was there anything you wanted to do? Anything you wanted to see while here?"

I thought for a moment, then it came to me. Before the shit had hit the fan, so to speak, last week I'd looked up several 'touristy' things I wanted to do during spring break.

I bit my lip. "You're going to laugh."

He smiled. "What is going through that mind of yours Isabella?"

I grinned. "Well…."

_-V &V-_

"I can't believe you want me to do this Bella." Edward said frowning. "No. I refuse. It would be too embarrassing." He said as he defiantly crossed his arms over his chest.

"Edward  _please_. It would make the best photo ever." I whined. "For me." I conjured up the most pathetically sad look I could and batted my eyelashes at him.

He pulled me close to him and looked into my eyes, arching one eyebrow. "If I agree to this Isabella. Then you can never,  _ever_  question my love for you again. Do you understand?"

"Yes Edward." I grinned, knowing I'd won.

"Also, if there are copies of me doing this on the internet tomorrow, I will make you pay." He said, narrowing his eyes at me.

_Oh what punishment could Edward exact on me. Maybe… kiss me until I see stars and pass the fuck out. Bella please focus._

Edward then walked away from me and went to stand next to Edward. Well, not Edward per se, but a wax replica of Edward.

We were at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, and I had just convinced my boyfriend to let me photograph him standing next to himself. I gazed at the two Edward's, the wax one in his suit and open shirt looked ready to attend some Hollywood event, whereas my Edward in a t-shirt and jeans wasn't out to please anyone but me. After I snapped the photo, I did a little victory dance, as Edward laughed.

At that point, I realized a small crowd was starting to form. They all seemed friendly so I didn't fear for our safety. Although Edward had gotten Sidney to accompany us just in case.

"Sidney would you mind snapping a photo of Edward and me, and er Edward?" I asked as I handed Sidney the camera.

The next shot was of me standing between Edward and Waxward. It was kind of freaky, but I couldn't resist.

_How often would I have an opportunity like this?_

I was having a lot of fun, although Edward thought I lingered a little too long with the Johnny Depp figure. "Stop it Edward. I didn't complain when you  _had_  to get your photo taken with Marilyn Monroe." I snarked.

"Well Bella" he explained. "Seeing that Marilyn is deceased, and I will never meet her in this lifetime, but Mr. Depp is very much alive, I have a little more reason to be jealous than you do."

"Besides, Johnny is in town and wants to meet for lunch this week. I thought you'd like to go."

All of a sudden I lost the ability to speak. I'd been harboring a secret crush on  _Johnny_  for years.

_Bella pull yourself together and put your game face on before Edward catches you drooling._

I almost bitch slapped myself in order to snap out of it. I snuck a look at Edward.

_Too late you idiot. He definitely knows._

Edward looked at me with narrowed eyes. "Is there something you'd like to tell me Isabella?"

I thought about that. Did I want to tell Edward that I'd been crushing on Johnny Depp since seeing him in Edward Scissorhands when I was about eight years old? Did I want to confide in him that aside from himself, there was no one sexier than Captain Jack Sparrow? Because I knew that if you took away the black eyeliner and nasty teeth, you would find Johnny freakin' Depp underneath.

It was at that exact moment that I decided to take that information with me to my grave.

"Nope, not a thing Edward. We could do lunch with Johnny. That'd be cool." I said, sounding as nonchalant as possible.

"Um hum." He said, still eyeing me suspiciously.

He fidgeted when I put my hand on Robert Downey Jr's chest.

_Silly jealous fool._

I giggled to myself.

I had to get my photo taken with Clint's wax figure, Charlie would be thrilled. Which reminded me…

"Edward when will Clint be coming to Seattle? I know you don't start filming until September." I asked.

"He'll probably be making a couple of trips before September. I know he'll be there for a few days in August, and probably once before then. I'll be touching base with him this week, I'll see if I can find out." He answered, suddenly distracted by a scene from  _Kill Bill._

"I would love to work with Quentin Tarantino." He muttered quietly to himself.

"Have you ever met him?" I asked. Emmett had forced me to watch  _Pulp Fiction_ , and since then I'd become a big fan. Although I had to admit I covered my eyes whenever things got too gorey.

_You're such a girl Bella Swan._

"Actually, I met him for the first time at one of the Academy Awards after parties this year. I've admired his work forever though."

I smiled at him "Something else we have in common Mr. Cullen." I whispered.

Our next stop was Grauman's Chinese Theatre, where we proceeded to stand in the footsteps of our favorite movie stars. This time, Edward was just as star-struck as I was, as he stepped into the footprints of John Wayne, Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart, while I compared shoe sizes with the likes of Judy Garland, Debbie Reynolds and Julie Andrews. I made sure to take a picture of Clint Eastwood's handprints for Charlie.

As we were leaving, Edward pointed to the Kodak Theatre and said "Next year Miss Swan, I believe we have a date for the Academy Awards."

I grinned. "I remember Mr. Movie Star."

_-V &V-_

"You really know how to spoil a girl." I smiled as I ate my dinner.

"Look, you were the one that wanted to be the stereotypical tourist today. I thought this the perfect choice." Edward grinned while eating his fish taco.

We'd stopped at a little snack bar a couple of miles from Grauman's where Edward splurged for dinner. We each got two fish tacos and drinks for under ten bucks. It was perfect.

Back in the car, Edward looked serious again. "Bella, I'd like to spend the evening at my house, would that be okay?"

I knew what he was asking, but couldn't resist messing with him. "Well gosh Edward, I'll miss you but if that's how you want to spend your evening I won't stop you." I smiled innocently.

"Bella." He groaned and palmed his face. "I'd like you to come over and spend the evening with me." He peered from between his fingers. After what happened on Saturday night, I knew this was hard for him. I felt like such a bitch. Then I thought about what he'd just asked.

_Spending the evening in Edward's house. Alone. Did it just get really hot in here?_

"I, um" I struggled for the right answer. I wasn't sure if my self-control would last under those circumstances, and I definitely wasn't prepared for the next step in our relationship. At least I didn't think I was.

I thought about how being alone with Edward set my entire body on fire, and usually turned my brain to jello.

_Crap. Why is this so difficult?_

Then I looked at his hopeful expression and lost all thought of refusing him.

"Okay." I answered quietly as I looked into his piercing green eyes.

He sighed audibly and pulled me into his arms. "Thank you Bella, I was afraid you wouldn't want to be alone with me until after I came back from England."

I pulled away and smiled at him. "Who says we'll be alone, I was going to invite Sidney to hang out with us."

Edward gave me a dirty look, as I heard Sidney chuckle from the front seat.

_Who knew Sidney had a sense of humor? He's usually doing a dead-on impersonation of The Sphinx._

When we pulled up to Alice and Jasper's house, Alice ran to the car to greet us. "Here you go Bella, everything you need is in here. Have a great night." She said as she pushed my backpack into my hands, not allowing me to exit the car.

I turned to Edward who was smiling and shaking his head. "I guess I'm ready to go." I said shrugging.

This would be the first time I'd been to Edward's house. I didn't count the visit on Saturday night because I didn't have the chance to see anything but a maze of dark rooms and hallways, and Edward's semi-dark bedroom.

Also, on Saturday I wasn't sure if we would ever be together again. I had a real fear of losing Edward forever, so I wasn't precisely aware of my surroundings.

Tonight I got to see his home with new eyes. The eyes of Edward's 'official', even to the general public, girlfriend.

The sun had just set a little while before we pulled up in front of the house. In stark contrast to the other night when everything had been relatively dark, tonight the house was illuminated by a row of floodlights.

Sidney punched a code into the security panel, and the gate opened.

Whereas Alice and Jasper's house was more traditional, Edward's was ultra-modern. There were very few windows in the front, but once inside, I immediately became aware that the entire back wall of the house was made up completely of floor to ceiling glass. The other night I had been unable to see the spectacular view.

I gasped when I realized Edward's house, positioned as it was in the hills, looked out over the entire city of Los Angeles sprawled below. The city at night was a breathtaking sight to behold.

Edward took me on a quick tour. Almost all the rooms opened to the living area. One room that didn't, was his home theatre on the lower level. With its rows of luxurious seating and one wall equipped with a movie screen, it fast became one of my favorites. Edward had to drag me away from it.

Another favorite space had to be the pool, equipped with its very own waterfall. Every room and the pool area afforded the same dazzling view of the city.

As I stood there lost in the twinkling lights of L.A., I felt Edward come up behind me and wrap his arms around my waist.

"How do you like my preferred view of the L.A. nightlife Miss Swan?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"It's perfect Edward." I murmured.

"Not as perfect as you Bella." He turned me to face him and looked into my eyes.

"I'll never be able to tell you enough how sorry I am for Friday." He was still punishing himself over this. "I hope you understand that I hated seeing you hurting, knowing it was my fault."

"So you decided to hurt me more?" I asked calmly.

"Believe me, by the time my plane touched down at LAX, I realized what a stupid mistake I'd made."

"Why didn't you call me? I would have listened."

"I didn't think I deserved you. I  _don't_ deserve you." He said sadly.

I placed my finger on his lips to silence him. "Edward, we've been through this. Today was the first day for us to be recognized as a couple, without Tanya's shadow looming, and it was a good day. I'm not fooled into thinking that all the days to come will be this easy. We need to be sure that we can handle the bad ones also."

"As long as we don't make decisions about our relationship based on the public or media reaction, everything will be fine. That was Tanya's mistake for years, and the mistake you made on Friday."

He looked away. His face dejected.

I put my palm on the side of his face, effectively making him look in my eyes again.

"Hey, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I don't want to keep rehashing this incident over and over forever. I want to be able to trust that you won't do anything so stupid again. When in doubt, listen to your sister." I grinned at him.

He smiled. "Good advice. I hate to admit it, but every time I ignore her, it comes back to bite me in the ass."

We both laughed.

He glanced toward the pool. "How about a swim?" He looked at me with a hopeful smile.

I hesitated, the pool looked very inviting. "Hopefully Alice packed my swimsuit in my backpack."

I discovered that Alice packed a swimsuit alright, although it wasn't my conservative one piece that I brought from Seattle. Alice had packed a royal blue 'barely there' bikini. I was changing in Edward's elegant guest bathroom when I realized it was the bikini or nothing.

_Well not nothing. I'm not swimming 'au naturel' no matter how much I love Edward._

That's when I completely freaked myself out. I put on the bikini and proceeded to sit on the side of the tub, too afraid to leave the bathroom.

_Edward couldn't handle seeing you in a cute little nightgown, what the heck's he going to do with this. I'm showing more skin than I ever have before._

I had to admit that it looked really good on me, but there was no way I was brave enough to let Edward see.

I don't know how long I'd been sitting there vacillating between sucking it up and facing Edward, or climbing out the window and fleeing down the hillside where I'd probably be eaten by coyotes.

_Do coyotes eat people? Why didn't I pay better attention to important shit like that when I lived in Arizona?_

The other option would be to leave my ass planted on the side of the tub forever.

Just then I heard a soft knock at the door.

"Bella, are you okay sweetheart? Did you still want to swim?" Edward asked in a soothing voice.

_Bella snap out of your foolishness. Who cares if Edward sees you? More importantly, you get to see Edward in his swimsuit, that has to be almost as good as naked._

Before that thought even connected with my brain, and without my brain's permission I might add, my body was in motion going toward the door and opening it.

_Edward in a swimsuit Bella, move your stupid ass._

Edward's eyes widened slightly as he looked me over, but I couldn't be concerned with that because I almost self-combusted at the sight of the Greek god before me.

_Holy shit. I can't believe some Hollywood bimbo hasn't slipped Edward ruffies and jumped his bones. Gah._

For the next few seconds, all my energy and concentration was channeled into schooling my facial features into an unaffected expression, otherwise I would be in serious danger of embarrassing myself irreparably.

When I looked at Edward's face, he seemed to be doing the same thing. I suddenly laughed, and he smiled shaking his head.

He didn't say a word, just grabbed my hand as we headed for the pool.

The night air was cool, but the water was warm. We paddled around in the water talking about unimportant things. I noticed that Edward made sure to keep his distance the entire time.

_Hmm, could it be that I affect him just as much as he affects me?_

Growing tired of the distance between us, I decided to test my theory. I swam over to him and tentatively placed my arms around his neck.

"Hi." I looked into his eyes as his arms snaked around me.

"Hi." He breathed. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea Bella."

"Why's that Edward?" I whispered.

"Because my self-control is waning." He almost whimpered as he tightened his hold on me.

This time I initiated the kiss. It started slow, soft, and sweet, but as soon as the electric charge that always existed between us zinged, I lost complete control over my body's actions.

I wrapped my legs around Edward as his lips traveled down my neck, and his hands moved down holding my bottom.

_Oh my. This was new._

I decided to be brave, and let my hands move down across the muscled plain of Edward's back, down further still until they were placed just above the waistband of his swimsuit.

Edward moved his hands so that one still cupped my bottom, but the other grasped my waist, moving northward very slowly until his thumb was gently moving back and forth against the side of my breast.

I moved one hand to his hair, and one hand lower until I could feel Edward's perfect butt through his swimsuit. When Edward's thumb grazed my cloth covered nipple, I decided to 'go for the gusto' and grabbed a handful of ass cheek.

Just as I did this, a thought came unbidden to my sick mind. An image of Grandma Moses and her inappropriate groping of my boyfriend in church. I tried to stifle the giggle that was trying to escape. I tried to think of  _anything_ to keep myself from laughing. Nothing was working, and God help me, I started to chuckle.

Edward broke away from worshipping my body with kisses to look at me, a stunned expression on his face. "Bella, what could you possibly find to laugh about at this moment? I have to say that it doesn't do a lot for my ego." He said quietly.

I was suddenly very remorseful, and realized there was nothing amusing about what had just happened. "Oh my gosh, Edward, I'm so sorry. I'm just really nervous about this and my mind copes in the most twisted ways." I admitted.

He thought about that for a minute, then he smiled. "I like how your mind works Bella. But you have to tell me what you were thinking or it will bother me for the rest of the night."

Edward feeling insecure was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen…or at least one of the top ten.

"It was stupid." I admitted. When he still looked at me questioningly, I decided to confess. "I just remembered that crazy old lady groping you in church, that's all."

He tried to hide his smile, but did a crap job of it, then gave up. He shook his head grinning at me. "You are so strange Isabella Swan."

He pulled me close again, taking my chin in his hand, he gently pulled my face up to look him in the eyes. "I said I wouldn't push, and I meant it. No more than you are comfortable with, okay?"

I nodded. "I liked what you were doing, it felt nice." I whispered.

"I'm glad." He smiled. "Bella, I definitely don't want our first time to be in my swimming pool. I want it to be special, especially for you. I love you so much beautiful Bella." He said as he kissed me again.

"I love you too." I whispered. "Edward?"

"Yes Bella."

Knowing that my grip on my self-control was tenuous at best, and knowing that I wasn't ready for more than what we'd already done, I decided a change of scenery was in order. "We should probably go watch a movie." I sighed.

"That may be best." He grinned. "What movie did you have in mind?"

"Anything except _September Ends._ "

He looked at me, quizzically. "Bella, I'm not in the habit of watching my own movies, but what specifically is it about  _September Ends_  that you dislike?"

"Um, I don't dislike it. As a matter of fact, I probably like it too much."

_All those steamy love scenes between Edward and what's-her-face, the stupid bitch co-star. Whom I hate. What was I saying again? Oh yeah._

I continued. "I just don't think I can handle Sexward Masen twice in one evening."

Edward blurted out a laugh and then hugged me. Still laughing he said "Bella, I don't know how I've lived without you all these years."

"Me neither Edward." I said grinning. "Me neither."

 


	27. Big Hair & The Lucky Beyotch

 

The next morning I was kicking myself for letting things go too far in the pool. I had just told Edward that we would take a step back, and there I was practically throwing myself at him, dressed in a bikini no less.

I was in the bathroom again, seemed to be a good place for me to think. I certainly couldn't think clearly when I was in the same room with Edward. That boy made my brain fog and my body tingle.

A part of me wanted to throw all my insecurities, fear of the unknown, and worries about the future right out the window and ask Edward to make love to me.

A larger part of me knew that we needed to wait, and that there were a myriad of reasons why that was necessary. I went over the list in my head.

Number one, Edward had tried to end 'us' only four days ago. Not enough time had passed to prove he wouldn't do that again. The true test would be when the media comes up with some sensational story that we have to deal with as a couple. Edward had to prove that he wouldn't overreact every time I got upset. I didn't want to go through life having to hide my reactions from him, because I was afraid he would leave.

Number two, it had only been two days since Tanya's confession had taken the pressure off, and we were able to venture out in public without fear. The initial public reaction had been positive, but even I knew that wouldn't last.

Number three, Edward was going to leave soon for an entire month. It would be torture enough to be separated, without adding the physical longing to the mix.

I thought about all my reasons. How much time needed to pass before  _enough_  time had passed? When would I be ready for a  _real_ physical relationship with Edward? I knew in my heart that Edward was my forever, and that he felt the same way about me. His love was everything to me.

As I mulled these things over in my mind, the answer was suddenly obvious. I realized that the part of me that was holding back wanted something more, something permanent. If I were to give myself to Edward physically, I would want to be his in a permanent way. If we were to spend the night together in  _that way,_ then I wanted to spend all our nights together. I didn't want one of us to have to leave to 'go home' at some point. I wanted our 'home' to be together.

This realization of what I really wanted hit me like a wrecking ball, and stunned my mind.

_Holy crap Bella, do you want Edward to propose?_

Maybe.

The strangest thing about this was that I'd had a cynical view of marriage since I was a child. My parents' divorce and my traumatizing separation from my father and brother had turned me against the whole institution.

But that was before I'd met Edward, and realized true love was possible for me. That was before I'd met his parents and seen the love and adoration they had for each other. Watching Alice and Jasper together was another confirmation that I needed to rethink my stand on marriage.

_Not to mention Rose and Emmett, neither of them could live without the other Bella. You've been a witness to that for years._

_But you and Edward? marriage?_

My brain had just given me a lot to think about. How could I seriously expect Edward to be thinking marriage after knowing me such a short time?

Maybe all the pressure and crazy events of the last three months had finally driven me around the bend.

_Bella, looks like you have actually lost your mind. I knew it was only a matter of time._

Maybe I  _was_  crazy, but after having my epiphany, my mind, which had been a jumble of emotions for months, finally calmed. It was as if, now that it knew what it wanted, it was content to wait for it.

I couldn't think about this right now.

I proceeded to put those thoughts away, knowing that at some point in the near future Edward and I would need to talk about this, at which time I fully expected him to run far, far away from me.

I needed to put on my game face right now, or he would hound me for the rest of the day about something 'bothering me', and we'd have that dreaded conversation a lot sooner than I wanted.

So I put on the cute sundress and sweater Alice had packed for me, and ventured out to find the love of my life, my epiphany safely tucked away in the back of my mind.

By the time we left Edward's house, it was so late that I supposed 'breakfast' would have to actually become 'brunch'. Sidney drove us to a posh restaurant.

_Mr. Movie Star wants me to experience his side of Hollywood today._

Edward informed me that a lot of Hollywood people came here to talk business over lunch.

We'd just gotten our drinks when I started to notice the rich and famous beginning to trickle in.

We were seated in a booth with me facing the entrance. I was driving Edward crazy every time I spotted a celebrity behind him.

"I can't believe it. Guess who I just saw?" I whispered to Edward.

"Why don't you just tell me Bella." He smiled, amused.

"Jude Law just walked in. He's going in the other direction though. I'm sorry but, you won't get to see him."

"Pity." He smirked.

The waiter brought our food, but that didn't slow down my gawking. "Ryan Reynolds." I squeaked out.

Edward shook his head. "And he's with Scarlet." At that, Edward turned his head to look. I kicked him under the table.

"Ow!" He turned back and gave me a dirty look. "What was that for?"

"For being  _such_ a guy. You decided to look when I mentioned Scarlet."

He grinned apologetically. "She's not my type Bella. I prefer brunettes." He said as he reached across and grasped my hand.

_How sweet._

"Besides, she's married, and having lunch with her husband." He grinned.

_Or maybe not so sweet._

"Ugh" I yanked my hand away.

"What?" He said innocently.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You  _know_ what.  _And_  she went brunette for  _Iron Man 2._ "

He chuckled. "Bella, you know I only have eyes for you." He said as he went back to eating his omelet.

"Oh my God Edward. Look over there. No, on second thought, don't look, it would be too obvious. I just saw Denzel Washington, he's sitting right over there, but now your big head keeps getting in my way."

He laughed out loud at that.

"Sorry, you don't really have a big head, just big hair." He laughed again and shook his head. "Sorry that didn't sound right either." I looked at him apologetically "I love your big hair." I said with an impish smile.

"Bella, I can see that I am impeding your attempt at voyeurism. Let me see what I can do about that." He then got up and came to sit beside me on my side of the booth.

"I'm not being voyeuristic Edward." I whispered. "These people aren't doing anything sexy or intimate while I'm spying on them." I smirked.

"Some people would argue that eating is very intimate." He whispered, his eyes gleaming.

He quirked one eyebrow, picked a grape from my fruit salad and proceeded to place it in my mouth. After that he took a strawberry, dipped it in cream, and offered it to me. After I'd eaten it, he dipped another one, swirled his tongue around it, licking off the cream, and took a bite.

I watched his mouth intently, and felt myself blush all the way to my ears. Breathing normally was also becoming difficult.

_Oh my. Sexward is back._

I think I will have to officially change my motto from 'Fuck My Life' to 'Lucky Bitch'.

I then decided to beat  _sexy Eddie_  at his own game.

He dipped another strawberry and held it to my lips. I didn't take the bite right away, instead I swirled my tongue, licking off the cream, and then closed my eyes and moaned quietly as I bit down.

Edward sat there stunned as I grabbed his wrist. He gave me a puzzled expression, but relaxed his hand. I dipped his finger in the cream, brought it to my mouth and swirled my tongue around it before capturing it with my lips and sucking gently.

I heard the sharp intake of his breath and saw his eyes widen slightly at my actions, and then an endearing crooked smile overtook Edward's features.

"Alright Miss Swan. I surrender the game. This probably wasn't the right place to start it, but I couldn't help myself." He whispered as he pulled me close.

"You are just too cute for you own good." He said as he kissed my nose, and then pecked my lips.

I smiled at him.

At that exact moment, Denzel walked by smiling in our direction, my eyes met his, and he winked at me.

_Holy crap. One of my Hollywood crushes actually winked at me after he witnessed me tongue-fucking my boyfriend's finger._

"Edward" I whispered, stunned. "I think you'd better get me out of here before I embarrass you any more than I already have."

He chuckled. "As you wish my love." Then he whispered. "You could never embarrass me Bella."

_-V &V-_

"Alice, I can't do it." I was almost physically ill. Alice had just informed me that our  _little_ photo shoot was for none other than  _Vanity Fair_.

At the thought of being photographed for such a high profile magazine, my self esteem had plummeted into the negative numbers.

There was no way plain, boring little Bella Swan could pull this off. Alice and Rose, on the other hand, could do anything. It would take very little effort to make both of them look as if they'd just come down from Mount Olympus to spend the afternoon with us mere mortals.

"Bella! For the love of Christian Dior, would you stop your whining!" Alice scolded. "You are beautiful and sexy.  _Edward_ knows this, and after this photo shoot, so will the rest of the world!"

"Alice, this article is to showcase your designs right?" I asked. "So why are you posing in it. Don't you worry about your anonymity?"

Alice smiled as she thought for a moment. "The interview is already done. Actually they interviewed both Christopher and myself." She bit her lip as she looked out the window. "This article will be our 'big reveal'. After this, everyone will know who really runs  _Brandon Miles._ They will even know that I'm Edward's sister."

I gasped in shock.

Alice looked at me knowingly "Bella, it was time. The need for secrecy is behind us. Since Edward met you, everything has changed. I kept my anonymity for  _him_ , not for myself." She smiled.

"In the interview, I stressed how important my family is to me. How I didn't want my career to interfere with Edward's in any way. Now, we're both well established, and the Tanya nonsense is no longer a factor, it's time for everyone to be honest. Our families no longer need to hide."

"Therefore, it only makes sense that  _Rose_ , my husband's sister, and  _you_ , my brother's girlfriend, be photographed with me. We're family after all. Jasper and I feel that way, and Mom and Dad already love you like a daughter." She said as she gave me a little hug.

I felt a lump forming in my throat. I'd done nothing to earn a place in Esme and Carlisle's family except love their son. Seemingly, that was enough. I could feel the tears well up in my eyes as I thought of Esme's kind smile and Carlisle's gentle words the last time I saw them.

I'd lost so much when my mother died. I didn't think I deserved anything beyond the little family I already had in Charlie, Emmett and Rose. It seems that I was wrong. Not only did I now have Edward, but also a whole new family to love. Knowing I couldn't keep the tears at bay, I didn't answer, I just hugged Alice back.

_I guess I'll shut up and do the stupid photo shoot._

_-V &V-_

Christopher, Alice and I were enjoying the afternoon sun on Alice's patio, while sipping our vodka sunset cocktails.

Chris had arrived a couple of hours before with two assistants for my fitting. Alice also had me fitted for my bridesmaid's dress while I was here. The assistants had gone, but Chris stayed behind.

"When are the men folk getting back girls?" Christopher asked. Although I'm sure he was only truly concerned with Jasper's arrival.

I giggled. The alcohol already making me a little too happy.

"I don't know Chris. We're supposed to go out for dinner, so hopefully they'll show back up soon." Alice answered with a smile.

She was so on to Christopher.

_I miss my boyfriend. Why isn't he back from that stupid interview yet?_

Chris sighed and then looked at me. "Bella, I have to tell you that I haven't wanted to reach through the television and strangle anyone in a long time." He said as he quirked an eyebrow. "But that's exactly what I wanted to do to the trailer park trash that was spouting lies on television last week."

_What?_

Then realization dawned on me.

_Oh, Jeff's sister._

"If I ever see that slut in person, I may have to cut a bitch." Chris said earnestly. "Unfortunately Bella, there's always going to be someone out there talking and there's always going to me some media hound willing to listen. I hope you will just ignore them and focus on what's important. From what I could tell, you've survived a lot of bad things, honey, but now you finally get to have some good experiences to replace the bad. I only spent one afternoon with you and Edward, and could tell immediately that you were perfect for each other."

I don't know if it was the effect of the alcohol buzz, or the fact that I felt incredibly comfortable with Chris and Alice, but I proceeded to spill my guts to them about what my life was like after my mother's death, up until I met Edward.

Before I knew it, Alice and Chris were sniffling and reaching over to pat my hands in a comforting gesture. "Oh sweetie, don't tell me that you never went to prom?" Alice was horrified.

"No, Alice. I didn't want any boy to get too close. I couldn't do the whole dancing thing." I said sadly.

She looked at me through her bleary eyes "But with Edward it's different?"

"Yes, Edward has changed everything. He has helped me heal in so many ways. Once I found him, it's as if the rest of the world lost its menacing edge." I said quietly.

I then went on to tell them how much I loved Edward, and how I wanted to be with him forever.

"That's just the sweetest thing." Christopher was actually weeping. "Alice" he gasped with sudden inspiration "We have to do her wedding gown!"

_What the fuck? Okay so Alice sees the future and Chris is what? Some kind of mind-reader?_

"When that time comes, I'll be ready." Alice answered with a smug smile.

I took another swig of my drink.

And that's how Edward and Jasper found us, three sloppy drunks lolling around on the chaise lounges.

Because of Chris's inebriated state, we didn't want him to drive, so Edward had Sidney take him home. All I wanted to do was sleep for a little while, so Edward helped me to my room and laid down with me.

I kept drifting in and out of sleep.

"Baby you're so restless. Would it help if I sang?"

I made an attempt to nod my head. I assume that Edward understood because a few seconds later I thought I heard, or maybe just imagined him singing quietly beside me as my mind lingered just on the edge of sleep.

 _It was you who picked the pieces up,_ _When I was a broken soul_

 _And then glued me back together,_ _Returned to me what others stole_

_I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to make you sway_

_Like I know I've done before, I will not do it any more_

_I've always been a dreamer, I've had my head among the clouds_

_But now that I'm coming down, won't you be my solid ground?_

_-V &V-_

Edward let me sleep for a couple of hours, then woke me for dinner. We were going to an Indian restaurant in Beverly Hills.

Alice, of course, was decked out in a full sari, correction, a mini-sari. She'd tried to get me to wear one, but Edward and I had decided to be casual tonight. I was so comfy in my hoodie and jeans that she'd have to pry them off of my cold hard corpse if she expected me to change.

Edward wore his jeans and beanie, so together we made a very underdressed, 'un-Hollywood' couple.

As expected at a place like this, the paparazzi were posted outside. They began shouting questions at us. We ignored them, hoping they'd go away.

"Hey Isabella, do you hate Tanya for what she did?" shouted one.

"Do you think the studio should renew her contract after this?" questioned another.

_The studio started all this bullshit._

"Edward can you pose for one shot with the lovely Bella?"

Edward grinned at me, and we kept on walking.

After a delicious dinner, and over protests from Edward and I, we ended up at a night club. We were led to a dark booth in the corner, hopefully it would be a while before anyone recognized Edward.

"You guys need to loosen up." Alice slurred.

Yeah, we were drinking again.

"Alice, we don't need a nightclub and alcohol to enjoy ourselves." Edward answered.

"You two act like old people. You need to act your age!" She said as she took a swig of her drink. "Come on Jazzy, let's dance."

I looked at Edward. "Maybe she has a point." I lifted my glass. "To acting our age."

Edward smiled, sighed and clinked his glass with mine.

Two hours and many cocktails later, I'd been coaxed onto the dance floor by Edward a few times, and had to admit that acting my age was one of my new favorite things. We were all pretty drunk when I went off to the ladies room to check on Alice. Even in my drunken state I'd realized that she'd been gone a long time.

As I approached the hallway leading to the rest rooms, I understood her delay. The line had grown considerably since the last time I'd been. As I got closer, I heard murmuring voices, Alice's ringing loudly above the rest.

"Stay away from Edward you skank."

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" I heard a whiny voice reply. "This isn't your business. Last time I checked, your husband was only his manager.  _You_ aren't involved. If I were you, I'd be careful or someone will snatch that delicious Jasper away from you."

Alice laughed loudly. "That will never happen Dina. Anyway, we were talking about Edward, not my husband."

"If I'd known Edward really wasn't with Tanya those times we went out, I'd be a lot closer to him by now." Dina sneered.

_Oh, Dina was one of Edward's 'arranged' dates._

"He  _has_ a girlfriend. Are you so drunk that you don't remember that?" Alice accused.

"That little nobody can't compare to me. Hell she can't compare to any of the women here tonight." Dina laughed.

"You know, you're right." Alice answered. "She can't compare to a roomful of silicone and botox injected tramps like you. Bella is real. She's truly beautiful, sweet, and honest. She's the most decent girl I've ever met. She's perfect for Edward."

"Something you could never be." Alice declared as she walked away.

I wonder how many times this happens? I'd been so wrapped up in how I was being treated by the media and the general public, that I hadn't given a thought to how my friends and family were handling all this.

Alice was quickly becoming as dear to me as Rose.

I stopped her as she walked past and gave her a meaningful look. "Thank you Alice. I feel the same way about you."

She put her arm around my shoulders and led me back to our booth. "I think we've had enough of Hollywood people, let's go find our guys." She said as she smiled.

People had started to recognize Edward, and alcohol was making them bold. We found the boys trapped in the booth, surrounded by bimbos.

_When dealing with whores trying to steal your man Bella, always remember 'WWRD'. What would Rose do?_

"Excuse me girls, but I believe you're blocking our seats." I said politely but forcefully. No need to provoke an argument.

Bimbo number one turned to sneer at me. "I don't think so."

_Don't look at me like that skankarella._

"Correction, your boobs are spilling out of your dresses and are almost on our table." I said in a voice I didn't recognize as mine. "Considering how many plastic surgeons office those things have visited, it's unsanitary to have them splayed across the table."

_See Bella, I told you someone could have diseased tits. You never believe me._

"And if you get any closer to my seat, your ass will be in it. I doubt there's enough penicillin on earth to save me from what's growing in your vagina."

Edward's mouth fell open, and Jasper, who was sipping his drink, choked and sprayed it across the table, all over skankarella number 2.

Alice's face lit up with a brilliant smile, as the bimbo brigade shot daggers at both of us, then backed away and disappeared. We had another drink with the boys, then we grabbed them both by the arms and got the hell out of there.

Sidney was waiting outside to take our drunk asses home.

On the way there, I caught Edward staring at me. He looked just as loopy as I felt.

"What?" I asked him.

"Bella, you are soooo pretty. Did you know that?" He said as he leaned in for a kiss, missed my mouth and landed it on my chin. "I love you sooo much."

"You're pretty too Ewaaard." I declared.

_Bella, you drank so much that you forgot how to pronounce that pretty boy's name._

"Shut up bitch!" I told my subconscious.

"What did I say?" Alice asked, drunk and offended.

"No, not you Ali. I was talking to myself." I giggled.

_I love my Ali, I'd never call her a beyotch._

"You do that too?" She chirped. "I talk to myself all the time. I don't call myself a bitch though." Her brow creased as she concentrated. "But I have called myself a whore before."

Jasper's eyes shot open with a look of surprise.

"Why are you saying that to yourself Ali, um, the hooor word? You're not a hooker." In my mind, I actually sounded intelligent.

"Oh I get quite angry with myself for being a whore sometimes." She said, matter-of-factly.

Edward and Jasper both looked freaked out now.

"What is wrong with you two retards?" Alice asked them.

"Alice honey, I wish you'd stop referring to yourself by that term. It makes me quite uncomfortable for my wife to call herself that, and even more troubling is  _why_ you would call yourself that?" Jasper answered. Wow, even drunk he sounded like the perfect southern gentleman.

"Oh Jazzy, you are too funneee. I'm not a real whore." She slurred as she kissed his cheek. "I'm just a media whore. I looovvve all the publicity that  _Brandon Miles_ gets. I pimp out my designs at every public event, just to get more attention."

_No way I'm as drunk as Alice._

When we got home, I crawled into bed still fully clothed. I felt Edward flop down beside me.

"Ga-nite Ewarr, I love you." I whispered.

"Goonite Bell" He took a breath " a. I love you too."

He placed a sloppy kiss on my cheek as I drifted off to sleep. As I slipped into unconsciousness, I thought I heard him whisper. "If I asked you, I wonder if you would you say yes?" He slurred as he put his arms around me. "hmm Bella Cullen."

From far away I heard my own voice mutter "I'm a lucky bitch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Edward sang is "Sway" by The Perishers. One of my personal favorites.
> 
> Obviously took place before Ryan and Scarlet split. She's one stupid woman...that's all I have to say.


	28. Captain Jack & Drunkella

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning: If you're easily offended by, well, anything, then why the hell are you reading this story? Wrap yourself in cotton and get back in your bubble.
> 
> **For the rest of you, my wonderful readers, I just want to warn you that this chapter is complete and utter silliness from beginning to bitter end.

 

I kept hearing chimes.

_Why did I drink so much? Bella, Just Say No._

I could feel Edward beside me, but I couldn't force my eyes open.

_There are those damn chimes again. Hey, I know that sound._

I then realized that sound signaled an incoming text.

_Who the hell texts someone at, um, whatever the hell time it is, when they're on vacation?_

After a few more minutes, I sucked up the pain and pried an eye open and felt around for my phone. I found it on the floor beside the bed.

Three text messages. I opened the first.

_**Sa Da Tay!** _

_What?_

Not being able to make sense of that one, I opened the next one.

_**Wa Da Tah** _

_?_

_**Sine Your Pitty On the Runny Kine** _

_What the fuck? Have I woken up in a parallel universe where they speak an alien language?_

I must have still been a little drunk, and a lot disoriented.

_Maybe reading them out loud will help you to understand Bella?_

It was worth a try.

"Sa Da Tay." I said, feeling kind of stupid. "Wah Da Tah"

_Oh geesh_

"Sine your pitty on the runny kine."

I heard Edward mutter in a groggy voice "That is the weirdest fucking thing I've ever woken up to. Is there a reason that you're quoting  _Pootie Tang_ Bella?"

_Pootie Tang. Emmett. Of course._

"I got these strange text messages in  _Pootie Tang-speak_. You can guess who sent them." I whispered as I laid back.

"Had to be Emmett." Edward answered without opening his eyes.

"It just figures that he'd be bored the same morning I had the worst hangover of my life." I whispered.

Just then the phone rang.

_I am about to become an only child._

"Emmett, why are you calling me this early?" I whisper yelled.

"Bellaboo!" He boomed. "What do you mean early? It's almost eleven o'clock."

"Thanks for clearing that up." I muttered sarcastically.

"I got bored. Rose is at work. What are you doing today?" He asked expectantly.

"After I cure my hangover, I think Edward and I are having lunch with Johnny Depp."

"Hangover?" He chuckled.

_Laugh it up ass wipe._

"I think I'm coming with Rose this weekend. My underwear shoot isn't until next week." He added.

"That will be fun." For him.

_Guaranteed to be embarrassing for me._

"Okay Bellaboo. Have fun with Captain Jack." He laughed.

"Thanks Em. See you Friday." I hung up. I rolled toward Edward. He had his head propped on his hand watching me.

"Your brother's coming too?" He asked, bleary eyed.

"Seems like it. He hates being away from Rose." I answered quietly.

"I can relate." He smirked.

"What? You miss Rose? She'll be so flattered to hear that." I teased.

"You know what I mean Miss Swan." He smiled painfully.

_Miss Swan. I seem to remember something about a Mrs. Cullen as I was falling asleep._

_Game face Bella. Game face!_

An hour later we were cleaned up and dressed a la Alice. Even hung-over that girl was more magician than stylist. You would never have known that Edward and I were still suffering from last night.

We were meeting Johnny at a very exclusive restaurant. The paps weren't allowed anywhere near this place. After lunch, we were picking up the Vanquish and driving to Laguna Beach.

Alice had packed my bag again, refusing to let me peek.

_I bet while growing up, Alice loved playing with her Barbie dolls as much as Rose did. Now they play Bella Barbie._

We were sitting in the restaurant, waiting for  _Johnny._  My butterflies were in command of my stomach. I was certain I wouldn't be able to eat. Although when I thought about that I realized I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything since the restaurant last night.

The waitress asked for our drink order. Edward winced when I asked for a bloody Mary.

"Edward, didn't you know that the best cure for a hangover is a little alcohol? You know, hair of the dog and all that." I said smugly.

_It can't hurt, because right now I feel like shit. There's no way to go but up._

I was halfway through my drink, and my stomach was about to eat itself when Johnny arrived.

Edward introduced me, and I found that my tongue was trapped, perhaps permanently, behind my teeth.

_Fuck me. He's almost as edible as Edward. Crap, Edward's glaring at me. Must drink._

While Edward and Johnny spoke about their upcoming projects, I seemed to find the inside of my bloody Mary glass to be the most fascinating thing in the room.

_Bella, snap out of it. How many times are you going to have lunch with Johnny freakin Depp?_

"I've got a shoot in England starting in a couple of weeks, should last a month." Edward was speaking.

"I have a home there, but we're heading back to the farm in France when we leave L.A. I want a little family time before I start filming again." Johnny remarked.

_Edward should buy a place in Europe. I'm going to suggest it. Then he could take me there and make sweeeet love to me. This drink is really smooth._

Johnny turned to me. "So Bella, you're from Seattle right?"

_O my hell. Johnny freakin Depp is addressing me. Shut the fuck up!_

I put on my most unaffected smile. "I live in Seattle, but I'm actually from a little town near the west coast of Washington called Forks." Edward was smiling, no doubt proud that I could string two words together.

I continued. "My Dad is the chief of police."

Johnny looked surprised. "That's interesting. So were you a goody goody kid or a trouble maker?" He said with a mischievous smile.

I must have looked confused. "It's just that I've found that cop's kids are usually one extreme or the other. The same can be said for the children of clergymen I guess." Johnny chuckled.

_Why is Johnny making me think this hard? My head still fucking hurts. I need more alcohol. Where is that waitress? Probably using the bathroom, then she'll forget to wash her hands, and then she'll touch our food. Ick. What a dumb bitch._

Edward, aware that I'd completely zoned out, patted my hand "I'm sure that Bella was a very good child."

I nodded and smiled.

_Damn right I was. Johnny needs to stop making up shit about me. He's really not acting like a good friend._

I looked around. There were a lot of Hollywood's beautiful people scattered at tables all around us. Maybe it was my imagination, but I swear all the females had their eyes trained on our table.

_That's right bitches, I'm having lunch with the two hottest guys in Hollywood. Sucks to be you._

The waitress finally hauled her germ-ridden ass back to our table. I gave her a dirty look as we ordered our food, and I ordered another drink. Edward's pointed glare told me he didn't approve of the drink or of the way I was treating the waitress.

_Pfftt. Edward needs to know that she's probably spreading hepatitis as we speak, and that alcohol is good for Bella when having lunch with Johnny. Otherwise Bella can't function._

The second bloody Mary was even smoother.

_I'm still starving. Where is my food? At least a celery stick came with my drink._

"We really should look into doing a project together." Johnny was speaking to Edward. "Maybe something with Rodriguez directing."

_Rodriguez…. Roddy bo boddy fe fi fo foddy. That sounds dumb. Johnny bo bonny fe fi fo fonny. Better. Eddie bo beddy fe fi fo feddy._

_If I don't eat soon I'm going to die._

"How long will you be in California Bella?"

_Oh shit. Johnny's talking to me again. Um._

"I fly back on Sunday." I answered mechanically.

_I don't know what day it is right now, but I know I go home Sunday. Johnny is testing me, seeing if I can handle my liquor. Still wants to put me in that bad cop kid category. I don't think so Mr. Willy Wonka. Humph._

At that moment our food arrived.

"Oh thank fuck!" I exclaimed loudly. "We've been waiting so fucking long that I assumed they had a one-armed chef!"

Johnny's eyes opened wide in surprise, but he was grinning. I couldn't see Edward's face because it was covered by his hands.

_He must still have a headache. I told him to drink. He should always listen to me, or was that Alice? Oh yeah, he should always listen to Alice. But he could listen to me once in a while, it wouldn't kill him. But hepatitis could._

"Don't eat that!" I shouted at Edward, suddenly remembering the waitress's terrible rest room habits. "Edward, that waitress may be spreading hepatitis or E. coli or maybe diphtheria." I whispered.

"Bella, what are you talking about?" Edward whispered back.

"I don't think she washes her hands after she tinkles." I said as I nodded knowingly.

"Bella, did you follow her to the ladies room?" I shook my head. "No, you didn't." Then he turned to Johnny, who was looking very amused. "I'm sorry, she's not really used to alcohol."

_Why is Edward telling Johnny that? You know what? I don't care. I need to inhale this entire plate of food before I wither away._

I started woofing down my veggie wrap.

_I don't even care if I get the plague. Starvation would kill me faster._

"It's okay Edward. I understand that you guys have had a crazy couple of weeks. Now you can finally relax a little." Johnny said in an understanding tone.

_See, Edward should be drinking, it would help him to relax, even Johnny thinks so._

I watched Edward while he ate. More specifically, I watched his lips.

_I need to kiss him right now._

I leaned over and kissed Edward right on the, well, right on the kisser. He looked really surprised. I giggled.

Johnny shook his head and chuckled.

_Sorry Johnny, no matter how cute and adorable you are, I'm not kissing you. I'm a one woman man, or is that a one man woman? Eh, whatever._

Edward started laughing to himself.

_Must be a private joke between him and Johnny. I'll ask Edward to tell me later._

When our herpes-ridden waitress reappeared I tried to order another drink, but Edward talked me out of it.

"Bella, if you forgo the alcohol, I'll treat you to dessert. I hear the cheesecake is exceptional." He hit me with the full force of his panty-dropping smile.

_What were we talking about?_

I couldn't think. "Whatever you say Edward." I smiled.

He ordered the desserts. I crossed my fingers hoping we didn't catch a disease.

_Herpes would be a terrible thing. Edward and I don't want herpes. I don't want anything to damage the peen before I've even had the chance to try it out._

I looked over to see Johnny smiling at me. I felt myself blush.

_Does Johnny know I was just thinking about Edward's peen? Wipe that smug smile right off your face you Ed Wood cross-dressing motherfucker._

Edward and I ended up sharing our desserts. He ordered some towering fudge cake, or as I prefer to call it, three layers of chocolate sin. I stole so many bites of his cake that he finally switched our desserts, and he ate the cheesecake.

Edward and Johnny continued talking about finding a project together. Johnny would be back in Europe in a couple of weeks _,_ and would touch base with Edward again then.

We said our goodbyes, and headed for the exit. I stopped Edward before the door because I really needed to pee.

I leaned up and kissed him again. "I'm going to the ladies room, I'll just be a minute."

He watched me worriedly.

_Jeebus, what can happen between here and the bathroom? Edward is so silly._

I did my business and exited the stall, making sure to wash my hands. Just then, in the mirror, I saw our waitress exit the stall next to mine. She didn't even glance in my direction before walking out, WITHOUT WASHING HER FUCKING HANDS!

_I knew it._

_-V &V-_

"I think I may have narcolepsy." I stated as I stretched my arms.

We were in the Vanquish, on our way to Laguna Beach and I'd slept almost the whole way there.

"Bella, you don't have narcolepsy." Edward said as he smiled.

"I don't know Edward, every time I ride in a Vanquish, I fall asleep." I grinned at him.

"I'm not surprised after all that alcohol." He muttered under his breath.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." I said with an arched glare. "Maybe I just have carcolepsy?"

_Because Vanquisholepsy sounds stupid._

He laughed as he shook his head. He reached over taking my hand in his, and held it between us. "I don't know how I'll survive a whole month without you Bella." He smiled sadly.

"Edward, we were apart for a month after Valentine's Day." I reminded him.

"That's true, but I knew that at any time I could hop a plane and be there in about three hours. England is so far…" He drifted off.

"It will be okay Edward. It's your career. We'll make due." I tried to sound comforting.

"Bella." He glanced at me with a serious expression. "I know this isn't an option, I guess I'm just curious."

"What Edward?"

"I just wondered, if you were through with school, would you have considered going to England with me? I mean if I'd asked?" He looked nervous about my answer.

"Yes I would have gone. Would you have asked?"

"Absolutely Bella. I always want to be with you. Now that I have you, it doesn't feel right when we're apart. Aside from just plain missing you, I also worry all the time whether or not you're okay." He sighed.

"You shouldn't, you'll get worry lines. Then you'll be out of a job." I tried to lighten the mood.

He smiled and shook his head.

When we arrived at the hotel, I was unprepared for just how beautiful it was. Edward had booked a suite at the Ritz Carlton. It was a tiny piece of heaven situated just an hour south of L.A.

"Wow" was my pithy remark upon entering our suite.

_I knew being a English major would come in handy._

"You outdid yourself this time Mr. Movie Star." I smiled broadly.

We still had a couple hours of daylight left, so I talked Edward into a walk on the beach.

"I can't get over all the colors. I'm used to the grey and green landscapes back home." We were walking hand in hand up the beach.

"It is beautiful." Edward observed. "It's funny Bella, I never noticed or cared about any of this stuff before I met you."

"I understand Edward. I'm definitely looking at the world through different eyes now. It's kind of incredible." I smiled at him.

We had a late dinner in our suite. Afterwards, I suggested going down to the hotel bar for a nightcap.

_I swear I saw Edward cringe at the mention of alcohol. That boy sure can't hold his liquor. It's sad really._

"Bella, if I agree to this you have to promise just one drink and then we come back to the room okay?"

"Sure Edward, that would be fine." I smiled as I shrugged. "Edward, be honest, are you afraid you'll get drunk and do something embarrassing?"

"Exactly Bella. I live in fear of doing something embarrassing. That's why I wouldn't drink during our lunch today."

_Do I hear a hint of sarcasm in his voice? Must be my imagination._

I thought about what he'd said. "Maybe it's a good thing that I'm the only one who drank then."

Edward rubbed his chin with his hand while looking down into my eyes. "Or maybe it's a good thing that you're so damned endearing when you're tipsy."

_Huh?_

I looked at Edward, confused. "Don't worry about it Bella." He said as he pecked me on the lips. "Let's go get that drink."

The bar had live music, which was a pleasant surprise. Our 'one drink' quickly became two as Edward and I enjoyed the secluded atmosphere and the good music. He even got me to dance. The alcohol helped with that.

"You look lonely little lady, how about a dance?" I heard a sugary simpering voice say, entirely too close to my ear.

The hair on the back of my neck stood out. Edward had left me alone for just a moment while he went to the rest room.

I looked up to see the sleazy person that went with the voice. At some point in my life, I probably would have thought him mildly attractive. Unfortunately for him, I now compared everyone to Edward and he, sadly, came up short.

"No thanks, I'm here with someone." I answered politely. Despite the alcohol, I could feel myself getting nervous. I needed Mr. Sleazy to take the hint and go.

"Funny, I don't see anyone here." He pressed, as he leaned in a little closer. So close, in fact, that I could smell the liquor and cigarettes on his breath. I could feel myself starting to get nervous.

"He's just left for a moment."

_Why the hell am I explaining myself to this jerk?_

"If he cared, he would know not to leave a gorgeous little thing like you alone. Besides, I don't see a ring so he mustn't be  _that_ committed. No ring tells me that you're open to new  _possibilities._ " He said as he leaned in even closer.

I leaned away as far as the small space by the wall allowed.

_Where the hell does this loser get his lines?_

I suddenly had a brainstorm. A sure fire way to ditch this loser. Act crazy.

"Sa da tay?" I asked him.

Sleazy gave me a funny look, like he was expecting me to give him the punch line to a joke.

_Ah, got your attention now Sleazy McSleazmeister._

"Wah Da Tah." I continued.

_Thank God for Emmett sending me those stupid texts._

By this time Sleazeman wasn't sure what to think of me.

"Sine your pitty on the runny kine." I said seriously.

Sleazeburger looked at me like I was crazy.

_Bingo._

"Excuse me." Edward said as he grabbed Mr. Sleazy's shoulder, moving him away from me. "Would you kindly step away from my girlfriend, before I forcibly have you removed?"

Sleazy took one look at Edward's angry expression and put his hands up in surrender. "Hey man, I didn't mean anything. No blood no foul right?" He smiled at Edward. "You really should keep a better eye on your  _girlfriend_  if you want to keep her." He glanced at me again.

"On second thought, she's all yours. That chick is a little too strange for me." He shook his head as he walked away.

I tried to look offended.

"Bella, is it possible, or could I have just imagined that you were using Pootie Tang-speak to get that guy to leave?" He had a weird puzzled smile on his beautiful face.

"Wa Da Tah." I said, smiling.

He sat down staring at me with a look of amazed wonder. I responded the only way I knew how, I jumped in his lap and kissed the shit out of him. Our lips were still locked when Edward started laughing.

He pulled away looking at me with a smile. "Bella, I've always found you amusing, but the drinking has unlocked a whole other side of you. But, be that as it may, we're calling a moratorium on alcohol until Friday."

I made a pouty face.

"Come on Drunkella, time to go." He smiled as he took my hand. "It's been a long day."

"Sa Da Tay." I agreed as I took his hand.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've never seen Pootie Tang…go rent it or watch bits and pieces on you tube. Makes it marginally easier to understand the silliness of the chappy.


	29. Tidal Pools & Capistrano

 

In my dream I could hear the ocean. I was at First Beach with Emmett. Even in my sleep, I was aware that this wasn't a dream, it was a memory.

' _Bellaboo come on, it's low tide, let's hike to the tidal pools.'_

' _I don't know Emmett, I fell in last time.'_

_Emmett laughed. 'I'll hold your hand, you won't fall, promise.'_

_He held my hand, and I didn't fall. 'Well, Belly, you made it a whole year in Arizona. Now you're going into the third grade, and you've made friends, sounds like you're doing okay.'_

' _Yeah, but Mommy sometimes says she wants to move to Florida or California. I don't want to move unless we move back home.' I said sadly, as I watched the crabs dig into the wet sand._

' _Sorry Belly, I don't think that's going to happen.' Emmett looked sad too._

' _But Dad and I will still see you all the time, just like we did this year.'_

' _I just miss home.' I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. 'Emmett, when I grow up, I'm never leaving Forks. I'm staying with you and Daddy forever.'_

_I started to cry as I hugged him._

_Emmett smiled. 'Belly, someday you might get married, or get a job far away. We probably won't live here forever, well, Dad will,' he chuckled, 'But, even if we don't live near each other, we'll still visit all the time.'_

_I thought about this. When you're a grown up it's easy to get on a plane any time you want. 'I'm still coming back here to live.' I muttered stubbornly._

_Emmett laughed. 'If you do, then I'll stay in Washington too.'_

_I looked at him through my tears 'Pinkie swear?' I asked._

' _Pinkie swear.' He said with a big smile as he hooked my pinkie in his._

' _But right now, we'd better head back, Dad will start to worry.' Emmett said, and then took my hand in his._

_I gave him a hug. 'I love you brother bear.' I said as I sniffled into his shirt._

_He sighed. 'I love you too Bellaboo.'_

I could feel myself starting to wake up, but I could still hear the ocean. "Bella." A familiar voice said softly. I slowly blinked open my eyes. The space around me was unfamiliar.

_Think Bella._

_Oh yes, Edward. I'm at the beach with Edward._

The same Edward who was lying beside me, watching me as I woke up.

"Bella you were crying." He looked at me with concern as he wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"It was my dream. I'm okay." I said as I snuggled close to him.

Edward laid back so I could rest my head on his chest. One of his hands drew lazy circles on my back. He sighed. "What were you dreaming about?"

I thought about that. "It wasn't a dream really, it was a memory from when I was a child."

"You said Emmett's name and then a few minutes later, you started to cry." He whispered.

"I'm sorry. I was remembering how sad I was as a child every time I had to leave Dad and Emmett. I promised myself that when I grew up, I'd never be far away from the people I love." I said quietly.

Edward sighed and wrapped both arms around me. "I wish I could make that promise." He muttered sadly.

"Edward, we've talked about this. I don't know why this trip is making you so anxious. We'll be together again before you know it." I smiled up at him.

He was quiet for a minute. "You're right as usual Miss Swan. Come on, let's enjoy today, I'll leave my worrying for another time." He sat up, and started tugging my hand.

"What have you got planned?" I asked nervously.

"Well, I thought we'd start with a drive up the coast, that is unless you wanted to surf or play golf?" He responded with a smirk.

"You know me, golf it is." I said sarcastically.

Alice had packed a pretty grey sundress. The almost April temperatures in southern California would be just warm enough for me to wear it. When I came out of the bathroom, Edward was ready to go. He looked like a tourist in his khakis pants and white button down shirt.

_A gorgeous male model tourist Bella._

After a light breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we stepped outside. The valet was just bringing the Vanquish up. Edward set his ipod in the dock, selected a play list, and we were off.

"What's with the old music?" I asked as Edward drove the Vanquish along the Pacific Coast highway.

I'd noticed, for the few minutes that I was actually awake during the drive yesterday, that Edward had played a lot of music from the 1940's. Today, it was more of the same.

"When I'm filming, I try to immerse myself in as many things that are pertinent to my character as possible. One way is through the music he would listen to."

"Oh" I nodded understandingly. "World War II movie, 1940's music. Makes sense."

He nodded. "My parents' musical taste is very eclectic, therefore I listened to a  _lot_  of different types of music. Being a musician, I appreciate just about every kind of music there is. There isn't much that I dislike." He said smiling.

I could tell this was a subject close to his heart.

"I hope you're never trapped in a car with Emmett. His music choices drive me crazy. Too much Rap." I muttered.

"I don't dislike Rap, Bella." He said grinning. "In fact, I think a lot of it is fascinating."

"I kind of like this music." I said as I nodded toward the ipod. "I don't know, there's something about it, I guess it's kind of soothing."

"I've listened to little else except World War II era music while filming." He was silent for a moment, thinking, then he cut his eyes at me before speaking. "Speaking of filming, I need to tell you something about this movie Miss Swan, something unpleasant."

I didn't know what to think.

_Is he going to be gone longer than planned? No, he would've told me that._

"What is it Edward?" I asked, a little apprehensive of his answer.

He clasped my hand, still shooting glances at me. "Well, I need to let you know that my character dies. I think it's better that you know ahead of time, so you don't have the same reaction you did when you watched  _Time Stands Still._ " He said with a smug smile. He was teasing me.

"Edward, I'm glad my suffering amused you." He immediately lost his smile. "I'd like to see your reaction if you had to watch me die."

Edward blanched, and I immediately felt bad for my snippy remark. "I'm sorry Edward, I know it's not the same. I don't know why I said that." I patted his hand. "So, tell me more about this movie." I said, trying to change the subject.

I watched him blink a few times before his expression softened, as he thought about his current film. A smile pulled at his lips. Edward really enjoyed his craft. "You already know part of it. Three boyhood friends, they lose touch after the stock market crashes and my character's family loses everything." He glanced at me "His father commits suicide, and the mother and children have to move away to live with relatives."

_This movie sounds depressing._

"Still with me?" He asked grinning.

"Yes Edward, the carcolepsy hasn't kicked in yet." I smiled back.

He barked out a laugh. "Okay, so all three friends meet up again in England, on the eve of the D-day invasion. Long story short, my character dies saving one of the other two."

_Yep, depressing._

"I don't quite understand the title though,  _The Harvest of Avarice?_ "

"Well the title translates literally to mean the harvest of greed. The easy interpretation would be, through the father's greed, the family loses everything. They were brought lower than most, especially with his selfish act of suicide. I go a little further with my interpretation though. If my character hadn't gone through this horrific chain of events, he would have stayed the pompous rich little asshole he was as a child. Because he lost everything, he learned what was really important, the ensuing fifteen years literally remade him into a man who would die to save another. Therefore, his sacrifice is the true harvest of his father's selfishness. It's very powerful." Edward was lost in his thoughts.

_Could I love this man any more than I do? He's perfect._

I looked at him as I considered. "It will be difficult, but I guess I'll watch it." I whispered.

He smiled at me, squeezed my hand and said "I love you Bella."

"Love you too."

We continued holding hands as we rode along listening to Glenn Miller and his orchestra. After a few minutes, Edward turned the car around, and we headed back down the coast the way we'd come.

Eventually, we passed the hotel and continued on. I started to feel sleepy.

"Oh no you don't Miss Swan." He said, startling me out of my almost nap. He laughed. "We're almost there, don't pass out on me now."

He let go of my hand to change the song on his ipod. "I even found the perfect song." He grinned as ' _When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano'_ played through the speakers.

About a minute later, we passed the sign 'Welcome to Capistrano, Home of the swallows'.

I turned to Edward with a smile. "You're kind of sappy Mr. Movie Star."

"Guilty." He answered, returning my smile, just as the song ended.

As Edward parked the car, I noticed a few stares from passersby. There was no question that the Vanquish was a head-turner. As soon as Edward exited and walked around to my side and people started to realize who he was, I saw more than one jaw drop.

_Yep, who cares about the car when they can look at Edward._

I chuckled.

He took my hand and looked at me slyly "What are you thinking Miss Swan?" He grinned.

I smiled back. "Oh, just how jealous everyone is of me because I have such a hot boyfriend." I blurted the truth.

"Hm. I think more people are looking at my gorgeous girlfriend." He said as he stopped walking and pulled me into his arms. I couldn't help myself, I put my arms around Edward's neck as he leaned down to kiss me. The sweet simple kiss turned passionate almost immediately, with me running my hands through his hair, and Edward's hands on my lower back pulling my body flush against his. The fog lifted from my brain just long enough to remember that we were standing in the middle of a sidewalk on a very public street.

I reluctantly pulled away and looked around.

As I could have guessed, quite a few people were staring. I could feel my blush starting, especially when I realized we were standing in front of the Basilica.

_Bella, you are such a shameless hussy._

We behaved ourselves after that, walking hand in hand as we toured a couple of places, starting with the Old Mission. It was preserved in its damaged state for tourists to enjoy. After that, we walked back over to the Basilica. I, of course, had to go inside. It wouldn't do for me to walk by without going in to say a prayer and light a candle. Maybe it would make up for my tawdry behavior earlier. I am so going to be struck by lightning one of these days.

_I wouldn't be surprised. You were practically having sex on the doorstep you trollop._

Again, we were greeted with more than a few stares, puzzled looks, and some smiles.

It was such a relaxing morning. I enjoyed the feel of the warm sun as we walked, knowing that back home it was probably only in the fifties and, most likely, raining. As nice as it was, I was still a little chilly. I'd stubbornly left my sweater back at the hotel. Edward noticed.

_Of course Bella, he notices everything about you._

Before I knew it, he'd dragged me into a little shop that sold knit wraps, stoles and scarves and insisted I choose one. By the look on his face, I could tell there was no point arguing. I chose a simple red wrap, he paid before I had a chance to see the price tag of almost four hundred dollars!

_Holy crap._

He heard me gasp, and narrowed his eyes at me after he took in my expression.

I kept my mouth shut, and put on the wrap.

After we'd spent a couple of hours touring historic sites and visiting the shops, Edward took me to lunch. We ate at a quaint little restaurant overlooking the Mission. It was warm enough to sit outside on their garden patio, so that's what we did.

"Oh Edward, they have an extensive list of California wines, we should try one."

Edward made a face like he'd just tasted something sour. "Um, Bella, I'm afraid that after yesterday, alcohol is not an option for us."

_Why? What is he talking about?_

"Why would you say that?" I was puzzled.

"Bella, don't you remember the moratorium?"

_Moratorium? I really don't understand. What happened yesterday?_

I took a moment to try and think. Then it hit me. My memory of yesterday's events came washing over me like a tidal wave. I started to panic, and covered my face with my hands.

"Oh Edward, please tell me I didn't make a complete fool of myself in front of Johnny. What must he think of me?"

I wanted to cry. Before the tears welling up in my eyes had a chance to overflow onto my cheeks, Edward was out of his chair and crouched down beside me.

"Bella, don't cry. There is no reason for that. Johnny's a friend, I've known him for two years. Believe me when I say that he likes you."

I looked at him from behind my hands, tears flowing. "Really?"

"Of course, when you were eating do you know what he told me?"

"That I'm insane and should be committed?" I asked.

Edward chuckled. "No, he whispered that I'd be a fool to ever let you get away from me. I had to agree."

_Edward always knows the perfect thing to say._

"I feel responsible for yesterday, I should never have let you drink without eating first." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand while looking regretful.

Now it was my turn to comfort him.

"Edward, no guilt trips. I'm a grown woman, although sometimes I don't act like one. I do have to tell you something though."

"Yes?"

"You know when I went to the ladies room before we left, our waitress was in there." His eyes widened in surprise. "And, she didn't wash her hands!" We both started laughing, then I stopped, thinking.

"What?" He asked, noting my change of expression.

"Well, I don't worry about me, I actually had a hepatitis shot last year before I did my student teaching."

Edward patted my hand, "Bella, I know what you're thinking. My dad's a doctor remember. Because of my travel schedule, he makes sure that I get every possible immunization. No worries." He grinned. "I just can't believe you turned out to be right about the waitress, that is just nuts."

"Thank heavens I don't drink too often, although I should report her. Yuck. Anyway, at least it takes alcohol to make me act like a fool, my brother doesn't have that excuse."

We both laughed. Thinking about Emmett, especially after my dream this morning, I suddenly missed the big goofball. We ordered our food, and while Edward visited the rest room, I decided to phone my brother.

"Joe's morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em" Emmett's voice boomed over my cell phone.

"Hi Brother Bear" I said quietly.

Emmett, immediately in tune with my mood said, "What's wrong sissy?" reverting back to one of his childhood terms of endearment.

"Nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Missing the Emster are we?" He said with a certain amount of smugness.

"I guess." I said grinning. "I had a dream, and you were in it."

"Oh yeah?" He asked, intrigued. "Was I in my underwear?" He guffawed loudly.

"Emmett! You are so friggin weird."

"Hey, just remember when my ads come out, you promised not to freak."

"Oh geesh. Emmett, I don't give a shit if I see you in your underwear!" I said in a raised voice. I looked around and noticed more than one person give me a dirty look. I mouthed 'sorry', and continued. "Anyway, the dream was actually a memory from the summer before third grade. We hiked to the tidal pools."

He was quiet for a minute. "I remember that. You really wanted to come home to stay."

Just then, Edward arrived back at the table.

"Yeah, it was hard being so far away." I said quietly.

"I know, it was hard for Dad and me, we just tried to hide it. We missed you and Mom every day." His voice hitched a little. He cleared his throat.

"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." He thought for a moment. "I kind of want to talk to you about something anyway."

_Emmett actually sounds serious. Hmm this is perplexing._

"I have a few minutes if you want to talk now." I answered.

"Nah, it's not something I can go into over the phone. I'll talk to you this weekend."

"Okay, Bye Brother Bear."

"Bye Bellaboo."

Our food arrived, we'd both opted for seafood dishes, mine the seafood linguini, and Edward got the crab and chopped scallop cakes. We made sure to have a bite of each others, before polishing off our own. Everything was delicious.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel. It was our last night there, and we wanted to spend more time on the beach.

_-V &V-_

"Edward, I think this may be the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen." I smiled over at him.

We'd just finished our walk on the beach, and were sitting on the balcony of our suite, drinking soda. Edward refused to let me put a little rum in mine, informing me that my liver would thank him later.

_Party pooper._

After we'd watched the sunset, and cuddled a little, I coaxed Edward into going out to a burger joint for dinner. I'd grown a little tired of the stiffness and formality of dining out. I wanted simple and casual.

As we sat enjoying our burgers and fries, I noticed that the eyes of every single person in the place were on us.

I noticed a couple of shy girls watching us intently, and as soon as Edward had taken his last bite of burger they timidly walked over.

_At least they were polite enough to wait until we'd eaten._

"Um hi." One of the girls said, flustered. "I was just wondering, I mean would it be okay, oh gosh, can I get a photo with you Mr. Masen?"

Edward gave her his most dazzling smile as he stood. "Of course. It's Edward by the way. What's your name?" He asked as he reached to shake her hand.

"I'm Claire, and this is my friend Robyn, we're really big fans." Claire squeaked out.

"Nice to meet you girls." Edward answered smoothly.

_Mr. Movie Star was in the house._

I was sure those girls felt the same way that I did when I first met Edward, and he inflicted that panty-dropping smile on me. I laughed to myself.

Edward looked over at me and winked.

To my surprise, the girls asked me to be in the photo. Before long, there were several others gathered around, also asking for photos. I watched Edward, who seemed to have a bottomless well of patience when talking to his fans. He was relaxed and happy, and really seemed interested in their lives.

_Gah, Bella. I know, I know, lucky bitch._

As we drove back to the hotel, I watched Edward with a smile on my face. He glanced over.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing." I flushed.

"Definitely something." He questioned.

"Okay, I don't think you realize how nice that was, the way you treated your fans."

"Oh" He shrugged it off. "It's simple really, without my fans, I wouldn't have a career. Sometimes, I get to show them how much I appreciate them. It makes us both happy."

_-V &V-_

I sat on the edge of the bed biting my fingernail.

_Bella, I thought you gave up that habit years ago._

I thought I did too. That was before my epiphany. This would be the first night I'd spend with Edward, since my epiphany, in which I was stone, cold, sober. My head was swimming when Edward emerged from the bathroom looking seven different kinds of gorgeous in his sleeveless t-shirt and sleep pants. Looking at him, it was easy to think about tossing my inhibitions out the window, or in this case right out the French doors and off of the balcony.

"Hi" He said as he walked over and sat beside me.

"Hi" I answered. "and thank you" I continued.

"For what?"

"For today, believe me when I say that it was one of the best days of my life. The more time I spend with you, the more normal I feel." I said sincerely.

"I'm glad you enjoyed today Bella. The time we spend together means the world to me." Edward reached over and took my hand, holding it between both of his. "So" he started "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

_How does he know?_

I cleared my throat. "Bothering me?"

Edward reached for my chin, tilting my head up so he could look into my eyes. "Yes Bella, something's been bothering you for a couple of days now. Please tell me before I lose my mind." He pleaded with me.

_Of course Edward would know. He constantly watches you. He's become very astute at reading your reactions._

I sighed. "It's just that, Monday night we got really close. I mean, we went a little farther then I intended." I eyed him nervously. His calm expression didn't change much, but his eyes began to look sorrowful. "Before you take the blame, I want you to stop right there. It wasn't anyone's fault. I know it's just part of the natural course. We're in love and it's normal to want to show one another  _physically_  how much we mean to each other."

I fidgeted with the hem of my nightgown as he nodded.

"I have several reasons why I don't want to go any further physically, yet."

"Which are?" Edward asked.

"Well, don't be upset okay? But it's only been a few days since you left me. I want to make sure that you won't do that again." Edward started to speak, but I silenced him with my finger on his lips. "No, Edward, I don't think you'll leave again, but  _time_  is the best way to prove that to me."

He nodded.

"Next, we haven't given the Tanya revelation enough time to resonate with the public. At the moment, all our feedback is positive. I believe that will fluctuate. I want to make sure our relationship is strong enough to weather anything. I know I'm not going anywhere, but you will have to learn to deal with negative things that are said about me. Again,  _time_  is the only way to gauge it."

Edward looked at me, narrowing his eyes. "There's something more Bella. What aren't you telling me?"

_He's good. I don't think I'll ever lie to him and get away with it._

I took a deep breath. "Okay. It's really hard to be apart from you. I think about you all the time, I mope around and drive everyone crazy."

He smiled.

"I'm just afraid that if we take that next step, I know it will be even harder to be apart." I knew I wouldn't be able to explain this properly.

"Bella, I've been thinking about this also. Sometimes it scare me how much our minds are in tune with each other. I think it would be a good idea to wait a while for that next step." He began to rub soothing circles on the back of my hand. "You mean so much to me. I don't want to make love to you, and then travel halfway around the world. I'd rather we have some kind of permanent commitment." He looked into my eyes as he said this. He actually seemed afraid that I would reject him.

_Silly boy._

"Oh Edward, I agree" He seemed to relax in relief. "I was worried that when you would leave me, I'd feel so lost. I want to feel that I truly belong to you. Don't get me wrong, I know you love me and would come back to me." I was stumbling again. "It's such a huge step for me. I guess I found out that I'm old fashioned." I laughed. "Old fashioned but with the mouth of a sailor. Please tell me you're not disappointed."

He laughed and shook his head. "I'd have asked you to marry me weeks ago, if I'd thought you'd say yes."

 _What the..? I definitely heard the words_ _**marry me** _ _come out of Edward's mouth._

"What?"

"It's just that as soon as I got to know you, I was sure I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you Bella. Now you're telling me that you feel the same way, I'm definitely not mad, I'm actually floored at the moment."

He pulled me to him. "I want us to get married. When I have to travel, I want you with me. I want to have a family with you. I don't want us to be apart if we can avoid it."

_Edward really wants to marry me._

"Edward, don't ask me yet." I blurted.

He looked taken aback by my statement. "Edward, I want all of that too, but just wait a while. Charlie would flip his shit if you proposed this soon."

He relaxed as he thought about that. "Okay, but now that I know this can really happen, don't expect me to wait too long Miss Swan. I want the Mike Newton's of the world to know that you're off the market." He smiled and winked.

"Oh, is that the only reason Edward?" I grinned. "Just deflating Mike's hopes?"

He growled. "Well, there's also the fact that I never have to let you go, you'll be mine forever. I get to keep you, and take care of you."

He leaned down and lightly brushed his lips against mine. "Could you handle forever with me Bella?" He brushed his lips against mine again, and then his lips met mine firmly.

I couldn't answer him, I just moaned as my lips slid open. I let his tongue explore my mouth, then I did the same as Edward's hand cupped the back of my neck, keeping me close. "Was that a yes Miss Swan?" He breathed into my mouth.

"Yes" I breathed back.

_No interrupting the kissing Mister!_

As our kiss grew in intensity, our bodies pushed closer together. I began to lean back, and pull Edward with me, until I was fully lying on the bed, with his body pressed on top of mine, never releasing each other from the kiss.

When my foggy brain registered that I could feel the evidence of my affect on him, as his body pressed against me, I decided we needed to slow things down. If we didn't, my little confession of fifteen minutes ago would mean absolutely nothing.

I slowed the tempo of our kisses and try to force a little space between our bodies. Edward sensed what I wanted and began to pull away.

"No, don't pull away. I want to feel you close." I whispered, as I held close against him.

He sighed and I immediately felt horrible. "Edward, I'm sorry. This is probably so unpleasant for you, I feel so mean and selfish."

"Bella, you are the most pleasant form of torture I could think of. Don't feel bad baby. Remember, I've waited a lot of years for you, without even knowing why I waited. I can be patient." With that, he kissed me again.

"But Bella" He breathed against my lips. "Everyone's opinion be damned, I  _will_ be asking soon."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you probably think marriage talk is too soon. Maybe I have a skewed perspective. Hubs and I married one year, almost to the day, of our first date. I just think when you know, you know. We've been married forever….way beyond finishing his sentences, I can read his mind.


	30. The Southern Gentleman & Caveward

 

The next morning I actually pinched myself to make sure last night had been real. As we were falling asleep, Edward had explained to me that he never had the aversion to marriage that I did, reminding me how blissfully happy his parents' marriage was.

He did admit however, that he never thought he'd find anyone he wanted to marry. He was never willing to settle for less than what Carlisle and Esme had, so he'd been resigned to being alone.

_He was as pathetic as I was._

As he told it, when he met me, everything he had previously thought impossible, suddenly became possible. His happiest moment was when he realized that I felt the same way.

_He has the gift of a silver tongue. Mmm, I love Edward's tongue._

I peeked over at him as he drove. I didn't think I'd ever seen him as relaxed and content as he was today. We were in the Vanquish, heading back to L.A., after reluctantly saying goodbye to Laguna Beach. It had been a memorable two days. I loved my alone time with Edward, craved it actually when we were apart, but today I was missing my brother and Rose, and couldn't wait to see them again.

My phone chirped signaling a text message.

_**Bella,** _

_**I think I'm partial to a winter wedding for you. I've already sketched a couple of designs. See you soon sweetie!** _

_**-A** _

_Alice never ceases to amaze me. She's already planning my wedding. Definitely not mentioning this to Edward, he'd probably have me out looking at rings. Oh God, I feel sick._

At the thought of a wedding, my stomach did a little flip.  _Being_ married to Edward sounded heavenly, but  _getting_ married to Edward was something entirely different. I loathed being the center of attention, and would be in misery if I had to endure a huge overblown affair.

I decided to put it out of my mind for the foreseeable future.

Alice and Jasper were taking all of us out tonight. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that I was actually looking forward to it. I was finally getting to have all the experiences that I had never enjoyed before meeting Edward.

We stopped by Edward's house so he could pack a bag, then he had Sidney drop me at Alice and Jasper's while he went on to a meeting with his agent, promising to be back before we were scheduled to go out.

It was just as well that he wouldn't be going to the airport with us. He would have stressed over the number of paps that were sure to be there. He was so worried about leaving me, that I had to promise that I'd wait in the car, instead of going inside the airport, before he finally relaxed.

_No way was I going to do that. A little white lie to preserve Edward's sanity surely wouldn't hurt._

On the way to the airport, Alice filled me in on the latest news. It seemed that all the tabloids had printed retractions and apologies for their most salacious stories about me. She'd gone online, and found website after website that had posted apologies also.

This week, the public had learned almost every detail of the day my mother died. This made me extremely uncomfortable. I can only imagine the looks of pity I was sure to receive from everyone at school and work when I got back to Seattle. I shuddered.

They had also delved very deeply into every detail of my life. Alice said they'd interviewed high school and college classmates, former teachers, acquaintances of Charlie and my mother, in short, people who knew absolutely nothing about the real me.

_I may have to buy a couple of those magazines just to know what was being spread around._

While these 'news' sources all seemed to have only good things to say about me, they were absolutely savaging Tanya.

_It's amazing how they can turn on someone so quickly._

I was starting to understand how Edward could feel so alone in this town.

Aside from the stories about me, and the negative press about Tanya, the tabloids and websites had started to investigate the lives of the string of women that Edward had gone on public 'dates' with. I hoped for Edward's sake that he was right, and those women would keep their mouths shut.

_So what if they find out he didn't really have a past Bella._

Deep down I knew that I was basically insecure. I was afraid that, at some point, this would all be too much for him, and he'd leave me. I didn't ever want to feel that loss again.

I was staring out the window preoccupied with my thoughts when I noticed we'd arrived.

"Aren't you waiting in the car Bella?" Jasper asked, confused, as I got out to follow them.

"No, I just told Edward that so he'd stop freaking out." I chuckled. "How bad could it be Jasper?"

_Oh boy. I felt like I'd stepped into the lions' den within minutes of walking through the doors._

As soon as they spotted me, a crowd of paps was in pursuit, following on either side and behind, cameras flashing, questions being thrown.

" _ **Isabella, is it true that you've never had a boyfriend, never even been on a date until you met Edward?"**_

" _ **Isabella are you a lesbian?"**_

_Wow, I went from dateless to lesbian in five seconds._

" _ **Bella, are you seeing a psychiatrist for you emotional problems? Are you on any medications for depression or anxiety?"**_

"Assholes" Alice muttered "Where do they get off asking such offensive questions. Tune them out Bella, they're just trying to get a reaction."

" _ **Isabella, is it true that you're bringing a defamation of character suit against the family of Jeffrey Dryden?"**_

_That was unexpected. It was something Edward and I had discussed for about a minute, but I never committed to anything._

" _ **Does Edward's lurid past bother you Bella?"**_

" _ **Bella, is Edward gay?"**_

_And Edward went from man-whore to gay in two seconds._

I almost laughed out loud at that one. Alice noticed my smirk. "You need to practice your poker face Bella." She chuckled. "Your photo is going to be all over the internet by tonight."

I felt myself blanch at her words.

_Game face Bella._

I glanced at the crowd, and noticed one guy in particular working his way closer to me. He wasn't bad looking, but the evil smirk taking up half his face was off-putting. He was the next one to speak,  _ **"With your emotional instability, have you worried about what will happen when Edward grows bored and leaves you? He didn't want the hottest actress in Hollywood, why would you think he'd stay with you? We may be able to add 'delusional' to your list of psychiatric ailments."**_

_What the hell?_

I heard Alice and Jasper gasp beside me.

He continued  _ **"After all, we all know you're just a warm body, a distraction, a convenient fu-"**_ Before he had a chance to finish, Jasper grabbed the guy by the front of his shirt and pulled back his clenched fist, ready to land it right in his face. The jerk never lost his smirk. Alice and I jumped into action at the same moment, holding onto Jasper's arm and begging him to stop.

"Jasper, I have no desire to bail my husband out of jail!" Alice cried.

I silently noted that touching Jasper's arm didn't bother me.

_The Edward effect._

I didn't have time to ponder that now though. At Alice's words, Jasper relaxed slightly, and dropped his fist. He did however, keep his hold on the guy's shirt "You just crossed a line my man that you don't want to cross. You owe the lady an apology, and you  _will_ give her one, or so help me God I will pummel the living shit out of you. It would be worth the night in jail." Jasper was seething as he pulled the bastard by his collar and arm over to me.

The pig lost his smirk, but narrowed his eyes as if he was sizing me up. Jasper jerked his collar. "Apologize now or I will fuck you up." Jasper said in a low and menacing voice.

All the other paps had backed away slightly and silenced their questions, but the cameras continued to click nonstop during the entire exchange.

The ass sneered and said "I apologize  _Miss._ "

Jasper was beyond furious. "That's not quite good enough. You're going to look pretty fucking funny when I break my foot off in your ass. Apologize properly!" Jasper still speaking in a low voice, tightened his grip on the jerk's arm.

The asshole sighed, and this time looked a little bothered by Jasper's insistence. "Look, I'm sorry Miss Swan, it's just my job okay?"

_I think that's the best Jasper's going to get out of this guy._

Jasper turned to me and with a hint of a southern accent said, "Isabella, I'm going to let this be your call, was that apology acceptable?"

_As much as I'd like to see this dude get the crap knocked out of him, I certainly didn't want Jasper to go to jail._

"It's fine Jasper." I said as I nodded and looked into his eyes.

Jasper had a pained look on his face as he let the guy go, glaring one last time before we walked away.

_-V &V-_

"Bellaboo!" Emmett's voice boomed through the airport when he saw us. He pulled me into a bear hug. I hugged him back as hard as he could. He pulled away a little and looked at my face questioningly "You okay Bells?"

Words failed me, so I nodded in response. I was so emotional today. Maybe I was PMSing.

_No Bella, you're just freaking out because your entire life is about to change._

Truth be told, the life-altering changes occurring in my life were set in motion the day I met Edward.

Emmett turned to greet Alice and Jasper, "Ali! Franny! How the hell are ya?" I noticed a couple of moms with small children give him dirty looks. Emmett remained oblivious.

Jasper groaned and covered his face with his hand at Emmett's choice of monikers. Rose greeted me "Hi Bells" She gave me a hug and laughed. "He insisted on coming on this trip as soon as he found out the location of our photo shoot."

I realized at that moment that I didn't know that tidbit of information

"Where's it being held Rose?" I asked.

"Alice hasn't told you?" Rose looked surprised "We're going to Disneyland!"

_That completely explains Emmett's insistence on coming. He is eternally five years old._

Disneyland is one place that Emmett had always wanted to go, but hadn't been.

_He'd better enjoy it, because after tomorrow we'll probably be banned for life. Shit._

_-V &V-_

"I don't understand what's wrong with him. He was so happy after he proposed, he'd listen while I blathered on about wedding details, just happy that I was happy. About a week ago, I noticed a change, he started behaving strangely. We've already reserved the venue for the reception, but every time I want to discuss the actual ceremony, he gets upset."

Alice and I were consoling Rosalie in the powder room of the Italian restaurant where we'd gone for dinner. The boys were waiting for us at the table, hopefully not suspecting that Rose was having an emotional breakdown.

"Upset in what way?" I asked. I was completely confused by this turn of events. Emmett had been ecstatic about marrying Rose, I couldn't believe that would have changed.

"He gets a sad, worried look on his face." She hesitated. "He, he almost looks regretful. I think he regrets proposing." Rose started to sob.

_Dear God Bella, you need to diffuse this situation immediately._

"Rose, honey, there's no way Emmett regrets that. He is so crazy in love with you, he tells me all the time how happy he'll be when you're finally his wife."

Rose peeked up at me from behind her hands "Really?"

"Of course." I added in a soft voice.

"Bella is right Rose. Every time I've spoken to him, he's been so excited." Alice remarked.

I thought about possible reasons for Emmett's odd behavior. "I think maybe he's just missing Mom. You have to admit that it makes sense. No matter how happy the day, we're going to be thinking about her, and missing her presence."

"Oh my gosh Bells. How stupid and insensitive I've been." Rose dramatically slapped her hand across her forehead. "You're right, that has to be it. My poor monkey man, I've been so distracted that I forgot about his feelings. I'm a terrible person."

"Rose, just talk to him. It sounds like he was willing to internalize all this in order to spare you feelings." Alice soothed.

"God I love that big doofus." Rose smiled and, with Alice's help, did a quick fix of her makeup.

_-V &V-_

"A club in Pasadena?" Jasper asked, confused, as the limo took us toward our destination. "What kind of club Alice?"

Alice looked a little guilty. "Chris recommended it, he's actually meeting us there. Emmett wanted to go to a karaoke bar, and it's supposed to have the best karaoke around."

Jasper looked exasperated. "Alice, you know I love you, but if Christopher chose this, it's probably a gay bar."

"He said it's only about 80 percent gay" she defended.

Jasper groaned.

"Francesca, you need to lighten up." Emmett decided to interject "A little karaoke with the queens is not going to kill you."

"I wonder if you'll still feel that way after they start hitting on you Emmett." Jasper answered.

"Get over it Jazz. You boys will finally get to experience what we girls have to deal with all the time." Rose laughed. "It will be nice to go to a bar and  _not_  have anyone hit on me."

Emmett, Rose and I loved karaoke. Weird I know. Well, Emmett loved anything that made him the center of attention.

If asked, I'd have to admit that I was pretty damn good at it. Not that I ever went out to practice in public. It was just something I did with Rose and sometimes Emmett, they owned a machine, and I  _never_ did it sober. I had a few favorite songs that I'd memorized the lyrics to, so Rose and I had added seductive dance moves to fit them.

_Moves that no one outside of Rose or Emmett would ever see._

Upon entering the bar, Alice quickly amended her statement "Okay, maybe it's 90 percent gay."

_With our group making up the other ten._

Chris saw us enter and ran over to greet us. "Hello Alice sweetie. I've reserved a couple tables for us. So happy to see you again Bella and Edward." He said as he hugged us. "Rosalie, girl you are gorgeous, you are like some kind of Nordic goddess." We laughed. Rose loved it.

"Emmett Swan, mm mm mm, the man with the most talented hands in the NFL." Chris sighed. "Let's just leave it at that shall we?"

"Hello Jasper." Chris said as he quirked an eyebrow while eyeing Jasper's boots.

Alice giggled. "Chris where's Gerry tonight?"

"Oh honey, I couldn't talk him into coming here. He hates places like this, he's such a grump. He's coming tomorrow though, he wouldn't miss a chance to go to Disney." Chris laughed.

The bar was all red, turquoise and purple streamers, everything sparkled. There was a little stage area set aside for karaoke. Soon after we arrived, the place started to fill up. Most of the clientele was gay, but there were a few straight couples also. Quite a few people were in drag.

After a while, people started to recognize Edward, but everyone was very friendly, not pushy. We felt very welcome.

We were happily chatting, everyone enjoying the first round of drinks when Chris suddenly remembered something, "Oh Jasper. I don't know how I almost forgot this. What did that guy do at the airport that made you so angry, the photos are all over the internet?" Chris looked alarmed.

_Oh shit Edward's going to find out I went into the airport._

Everyone except Alice and I watched Jasper expectantly, waiting for his answer. "He just said something rude about Bella."

I saw Emmett, Rose and Edward both bristle at those words.

"How did they even realize you have anything to do with Bella? You know, they've really gone too far if they're now harassing my manager." Edward asked, confused.

_Time for the truth Bella._

I touched Edward's arm so he'd look at me. "I went with Jazz and Alice, into the airport."

Edward frowned. "But you said you would wait in the car, you promised."

"Edward, I said that because you were freaking out for no reason. You were overreacting." I kept my voice even.

Edward looked angry. "So you lied in order to placate me Bella?" He turned away from me, back to Jasper. "What  _exactly_ happened Jasper?"

Jasper went on to explain the events at the airport. Emmett gave him a fist bump when he was finished. "Thanks for looking out for my sister Jasper. I owe you." Emmett was serious for once.

"No one owes me." Jasper responded. "Bella's family. Family looks out for each other."

_That's the sweetest thing Jasper's ever said. Oh shit, Edward looks angrier than he was before he knew all the gory details._

"I'm sorry I missed it Jasper." Rose added as she beamed at her brother. "You've always been the more rational one, it takes a lot to make you angry, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that anger."

She turned to everyone else, "Growing up, Jasper had this group of friends that were, how can I explain, they were like his followers because Jazz was definitely the leader, a very quiet, reserved leader. He's always been the smartest one in the room." She grinned at her brother. "I remember once, we were all at a bonfire party, everyone was drinking. One of Jazz's followers said something he didn't like. Evidently the guy didn't know when to shut up because he kept needling Jazz all night. Suddenly, without a word, Jazz grabbed him, lifted him and threw him down on the ground, breaking the dude's ankle."

Emmett looked shocked. "Whoah. It's always the quiet ones." He muttered.

Jazz just laughed, shaking his head.

"I never did find out what the guy said that made you so angry Jasper." Rose questioned.

"Jazzy told me about this. That so-called 'friend' was saying inappropriate things about you Rose. Granted the guy was drunk, so Jasper went easy on him." Alice grinned. "It was before you met Emmett. Didn't you know your brother was your biggest defender?"

Jasper looked embarrassed. Rose patted his hand. "Thanks little brother" she whispered. Jasper just smiled at her.

I chanced a quick look at Edward and he was still pissed. I took a large swig of my drink, downing the last of it. Not willing to stick around for the waiter to appear, I decided to go to the bar for my next one.

As I waited, I was aware that Edward had sidled up to me. "Do you even understand why I would be angry about this Bella?" He spoke in a low determined voice.

"Because you were being irrational, and I told you something you wanted to hear Edward? I'm sorry that I technically lied but you couldn't have seriously expected me not to go inside to greet Emmett and Rose." I argued.

"That's exactly what I expected Bella. It would be different if you'd intended to stay in the car, but changed your mind at the last minute, but don't lie to me Bella. I was lied to for years, I thought you were different."

_No way did Edward just compare my little white lie to those of his skanky ex-girlfriend._

I was suddenly furious. I downed my second drink while standing there glaring at him. He eyed me curiously. After the drink, I calmed down enough to speak. "How dare you compare me to a whore." I seethed. "Why don't you say something about my mental instability while you're at it Edward?"

Edward looked appalled. "Bella, I never compared you to a  _whore_ " he said as he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Yes, Meghan was one of those that lied to me, but I was also speaking of all the phony people in L.A. that were part of my life before I isolated myself. The ones who told me what I wanted to hear, as opposed to the truth." He paused. "And, I'd never throw your emotional problems up in your face."

"Oh so you're admitting that I have emotional problems?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

_You do have emotional problems dumb ass. Stop looking for reasons to be mad at Edward._

Edward took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't think I can win this argument. You've obviously had too much to drink, and you are unreasonable. I just wanted to stress the fact that your lie bothered me."

_He's is so fucking clueless. He has no idea when to shut up. I haven't had nearly enough to drink._

I went back to the table, Rose and Alice eyeing me curiously.

"Get up Emmett." I demanded of my brother.

He stood up, bewildered, and I took his seat. Emmett rubbed the back of his neck with his hand while taking in the expression on my face. "Ookay, I'll just sit over here then." He said as he moved around to my vacant chair.

Edward sat down in his chair with a resigned look on his face.

Chris looked me apologetically. I reached over and patted his hand to reassure him.

The emcee took the microphone in hand, welcoming all the guests. I took a moment to admire his attire. He was in drag. He was wearing a blue bouffant wig and a form fitting electric blue costume which showed off his muscular legs, and made him look like a beautiful six foot tall diva from outer space.

_**Good evening everyone! I just want to say a word of welcome to any new comers. I guarantee this will be a night you won't soon forget!** _

_**We're going to start the karaoke momentarily. I just wanted to make you aware of some special guests joining us tonight.** _

He pointed over to our tables.

 _ **Seated over there is none other that Edward Masen!**_ He said excitedly.  _ **Let's see, his latest movie is 'Time Stands Still', a wonderful film. Although I'd have to say that my personal favorite is 'September Ends', and you know why bitches!**_ He said, and then winked at Edward.

Edward had the nerve to flash the panty-dropper at him.

_Jerk_

I dove into my third drink with a vengeance.

_**Another special guest, and our first karaoke participant is none other that Emmett Swan. You know Emmett well ladies if you're a football fan.** _

_**After meeting Emmett I'm prepared to switch my allegiance from the Niners to the Seahawks.**_ The emcee announced drawing cheers, and a few boos, from the audience.

_**Come on over here stud so you can perform the first song of the evening.** _

Emmett walked over to the stage grinning from ear to ear, and took the microphone. "Thank you everyone. In order to perform the song I've chosen, I'll need the assistance of my lovely fiancee. Rose would you mind?" He said as he gestured to Rose. Rose returned his grin, and I knew instantly which song they were going to do.

"I'm also going to need the assistance of my future brother-in-law, a very talented whistler." Emmett said with a wink. Emmett handed Jasper a microphone to use from where he was seated.

A few seconds later the opening bars of 'Starstrukk' began to come through the sound system.

Emmett, of course, took 3OH!3's part, while Rose sang Katy Perry's, with Jazz supplying the whistles.

.

_Nice legs, Daisy dukes, Makes a man go whoo-whoo_

_That's the way they all come through, Like whoo-whoo whoo-whoo_

_Low-cut, see-through shirts That make you whoo-whoo_

_That's the way she come throughLike whoo-whoo whoo-whoo_

_._

The audience went wild, singing along and dancing. This encouraged Emmett and Rose to really play it up.

.

_(Cause I) Just set them up, Just set them up, Just set them up, To knock them down_

_(Cause I) Just set them upm Just set them up, Just set them up, To knock them down_

_._

Alice, Chris and I joined the crowd now dancing and singing. Edward stayed in his seat, sulking. The crowd was eating up Rose and Emmett's performance. When Rose mimicked Katy's move, and licked Emmett's face, I saw one guy grab his chest.

I silently wondered whether he wished he were Rose or Emmett, my gaydar wasn't fully functional tonight.

By the time the song finished, I was trying to think of a way to teach Edward a lesson. I was certain that it was the alcohol making me brave once again. I was on my third drink, while Edward was slowly nursing his second.

_Who cares if he was right about the drinking, this is my vacation damn it._

Alice coaxed Jasper to get up next.

_Hell, how much has he had to drink?_

I realized as soon as the song started that, country music fan that he was, Jasper had only agreed because he got to sing like Garth Brooks. And he was semi-drunk.

.

_Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots,_

_And ruined your black tie affair_

_The last one to know, The last one to show_

_I was the last one you thought you'd see there_

_And I saw the surprise, And the fear in his eyes_

_When I took his glass of champagne_

_And I toasted you, Said, honey, we may be through But you'll never hear me complain_

_'Cause I've got friends in low places_

_Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away_

_And I'll be okay_

_I'm not big on social graces. Think I'll slip on down to the oasis_

_Oh, I've got friends in low places_

_._

Alice and I were hysterically laughing at the reaction of the crowd. It seems that Jasper was a big hit with more than just Christopher tonight. Jasper was an amazingly handsome guy, but very self-deprecating. I was always certain that he never knew just how attractive he really was.

I was happy when I realized that Edward had started smiling and seemed to be enjoying himself, finally.

A couple other people performed after Jasper. I continued to watch the show from Emmett's old seat, sneaking glances at Edward when I was sure he wasn't looking my way.

I wasn't as angry as I was before, but he still needed to be punished. An idea began to form. I slipped out of my chair, needing a little distance from Edward, and made my way toward the bar.

_Are you serious Bella? You could never be drunk enough to pull this one off._

"Shut up you stupid bitch." I said out loud to myself. Approximately three  _guys_  within earshot turned their questioning gazes in my direction. "Uh, sorry, talking to myself." They burst into laughter, and one of them gave me a reassuring pat on the arm.

I peeked toward the stage, and was surprised to find Alice and Chris up there. I smiled as the familiar 'Summer Nights' from Grease started to play. Alice was perfect as Sandy, and Chris did an awesome rendition of John Travolta's performance from the movie.

I started to feel insignificant, pretty much convincing myself that my plan wouldn't work, so I slipped off to the bathroom.

After a few minutes, I was joined by Alice and Rose.

"I knew you'd be hiding in here." Rose remarked. "If it helps, Edward doesn't seem mad any more."

"Well,  _that's_  good to know." I said in my most sarcastic voice.

Rose tried to hold back her smile. "What are you planning Bells?"

_Rose knows me too well._

"Maybe I should do a little karaoke." I whispered.

Rose's eyes widened. "What song?"

I looked directly into her eyes. "My favorite."

Her eyes widened further. "No" she whispered. "Emmett will have a fit. Not to mention what it will do to Edward."

"That's the idea Rose. He needs to be punished for what he pulled tonight." I snarked. "He made me feel like shit for most of the evening. Not to mention what he did last Friday by  _leaving._ "

"Now Bella, you said you weren't holding a grudge about that." Alice reminded.

"It's true that I've forgiven him, but he still deserves a big bitch slap, wouldn't you agree?"

They both smiled their drunken smiles and nodded their heads. "Well, if you're really serious, your outfit needs some adjustments."

I was wearing a white mini-skirt and a yellow top with cap sleeves. Alice quickly enlisted the help of a couple of 'ladies' that worked at the bar. Within fifteen minutes, my shirt had been removed, leaving me in only the white satin bustier that I was wearing under it.

My hair was mussed up and sprayed into a messy heap. A couple strands of beads completed the look. I got to keep my white skirt and heels.

I was ready to go when Alice grabbed my arms, looking into my eyes. "Okay Bella, I've got to warn you that Edward is very good at karaoke. He doesn't go out to bars like this, but I've seen him perform at parties." she grinned. "You may just be the one who's sorry if he decides to get even with you for this."

"That I've got to see." laughed Rose.

_Me too. Edward singing and maybe dancing. It just got really hot in here. I'm sweating like a stuck pig. And I'm drunk as shit._

"Lead me out ladies. I just hope I have the balls to do what I've set out to do." Alice and Rose both laughed at me.

I almost lost my nerve, but then I saw the looks on the faces of Jasper, Emmett and Edward as I took to the stage. It was a true Kodak moment. As soon as the first strains of 'Like A Virgin' began to play, Emmett bolted out of his chair.

"No fucking way Bells. I forbid you to perform that song in public." He shouted.

I just shook my head and started the song. I saw Rose go to him and speak soothingly in his ear, and he eventually sat back down. I had been practicing this song and dance moves for a couple of years.

.

_I made it through the wilderness, Somehow I made it through_

_Didn't know how lost I was Until I found you_

_._

My dance moves started out slow and innocent. I was tickled to notice that Edward's eyes were about to bug out of his head as they stayed riveted on my performance. I twirled and danced around the stage as I sang. As long as I focused on Edward, I knew I'd be brave enough to continue.

.

_I was beat incomplete,I'd been had, I was sad and blue_

_But you made me feel, Yeah, you made me feel_

_Shiny and new_

_._

This was the point where Rose and I had added writhing dance moves that made Madonna's look innocent. Both of Edward's hands went up to his head, clutching his hair, as I slithered down to my knees while one hand held the microphone, the other ran up and down my body seductively.

I saw Rose actually sit on Emmett's lap to keep him in his chair.

.

_Like a virgin, Touched for the very first time_

_Like a virgin, When your heart beats Next to mine_

_._

I watched as Edward downed the rest of his drink. I was stunned and thrilled by his reaction, causing me to become bolder as I moved about the stage.

Alice winked and gave me the thumbs up when she saw what was happening to her brother.

.

 _Gonna give you all my love, boy,_ _My fear is fading fast_

_Been saving it all for you, 'Cause only love can last_

_You're so fine and you're mine_

_Make me strong, yeah you make me bold_

_Oh your love thawed out_

_Yeah, your love thawed out What was scared and cold_

_._

As soon as I started to slither across the stage on all fours toward Edward, he flew out of his chair, came over, and grabbed me. I dropped the microphone when he tossed me over his shoulder and carried me out.

_Hello Caveward. Hands down the sexiest thing he's ever done._

The audience burst into applause, and I could hear the hoots and catcalls from our friends and family as Edward carried me outside.

He put me down and then proceeded to back me up against the wall. He pressed his entire body against mine. "Do you have any idea how crazy you make me Miss Swan?"

Truth was, as close as a certain body part was pressed against me, the reaction I had on him was pretty obvious. "I think I have a clue." I whispered.

"First you make me angry because I worry about you so much." He breathed into my mouth, our lips barely touching. "Then you get up there and do  _that_. Bella, I'm only human. My self restraint is fucking crumbling as it is when I'm around you."

With those words his lips found mine. This wasn't a sweet kiss, it was so passionate that it was almost violent. Our tongues fought for dominance, before Edward pulled his lips away, only to attack my neck and shoulder with his lips and tongue. "I like this" He murmured as he fingered the lace edge at the top of the bustier.

I was so tipsy that I forgot my self control and let myself surrender to feeling. My heels made it so I was tall enough to wrapped my leg around Edward's hip, he held onto the leg to assist me, and then I began grinding against him at the same time he started sucking on my neck.

_Oh fuck, Edward's going to give me a hickey. What are we fifteen?_

"You can't do that to me Bella. You are mine. You're just lucky that most of the guys here are gay, or I would never let you go back in there, I'd take you home right now." He continued kissing down my shoulder, then across the bare skin above the bustier.

"Hey, you may want to stop that before Emmett comes to investigate." I heard Jasper's amused voice announce from the direction of the door.

_Cockblocker._

Edward pulled away abruptly, but left his hands on my shoulders, as we both caught our breath. He started to chuckle as he thought of something. "It's probably for the best. As much as I'd like to have my way with you right now Miss Swan, your brother would have every right to end my life if it were to happen against the wall of a karaoke bar." I started to laugh with him.

Edward kissed my shoulder and up my neck again as he spoke. "Here's what happens next Miss Swan. You are to go straight to the bathroom and put your shirt back on. Then we are going to enjoy the rest of the evening."

He looked into my eyes. "I'm sorry I was an overprotective jerk. Will you forgive me?"

"If you'll forgive me for my little lie." I said in answer.

"Done. Let's not ever fight again."

"I agree." Then his lips were on mine, but he pulled away before we had a chance to lose ourselves.

When I returned from the bathroom Edward wasn't seated at our table. I noticed some commotion in the direction of the stage and saw him standing there watching me, sexy smirk on his face. The commotion was being caused by several people vying for the best spots in front.

_He is the sexiest man alive after all, but what the hell is he up to?_

The mystery was solved as soon as the music started and Edward began to sing in his best falsetto, and dance in a way that would put Prince to shame.

.

_You don't have to be beautiful to turn me on_

_I just need your body baby, From dusk till dawn_

_You don't need experience to turn me out_

_You just leave it all up to me, I'm gonna show you what it's all about_

_._

I sucked in a sharp breath as Edward gyrated his hips seductively.

.

_You don't have to be rich to be my girl_

_You don't have to be cool to rule my world_

_Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with_

_I just want your extra time and your_

_Kiss_

_._

Edward started to remove his shirt in a slow sexy striptease. Fuuuuuccckk. Revenge was a cold, hard, motherless bitch, and Edward was exacting his on me right fucking now.

.

_You got to not talk dirty, baby, If you wanna impress me_

_You can't be too flirty, mama, I know how to undress me (Yeah)_

_I want to be your fantasy, maybe you could be mine_

_You just leave it all up to me we could have a good time_

_._

It was way too hot in this place. I needed air.

.

_You don't have to be rich to be my girl, You don't have to be cool to rule my world_

_Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with, I just want your extra time and your_

_Kiss_

_._

When he wasn't turning his back to the crowd and swaying his hips, giving everyone a view of his stellar ass, his eyes stayed locked with mine, a permanent smirk frozen on his gorgeous face.

.

_Yes, I think I wanna dance Gotta, Gotta_

_Little girl Wendy's parade_

_Gotta, gotta, gotta_

_._

I was afraid that if he swayed those hips one more time, I was going to hyperventilate.

.

_Women not girls rule my world, I said they rule my world_

_Act your age, mama (Not your shoe size), Not your shoe size_

_Maybe we could do the twirl_

_You don't have to watch Dynasty to have an attitude_

_You just leave it all up to me, my love will be your food, Yeah_

_._

From the looks of the crowd, I wasn't the only one in danger of passing out. There were a few patrons, male and female fanning themselves. Even Rose had a look of awe on her face while watching Edward's performance. I felt insignificant again, wondering how this Greek god could find me remotely attractive.

.

_You don't have to be rich to be my girl, You don't have to be cool to rule my world_

_Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with, I just want your extra time and your_

_Kiss_

_._

The roar of the crowd was overwhelming as I found my seat and sank down in it, willing myself to disappear.

Then I heard the only sound able to pull me from my moment of self-doubt, Edward's voice, low in my ear. "That was just for you baby. Are you ready to leave? I'm aching to have you all to myself again." He breathed.

I fanned myself with my hand. "Yeah, let's leave, I need some air, I'm so fucking hot."

"That you are." He said as he laughed.


	31. Wild Turkey & Jedi Training

 

I let the hot water from the shower run down my back as I tried to clear my head. It was still relatively early when we arrived back at Jasper and Alice's. She had been pretty strict about getting home before midnight, because we needed to get up early tomorrow to prepare for the photo shoot.

The guys would get to sleep in. Their plan was to meet us at the park once the shoot was finished. Well, except for Christopher who was in the photo shoot with us.

I thought back with secret delight at how I'd tortured Edward earlier this evening. I was thrilled at his reaction, although I never expected the 'caveman' response. I giggled as I remembered.

The makeout session against the wall of the karaoke bar was the hottest thing I'd ever experienced. That was until Edward's, em,  _performance._

_Oh no! It's probably going to be all over youtube by tomorrow._

I made a mental note to look that shit up and find a way to download it.

Certain that Edward had finished his shower by this time and was now in my room, I toweled off. The shower had helped clear the alcohol fog in my brain enough that the butterflies had now taken up residence in my stomach, as I thought about the gorgeous man waiting for me in my bed.

_You need to strengthen your will power Bella. My suggestion would be to strike 'Kiss' from your mind. A much more acceptable Prince song would be 'Pussy Control' . As a matter of fact, that should become your new mantra._

I breathed a sigh and resigned myself to the fact that, at some point I was certain my will power was going to crumble like a deck of cards.

_No alcohol. That's the key Bella. No alcohol and 'Pussy Control'. Now, I'm done dealing with your shit for the night._

I dressed in the most un-sexy clothing I had in my bag, pj pants and a t-shirt, and stepped tentatively into my room.

There he was, lying across the bed, wearing only sleep pants. My breath caught in my throat as I drank him in. He was on his side, facing me, his head on the pillow, his bronze hair in its usual sexy disarray. One arm was folded up under his head, the other stretched across his body so that his hand rested on my side of the bed. My own personal Adonis, waiting for me.

I couldn't stop my eyes from wandering down his perfect form.

_Don't look Bella. No, stop, no looking at Edward's happy trail._

Damn it. Too late. I think my entire body just went up in flames. Luckily, Edward didn't notice my ogling, because his eyes were closed. I sat down on the bed, expecting them to open when he sensed I was near. Instead, Edward rolled away from me so that he was lying flat on his back. I was just beginning to wonder if he'd fallen asleep when I heard a loud sound resembling the snort of a warthog escape those perfect lips. I smirked, fully expecting him to laugh at his own little joke.

To my surprise, the laughter never came, instead my ears were assaulted by a cacophony of sounds that I imagined were similar to those made by a constipated water buffalo. What Edward was doing couldn't even be called snoring. No, Mr. Webster would need to come up with a new word for the horrible sounds emanating from that beautiful face.

I sat in stunned silence as I listened to the mixed chorus of horror.

_Could these noises really be coming from the same man that sang to me countless times as I'd fallen asleep? Impossible._

When it finally became clear that he wasn't going to stop any time soon, I laid down and attempted to sleep. I tried stopping my ears with my fingers, but as soon as I relaxed and started to drift, my fingers would fall out, and I would be startled awake.

_What the hell? He's never done this before? It must be a combination of the alcohol and lying on his back. The key is to get him to roll over._

I realized that if I didn't stop the snoring, I'd never get to sleep. I tried pushing Edward, but he wouldn't budge. So, I tried pulling. I grabbed his arm and gave it a tug. This time I had more success, and was able to maneuver him onto his side. Finally, the snores quieted and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I was just drifting off to sleep, and thinking about how much I liked the wall of the karaoke bar, in fact I was thinking of having a plaque erected there.

_Best fucking wall anywhere._

I could feel sleep finally overtaking me, when suddenly Edward rolled again. This time, instead of landing on his back, he rolled onto his front. Luckily, this movement didn't bring about any further snoring. It did however cause him to land directly on top of  _me_.

Yes, I was covered from head to toe with a blanket of Sexward, and was in serious danger of being crushed or suffocated if I remained in that position.

_There are worse ways to die LB. Most women if given a choice in the manner of their death, would probably vote 'fuck yeah' to being trapped beneath the sexiest man alive when meeting their demise._

How efficient, my subconscious had taken to abbreviating 'lucky bitch' in order to save time.

Calling Edward's name had no effect. Next, I squirmed in an effort to move him. I was slightly successful. He moved a bit, and I found it easier to breathe. His body was still trapping mine, but when he shifted, he curled around me in such a way that his head landed on my chest, his arm across my waist, and one leg laid across both of mine. I wasn't going anywhere for quite a while, but at least I was no longer uncomfortable.

Once again, I started to feel sleepy. Just before I lost consciousness completely, I heard Edward mutter, "Beautiful Bella". I smiled, and drifted off.

_-V &V-_

"Dolce and Gabbana on a cracker! What's going on in here?" I heard Alice's trilling voice ring out. I opened my eyes, and immediately realized that Edward and I hadn't moved since I'd fallen asleep.

Alice hopped up on my bed and immediately began pulling at Edward. "Bella, has he been like this all night?" She questioned.

"Yeah, it was worse when he was on his back, the snoring would have woken the dead." I breathed out.

"Just push from under him, and I'll pull." She instructed.

After a minute of me pushing and Alice pulling, we'd lifted Edward enough for me to slip out from under him. Alice started to chuckle. "He must have been more upset about our little run-in with the paparazzi than I realized Bella."

I looked at her questioningly.

"Well, the only time Edward acts like this is after drinking Wild Turkey. That stuff is his kryptonite. He'll only drink it if he's under a lot of stress or very upset about something, and it doesn't take much to screw him up." She looked at her brother in irritation and swatted his butt, hard. "Jackass."

Edward moaned and rolled to his side.

"I'll make sure Jazz wakes him up later." She grinned at me. "Let's get going!"

_-V &V-_

The photo shoot wasn't as bad as I'd feared. Actually, it wasn't bad at all. I soon came to realize that Alice and Chris were absolute professionals, and very good at what they did.

_Face it Bella, you are surrounded by over-achievers._

We had approximately three hours to complete the shoot before the general public descended on the park. The magazine had set up and was ready to go at all three shooting locations in the park. Our task was to be dressed and ready in twenty minutes or less for each shoot. It wasn't difficult, considering that Alice and Chris had amassed a small army to assist us.

When I saw my reflection in the mirror after dressing in the first gown, I felt so beautiful. That was, until I walked out of the makeshift dressing room and saw Alice and Rose. They were stunning.

Rose, always in tune with my basic insecurity, quirked an eyebrow at me. "Bella, stop it." Then she whispered. "You're gorgeous" and smiled widely.

We sat in chairs while our hair was coiffed and makeup applied.

I soon discovered that Rose was nosey today. "What went on between you and Edward last night? Anything you need to share? By the way he was looking at you, I thought I was going to have to tranquilize Emmett to keep him from going after him." She said as she began to laugh hysterically. "I had to promise spectacular sex to keep him from busting into your room and making sure that Edward was 'behaving himself'." She said making air quotes.

_Ew. Rose is the queen of 'overshare', and boy has she changed her tune about Edward. I'd already told her that nothing sexual happened in Laguna Beach….._

Alice made a disgusted face before I had a chance to answer. "Rosalie! Don't you even insinuate that something like that would happen under my roof." She dropped her voice to a whisper and added. "Their first time shouldn't be after an evening of drunken karaoke at a gay bar, and, and, well we're talking about my brother here. Oh this conversation is just all kinds of wrong." She said as she threw up her hands in exasperation.

"Well, I have to agree with that Alice. Their first time should be something special. Maybe Edward will take her away. Maybe somewhere exotic." Rose got a dreamy faraway look in her eye.

"Knowing how sappy my brother has gotten since meeting Bella, that's probably exactly what will happen." Alice giggled.

"Hey you two, I'm sitting right here while you have a conversation about my nonexistent sex life." I said sarcastically.

"Well  _that_ told me everything I needed to know." Rose cackled. "I just hope that all that knowledge I imparted will be put to good use soon."

I glared at her, while she and Alice both laughed at me.

_-V &V-_

The first shots were taken at Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Chris was in a tux and the three of us were in glamorous gowns. We each held champagne flutes filled with ginger ale,  _this was Disneyland after all_. Rose was in a floor length black gown, mine was a short royal blue, and Alice's was pink to the thigh with an overlay of floor length sheer material.

The next set of photos were taken on Mark Twain's riverboat. We all wore short flirty dresses for that one. Alice and I in floral, and Rose in red tartan. Chris wore casual khakis and a red button down shirt. These photos were especially fun, because a couple of the Disney characters posed with us.

The third and last location was on King Arthur's Carousel. For these, we all wore very casual clothing, these clothes were ours to keep, and as Alice intended, to keep on while enjoying the park for the rest of the day.

Just as we finished the last shot, I happen to glance to the right and notice that the guys had arrived. They were standing back watching us. There was a fourth person standing with them who I could only assume was Chris' partner Gerry.

He was very handsome, and I was surprised at how much older than Chris he was. He had to be at least forty. I vaguely remember Chris mentioning that Gerry was a professor.

I could hear Chris making introductions, but I couldn't think about that because all of my attention was drawn to the man dressed as the Unabomber. I knew under all those layers was my gorgeous boyfriend. For reasons known only to him, he had on dark glasses, a baseball cap, a hoodie with the hood drawn up, and he definitely didn't shave this morning. Not his usual look when being seen in public.

_Huh?_

I walked leisurely over to where he stood waiting. "Hi." I said quietly.

"Hi." He answered, not smiling.

"Um, is there a reason you're dressed like Ted Kaczynski?" I asked, trying to make him smile.

The edges of his mouth turned up slightly.

I couldn't help but find it sexy as hell that Edward remembered who Mr. Kaczynski was.

_That's because it proves he's as big a nerd as you are Bella._

He never fully smiled before answering. "Partly to remain unrecognized, and partly because I had a rough night."

"Pfft. It didn't look like you were having a rough night to me." I muttered in a low voice.

His eyebrows raised. "Bella, I'm afraid I owe you an apology for last night." He groaned and scrubbed his hands over his face.

"Edward, you didn't do anything to apologize for. Where is this coming from?"

"That's just it Bella, I can't remember what happened after we got back to Alice's." He whispered. "I hope I wasn't a jerk or anything. I also feel terrible about man-handling you at the bar…"

I cut him off. "Edward stop right there. Don't you  _dare_  apologize for the bar." I said with a small smile. "That was fuckhot, and you will destroy my self-esteem if you tell me you regret it." I whispered.

At my words, he smiled my favorite sexy smile, and grabbed my hand. "Well, since you put it that way, I'll have to find a way to forgive myself for that. Just please tell me I didn't do anything I should regret  _after_ we left the bar." He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine.

"You were a perfect gentleman Edward, although you're officially banned from drinking Wild Turkey around me ever again." I looked at his puzzled gaze. "We'll talk about it later." I whispered as I finally gave into the need to kiss him.

"Oh for fuck's sake, would you two get your heads in the game." Emmett boomed. "We are planning how to make the best use of our hours in the park."

Alice and Emmett had a map of Disneyland spread out on a bench as if they were military leaders strategizing over a battle plan. Alice had highlighted certain attractions, numbered them, and written approximate times in the margins.

_Geessh, she's thorough._

"Okay people, since we're already in Fantasyland, we'll start with the Dumbo ride, the teacups, and a couple others, ending with the bobsleds. We have approximately one hour to complete this section of the park in order to remain on schedule." Alice barked, then turning to Edward she remarked. "By the way Edward, you look like shit."

_I think Alice just managed to suck all the fun out of the 'Happiest Place on Earth.'_

Despite Alice's controlling hand, we did manage to enjoy ourselves. The best part of the day was getting to snuggle against Edward on most of the rides.

Emmett got a little green on the Matterhorn bobsleds. He never did well on rides that move in fast circles. I successfully resisted the urge to laugh at him as he sat and drank a soda afterwards, trying to settle his stomach.

"Emmett, you are single-handedly messing up my schedule." The theme park Nazi announced.

Rose stepped in "Come on Alice, just move on and we'll catch up with you."

Alice looked at Emmett skeptically. "Well, okay, we'll be in Mickey's toon town for the next forty-five minutes." She quirked an eyebrow. "I expect to see you there."

Toon town seemed to be geared toward young children. We toured Donald's boat, and the cute homes of both Mickey and Minnie. I heard my brother's booming voice before I saw him.

"You'd think by this time Mickey would just marry Minnie and make an honest mouse of her."

"Emmett, shut up." Rose warned.

"I'm just saying that here they go to all this trouble of 'pretending' to live in separate houses when you know as well as I do that they're doing the wild thing every chance they get. I'm just glad we didn't see the bedrooms, I think that would give me nightmares."

"Emmett, lower your voice, you are surrounded by children." She whispered.

I heard my brother answer in his patented whisper-yell. "What? I didn't say they were  _fucking._ "

I heard Rose groan.

I looked around, trying to find a way to escape before my brother saw me. Edward was chuckling beside me.

We caught up with the rest of the group before Emmett found us, by then he was talking about something else.

"Babe, I've got to go on the Roger Rabbit ride. I love that shit." He whined.

"Okay Emmett, but you need to curb your language, or I will refuse to go on anything else with you." Rose promised.

I saw my brother nod his head sheepishly.

_-V &V-_

"This is boring." Emmett announced as we floated along on Mark Twain's riverboat.

"I'm sorry Emmett, but we voted and six of us wanted to ride this." Jasper answered.

"Yeah well, I guess six of us are boring." Emmett answered with an impish smile, just as the boat pulled into the dock.

"Come on monkey man, let's go find Splash Mountain." Rose said while taking Emmett's hand.

"That's our next stop everyone. Follow Rose and Emmett." Alice sing-songed.

We got soaked on Splash Mountain. Edward got an eyeful of my soaked shirt, and immediately removed his hoodie for me to wear.

"This reminds me of the day we met Miss Swan." Edward remarked with a smirk as he zipped me up.

"Afraid I may be ogled by another man Mr. Movie Star?" I teased.

He studied me with an appraising look and leaned in close to my ear. "No one else is allowed to see what's mine. Especially before I've even seen it." He added with a chuckle.

I swatted his arm, but his words gave me a tingling feeling deep in my stomach….

_-V &V-_

"So Alice has her birthday here every year?" I whispered to Edward as we ate lunch.

"Yes, she adores Disneyland." Edward smiled.

We were eating in one of the restaurants on Main Street, and Alice had arranged for several Disney characters to visit during our meal. Even though this particular restaurant only had character dining at breakfast, they were making an exception for our group.

_What Alice wants, Alice gets._

My brother kept jumping out of his seat to have his photo taken with each character that approached. Alice was just as bad, forcing everyone out of their seats for various photo ops.

I leaned closer to Edward. Gosh he always smells so wonderful, his scent has a calming effect. I wish I could bottle that scent and keep it with me when he goes away to England. "Have you noticed how excited your sister and my brother have been all day?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded.

"It's almost as if they're related, their behavior is so similar." I grinned.

Edward scrunched up his nose and whispered. "I'm certainly glad they're not, because that would mean I've been having incestuous thoughts about you Miss Swan."

I sputtered and choked on my iced tea while Edward laughed at my reaction.

_-V &V-_

"Edward, I never told you this but I don't do well with 'scary'." I confessed as we stood in line for the Haunted Mansion, feeling a bit nervous.

Emmett overheard me and turned to face us, laughing. "She's telling you the truth Andy. Bella is a total chicken shit."

I glared at my brother. "You know Emmett, it doesn't help that you have terrorized me since I was a child. It all started with the He-Man incident, and you have never let up."

Emmett kept chuckling. "Be careful Edward, if she gets too scared, she'll wet her pants."

I gave my brother the 'death glare'. "You  _want_ me to kill you, don't you?" I said calmly.

Emmett laughed even louder. Edward, I'm sorry to say, looked amused.

Disneyland was very good at accomplishing scary, and I had to admit that I  _was_  a chicken shit. I closed my eyes to see if that would help, but realized that the spooky sounds were still there so, I buried my face in the front of Edward's shirt and put my hands over my ears. That maneuver worked, so I stayed like that until I thought the ride was over. I sat up just in time to see mine and Edward's reflections in a mirror with a nasty ghoul seated between us. I was so startled that I let out the loudest blood curdling scream of my adult life.

When we caught up with Emmett and Rose after exiting the ride, Emmett was doubled over in laughter at my scream. I looked around and realized he wasn't alone in his laughter. For some reason, this pissed me off just enough to cause me to give my brother a good hard kick in the ass as I walked by.

"Bite me Emmett." I muttered.

I managed not to make a fool of myself any more that day. The Pirates of the Caribbean ride was awesome, even if it did cause me to think about Johnny Depp.

_Another embarrassing moment you'll never live down. Thank God that Emmett doesn't know about that one Bella._

A-men.

At that point, Alice insisted that we find a good spot to watch the parade. I couldn't care less if I saw the parade. Sensing that Edward felt the same, I took his hand, and we slipped away from our group.

It looked as if ninety percent of the park patrons were waiting for the parade to start, so we got a couple of drinks, and found a quiet out of the way bench to sit on. Edward put his arm around me. "How are you enjoying Disneyland?" he asked.

I grinned. "It's actually been a lot of fun. I don't know if my opinion is tainted though."

He looked at me questioningly.

"Well you see Edward, I'd probably enjoy anything if you were there holding my hand."

"That was very sweet Miss Swan." He leaned down to kiss me. Before I knew it the kiss became heated. I found myself having the urge to run my hands through his hair, so I knocked the baseball cap to the ground. Also, somehow, I ended up sitting on his lap.

_How the hell did that happen?_

We broke the kiss when we heard giggling and the sounds of digital cameras going off. I peeked over Edward's shoulder to see we'd attracted a small crowd.

_I guess Edward is no longer incognito. I blame it on his hair, it's his most distinguishable characteristic. Well that and his beautiful smile. And his piercing green eyes. And his long graceful body. And his glorious ass. What the hell was I talking about before?_

We both sighed at the same time, and started to laugh. "I guess we'd better get back to the group." He whispered.

"I wondered where you disappeared to." Alice stated. "I'll have you know that you missed the parade."

"Yeah, we really don't care." Edward told her nonchalantly.

Alice rolled her eyes.

We rode a couple more rides, but my heart wasn't in it any more. I just wanted to be with Edward.

"That was excellent!" Emmett beamed as we exited the Star Tours ride. It was a lot more fun than I had expected.

Just then Emmett halted in his tracks, his eyes widening. "Oh I've got to do this."

I directed my eyes to the spot that held Emmett's gaze.  _Jedi Training Academy._

"Honey, you can't do this. It says ages 4 to 12." Rose said quietly.

By the look on Emmett's face, he wasn't deterred. I watched him approach one of the tan-robbed Jedi trainers and speak with him in a hushed voice. I also saw money exchange hands.

_Emmett is bribing a Disney employee to let him participate in a kiddie show. Good grief._

We watched in stunned amusement as Emmett and all the other 4 to 12 year olds suited up as young Padawans. The brown robes were too small for my brother, so he tied one around his shoulders.

I moved closer so that I could better hear what was going on. I kind of wished I hadn't when I heard Emmett lecturing a couple of kids standing near him. "See, I think things would have turned out differently for you little fuckers if you'd paid better attention during your training. Anakin never would have been able to wipe you out like he did."

_I cringed._

One of the little boys looked up at Emmett, and asked innocently. "What's a fucker?"

Emmett's eyes widened. "Oh shit, um, I mean  _shoot,_ er, that's one of those words used by the  _dark side_. A young Padawan like you should  _never_ use it, or the force will  _not_  be with you. Are we clear?"

The kids standing around Emmett all nodded their heads.

"Good."

I watched as the 'Padawans' were trained in the use of light sabers. All of a sudden the structure behind the trainers and their pupils started to move, and Darth Vader himself appeared.

_Well, this just got a little more interesting._

I watched as my brother got a determined look on his face. Darth Maul then appeared behind Darth Vader and proceeded to prepare to do battle.

_Oh shit, Emmett hates Darth Maul. He never forgave him for killing Qui-Gon._

The young Padawans were to use their newly acquired skills to fight him. I saw Emmett jump to the front of the group, and approach Darth Maul.

He spoke in a low voice. "I'm just warning you ass munch. You'd  _better_ not upset any of these little kids or I'll kick you so hard your 'nads will take up permanent residence in your rectum." He threatened.

I saw 'Darth Maul' raise his hands in surrender while backing away from Emmett. "Dude, it's only a job. The kids always win, it's in my contract." He answered in a panicked voice.

Emmett seemed satisfied, and after gently patting D.M. on the shoulder, he went back to stand with the group.

Of course the children won the battle causing Darth Vader and Darth Maul to slink away in shame.

Emmett exited the training area with the biggest 'shit-eating' grin on his silly face.

We all laughed with him and at him for his juvenile antics. I was secretly pleased that I had photographic proof to show Charlie.

Alice pulled out her map, preparing to give us instructions on where to go next, when I noticed two security guards approaching.

"Are you Emmett Swan?" One guard asked my brother.

Emmett, keeping his grin, answered. "That's me."

"Sir, would you mind coming with us?" The guard motioned for Emmett to follow him.

Emmett shrugged. "I guess I'll see you guys later." He said as he turned toward us.

"Oh no Mr. Swan, your friends should come along also." The guard announced.

We followed in silence. I couldn't believe that we were going to be kicked out of Disneyland.

_Not kicked out Bella, more like 'banned for life'._

Damn it. I really wanted to take my children to Disneyland some day.

"Emmett, I just want you to know that if you get me thrown out of Disneyland, I'm going to hunt you down and kill you in the street like a dog." Alice shouted.

_My sentiments exactly._


	32. Swing Dancing & The Dearly Departed

 

We followed the two guards into a building near the front of the park. They led us upstairs and then down a hall to an office. The sign on the door read 'Director of Security'.

_This is really bad if we're being dragged to the head honcho's office._

Edward must have seen my worried look, so he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. I looked up at him, getting lost in his eyes.

_How is it possible that one look from this man can make all my worries evaporate?_

I took a calming breath as we crowded inside the Director's office.

The man behind the desk was big and intimidating, although surprisingly young for such a high level position. He stood up from his desk.

"Mr. Swan, what do you have to say for yourself?" He stated, glaring at my brother.

Emmett stood there with his hands on his hips, glaring back. "I think the better question would be, what the hell do you want with me douche bag?" He said as he crossed his arms over his chest in the official 'fuck you' stance.

Our entire group gasped at the same moment.

_What the hell is Emmett doing? Doesn't he realize that this guy can have him arrested?_

If Emmett were to get arrested, I was pretty sure that Chief Swan would be on the next flight to L.A. in order to rip out his liver.

_And serve it with some fava beans and a nice chianti._

_Shut the hell up Hannibal, this is no time for jokes._

I saw Rose relax her shoulders and start to chuckle.

_She's finally flipped her lid. Emmett has driven Rose crazy. It's okay Bella, you can visit her in the nuthouse on the days you're not visiting Emmett in prison._

I was mentally trying to calculate how many visits I could fit into my week, when Emmett and Mr. Director started to laugh at the same time.

Emmett pulled the guy into a big bear hug, and then turned to face us with his arm around Mr. D's shoulders. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine, Elliot Robbins. We went to high school together."

_Elliot._

After thinking about it, I remembered Emmett talking about his buddy Elliot. He said something about Elliot joining the Marines and going overseas.

_I guess that changed._

We all breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone started chattering at once.

"Sorry if I frightened some of you" Elliot was grinning. "When one of my guys saw this idiot doing the Jedi training on the security monitor, he called me in there to watch. We were both laughing our asses off, when I realized that it was Emmett. I couldn't let you leave without seeing you man." He slapped Emmett on the back.

"I heard you were working here." Emmett told him. "I even asked one of the guards when I first arrived if you were here, but he told me he thought you were off today."

"I don't usually work on Saturday, so this is a stroke of luck." Elliott answered.

Emmett introduced each of us to Elliott. He already knew Rose. Turns out that Elliott had been in the military for several years, and was a decorated combat veteran. He married a girl from California, and when his last tour of duty was over, jumped at the chance to take this job with Disney so that they could settle down. "We're expecting a baby in a couple of months." He beamed.

We all congratulated him. "I hope that Jen and the baby will be up to the trip to Forks for our ten year reunion this summer." Elliot said.

Emmett looked a little put out. "I haven't heard anything about that."

Elliot frowned. "Maybe those women on the reunion committee are holding grudges." He laughed.

Emmett looked confused now. "I never did anything to them, why would they hate me?"

Elliot shook his head "Because Emmett, you never gave any of them the time of day. You ignored them, and dated a girl from Seattle. Every one of them hated Rose with a passion."

Rose spoke up then. "Elliot, I'd appreciate it very much if you'd keep us informed about this reunion."

"Do you want to go babe?" Emmett asked.

Rose narrowed her eyes as she answered. "You'd better believe it. Whether they realize it or not, it seems that there are a couple of bitches in Forks waiting for Rosalie to 'bring it'."

_Oh my._

_-V &V-_

"Now ladies, I need you all to follow me. The boys and I have a special treat planned for you." Christopher announced as he led us to the building that served as our makeshift dressing room this morning.

We had just had dinner, and had been planning to enjoy the rest of our evening at a leisurely pace until it was time for the fireworks display.

_Evidently, our men had other plans._

Inside, we found three beautiful vintage dresses. Well they were vintage 1940's repro, designed no doubt by Christopher. He even had a couple of people on hand to fix our hair and makeup.

"What's going on Chris?" Alice questioned. "It's not every day you can sneak something past me. It's making me feel strangely off-balance."

Chris smiled and kissed her cheek. "For once Alice, just sit back and enjoy the ride, don't try to manage everything." He patted her hand before exiting the room.

We were buzzing with excitement as we got ready, all three of us wondering what the boys could possibly have planned. We were dressed and ready to go in no time. I thought it ironic that Edward and I had been discussing the World War II era, and now the girls and I had dressed the part.

The sight that greeted our eyes when we exited the building, caused my heart to skip a beat, and my knees to go weak. All the boys, including Chris and Gerry were waiting for us. They all wore black pants with white dinner jackets, a single red rose in their lapels.

_The editor of GQ would kill to have this photo op L.B._

I walked over to the love of my life, he smiled as he offered his arm to me. "You are beautiful beyond words Isabella." He leaned down and murmured close to my ear.

"You're pretty yummy yourself Mr. Movie Star." I smiled up at him.

I expected everyone to recognize Edward as we passed through the throng of park patrons, but found it more amusing when they also took note of the other members of our party. I saw a lot of slack-jawed looks of amazed wonder. I had to admit that we did make a striking display. This was one of those times that I actually felt beautiful, and worthy of being on Edward's arm.

"Where are we going?"

"Patience Miss Swan, you'll see soon enough." He kept grinning as the boys led us toward Carnation Plaza Gardens.

Evidently, they held 'Swing Dancing' here every Saturday night.

"We're going swing dancing!" Alice exclaimed excitedly, as she hugged Jasper and then ran over to Chris, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you Christopher. You knew I always wanted to do this. You thought of everything."

"Alice dear, you know I'm very much a perfectionist. I believe if we're going to do something, we ought to do it right." He smiled indulgently at her.

I noticed the band getting ready to start. "Don't tell me you know how to swing dance too Edward?"

"Isabella, I learned how to swing dance in high school." He quirked an eyebrow, I resisted the urge to lick it. "I also had a refresher course for the movie."

"Well, I can't do it." I muttered.

"You will be fine. Just follow my lead."

The next thing I knew, the band began playing, and Edward pulled me into his arms to dance. 'Following his lead' was easier than I thought, and before long I was relaxed and enjoying myself.

"Chris had no way of knowing this, but I have a weakness for white dinner jackets. I think it must stem from seeing Sean Connery as James Bond years ago." I grinned.

Edward raised his eyebrows. "Miss Swan are you telling me that you have a thing for James Bond?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, maybe only Sean Connery." I smiled. "If you ever played Bond, I'd definitely have a thing for you."

"Okay I admit it, I already have a thing for you." I laughed.

Then I thought about all the 'Bond girls'. "On second thought, don't ever play Bond, that would be a terrible role for you."

_Skanky Bond girls_

Edward laughed. He was  _so_ on to me.

We spent the next couple of hours dancing and enjoying the music and atmosphere. I watched in fascination as one elderly couple took to the dance floor. They were probably our age when this music first became popular, and I could almost see the years melt away as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"I hope we'll be like that one day Bella." Edward spoke into my ear as we watched them.

_He's so sappy and sweet._

I took turns dancing with all the guys from our group, not flinching once when they held me.

_Edward has changed my life in so many ways. I'm learning to trust again._

Although I wasn't brave enough to venture outside of our circle of friends, I still felt as though I'd taken a huge step forward.

"So did you enjoy your Spring break Bellaboo?" My brother asked as we danced.

"Well Emmett, for a week that started out as shit, it's definitely ending with fireworks." I said with a grin, alluding to the display we'd be attending later.

We both laughed as we watched Edward and Alice 'jitterbug' across the dance floor.

I looked back at my brother and decided to broach the subject that had been on my mind. "What's going on big brother? Rose is worried, and I covered for you, but I know the way you've been acting isn't just about Mom."

Emmett shook his head. "You know me too well Sissy." He got a serious look on his face as he continued. "I've been thinking about the wedding."

I worried my lip. "You're not changing your mind are you Em? That would destroy Rose." I whispered.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "No! Nothing like that." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "It's just that the more I think about that day, the more I realize what I want. Rose keeps pestering the living shit out of me for a decision about where to have the ceremony. I've been running all the options over and over in my head, but keep coming back to one."

This was a relief. Emmett wasn't concerned about  _getting_ married, only about  _where._

_Please don't let it be in the middle of Qwest Field._

I waited for him to speak.

He began in a whisper, something I'd always thought him incapable of, "I  _really_ want a church wedding."

I didn't know what to say.

"I know you probably think I don't care Bells, but I  _actually_ do." He slowed his dancing as he spoke. "It's not like Rose is attached to any one faith. The only time she goes to church is with me."

"There was a time, after Mom died, that I hated the church. I couldn't understand how God could let that stuff happen to our family. But, as the years have passed, the more I've spoken with Father Pat, I've come to understand that bad shit happens to good people sometimes."

"Even though our shit was really bad, there have been plenty of people that have survived worse." He stopped dancing altogether now. "I'd kind of like to rejoin the church. I think it's important for our kids to have that in their lives, but I also want it for me."

"Wow. It sounds like you've been giving this a lot of thought." I said, amazed.

"Yeah, I really want to start things the right way. Now I just need to talk to Father Pat, and see what he says."

"Emmett, I think you'd better speak with Rose first, this is her wedding too." I said, knowing full well that Rose would want whatever made Emmett happy.

"Yeah, I'll do that as soon as we get back. I was thinking of talking to Father Pat next weekend when we go to Forks for Easter." He added.

"Sounds like a plan." I smiled at my brother.

_-V &V-_

We all thanked Chris profusely for the wonderful evening, when it was time to leave for the fireworks.

As expected, the fireworks display was spectacular. Edward stood behind me and pulled me against him, his arms around my waist as we watched. Now and then I would feel a kiss on my neck or shoulder.

_Did my insides just melt into goo? Affirmative L.B._

After the fireworks, our early morning wake-up call started to catch up with us, and we had to say goodbye to the Happiest Place on Earth.

_Emmett didn't get us tossed out after all._

_-V &V-_

_The music started to play, and I was aware of being in my church in Forks. I was wearing a white gown. I saw Edward at the altar, waiting in a black tux. His back was to me, but I'd recognize that tousled bronze hair anywhere._

_I ran up the aisle to him, reaching out and touching his arm as soon as I was close enough._

_Edward turned to face me. But instead of the brilliant green eyes I expected to see, I was greeted with the dark, dead eyes of Jeff Dryden._

_I watched as the tousled bronze hair became a dull mop of dirty blond._

" _You didn't think I'd ever give you up did you Isabella?" He leered at me as he grasped both my upper arms painfully with his hands. "You're mine. You will always be mine."_

" _No" I whimpered. "I love Edward."_

" _You love me Isabella. You always have. You're just confused, but that's alright. I'm here now and I will get rid of anything or anyone that stands in our way."_

_My eyes searched the church, frantically trying to find Edward. I gasped in horror when I saw the lifeless bodies of those I loved lying strewn about the floor behind Jeff. I sobbed as I recognized each one, Charlie, Emmett, Rose._

" _What have you done?" I cried. Father Pat, Alice, Jasper, Chris, Esme and Carlisle, all dead. Then, I saw him, my beloved. Overwhelming grief took hold of my heart, I couldn't even think his name. He was lying still and lifeless next to the bodies of his parents. "No, no, no, Edward" I wept uncontrollably as I tried to free myself from Jeff's grasp._

"Bella, sweetheart" I heard a frantic voice calling. "Bella, wake up. Please Bella."

I opened my eyes to find myself safe in the circle of Edward's arms. "Bella, you're trembling. That must have been quite a nightmare." Edward said in a worried voice.

I lay there unable to speak for several minutes because every time I tried, the only sound to leave my lips was another sob. I couldn't shake the image of everyone I loved lying there dead. Edward held me, waiting patiently.

After a while, I calmed enough to speak. "It was terrible Edward." I whispered. "He killed everyone. Jeff killed everyone." I couldn't think about it or I knew that a whole new round of tears would start.

I took a deep cleansing breath.

Edward was quiet for a few minutes.

"Bella, don't get mad at me, but do you see a therapist?" He spoke quickly now "There's no shame in it you know. They can help."

"I used to see someone in Port Angeles, but I haven't been in a couple of years." I said sadly. "I thought I was getting better."

Edward held me tighter. "Bella, all I know is from my own experience, but sometimes we still need help from time to time. Our needs and our reasons change, but a therapist helps give us perspective. Even if the problems seems small and insignificant."

"You see one?" I asked.

"Yes. Not regularly like I used to, but if I'm having a problem, I've found that seeing my therapist can only help me. I think you should consider going back."

I thought about this. My nightmares had all but disappeared since meeting Edward, with the exception of the ranger episode and seeing the Dryden family on television. If a therapist could help me put an end to the bad dreams once and for all, it would definitely be worth the embarrassment of having to bare my soul.

"You're right. I'll call this week."

He smiled and kissed my nose. "Let's get ready. We've got another big day ahead of us."

Today I would have to say goodbye to California. Although I was very sorry to leave Alice and Jasper, the fact that Edward would be flying with me, and spending a few days in Seattle before leaving for England, more than made up for it.

It was Palm Sunday, I was going to Mass fairly early because there were still a couple of touristy things we wanted to do before flying home this evening.

Everyone decided to tag along to Mass, so I chose a church close to our first 'tourist' spot.

About ten minutes into Mass, Emmett gave me the 'beam me up Scotty' stare. I guessed that he agreed with my suspicion that the priest was an ex-hippy.

_There's nothing EX- about it Bella. This dude is guaranteed to be a dashiki and bead-wearing, incense-burning, touchy, feely Deadhead if ever I saw one._

I guess I'd been spoiled by Father Pat's conservative ways, and the Archbishop in Seattle who always said a very dignified Mass. I had to remind myself that I was in southern California, and things here were a little  _different._

But then again, the church I went to last Sunday was okay. Maybe it's just this priest. I chanced a look at Alice, and she looked appalled.

_If I know Alice, it's because the parishioners were wearing 'casual clothing' to church. In Alice's mind, that would be unforgivable._

Because we'd chosen the earlier Mass, there wasn't a large crowd in attendance. This must have been what prompted Father Freak Brother to leave the altar during the sign of peace and shake hands with each person individually while distributing the palms.

_I wonder if he smells like reefer._

I felt bad for thinking that, until Emmett leaned down and whispered in my ear. "I wonder if he smells like reefer." I looked at him and we both started snickering.

Not wanting to know the answer to the question, I held my breath as Father Freakshow approached.

"Welcome my friends. Welcome to our Lord's humble abode. I'm merely the caretaker. Remember our minds are like parachutes, they only work when they're open."

_Charlie would love that shit._

Emmett whispered again. "I think Pops deserves a vacation in southern California, and I know  _exactly_ where I'm taking him to Mass."

I snickered again, which was quite difficult while still holding my breath.

Father Take-a-toke finally arrived at our pew, hesitating a little longer than usual when he recognized Edward. He handed him a palm. "Good to see you my brother in Christ. Like Ghandi, we should not be ashamed to become pacifists. You should ask for the Lord's guidance before accepting your next movie role. Glorify peace, not violence."

I didn't laugh this time, but heard Emmett and Jasper snickering.

I noticed Edward had a strange look on his face. Probably debating whether it would be acceptable to tell Father Half-Baked to 'fuck off'. Thankfully, he remained silent. My title as only member of our group to have uttered the 'F' word in church remaining unchallenged.

Emmett grabbed Father Bong-breath's hand "Hey there Padre. Did you by any chance attend Woodstock?"

I stomped on Emmett's foot for causing me to hold my breath even longer. I was sure my face was turning purple by this time.

Father Fruitcake's face lit up at that. "You are very perceptive my friend. It was an experience that changed my life." He said as he walked away.

I finally released the breath I was holding, while everyone around me shook with silent laughter.

_-V &V-_

"Rosalie, has anyone ever told you that you're weird?" I asked my future sister-in-law.

We were standing in the middle of Westwood Memorial Park, yes a  _cemetery._  Not just any cemetery though, this one housed the remains of more than it's fair share of deceased celebrities.

"You aren't the first to say so, believe me." Rose smiled as she peered over the top of her sunglasses at me.

Rose had insisted that we pay our respects to two women she admired. One long dead, and one more recently deceased, Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page.

After doing just that, Edward and I had wandered away from the others. Every so often we would come across the grave of someone whose name we recognized, and whose life's work we had enjoyed.

"It kind of makes me feel small" remarked Edward in a somber voice.

"How so?" I asked.

"Well look at them all Bella. All the money, all the fame, it didn't give them one more minute on earth did it?" He then laughed darkly. "Living and working in Hollywood, we are made to feel that every project we work on is the most important thing ever. It would be easy to get lost in the feeling that you're going to live forever and that neither illness nor death can touch you. But, in the end, even the rich and powerful wind up here, or someplace just like it."

"I guess it's a good thing that you don't believe in the lie then, isn't it Edward?"

He nodded as he pulled me close to his side while we glanced at the gravestone of yet another member of Hollywood's golden age.

Suddenly I heard a vaguely familiar female voice call from behind us. "I had a feeling we would meet again, I just didn't think it would be so soon."


	33. Unsolicited Advice & Airline Wings

 

I wheeled around to see who was speaking. Imagine my surprise when I came face to face with Gloria Powell's lovely smile.

"Hello there Bella, and you must be Edward" Gloria said politely, as she shook Edward's hand.

_As if anyone doesn't know who Edward is. Well Bella, you never know, there are probably some members of an undiscovered tribe in South America that don't know about him._

Edward was a little stunned, as he returned the handshake.

_Did I forget to tell him about meeting Gloria? Probably, you were a little freaked out when you arrived, and Edward was a lot drunk._

"Edward, I met Gloria on the plane last Saturday." He winced at the mention of that day.

"Here visiting someone you knew?" Gloria asked us.

I shook my head, but Edward answered, "I've seen the graves of a couple of people that I've met, mainly at award shows, but no one that I knew very well."

Gloria looked back across the expanse of the graveyard, a wistful expression on her face. "I have a lot of dear friends buried here. But no one that I miss as much as my husband."

"I'm very sorry Gloria, when did you lose him?" I asked.

"George has been gone almost fourteen years, although it seems like it was only yesterday that I lost him." She answered sadly, then she perked up. "I come here faithfully every Sunday afternoon, weather and health permitting, to spend a little time with him."

_Now that I'd found Edward, I couldn't bear the thought of losing him some day._

I suddenly felt very guilty for moping around during the brief periods of time that Edward and I had to be apart. The thought of losing the love of my life  _forever_  was quite a sobering one. The chilling memory of my nightmare suddenly returned, and I shuddered.

Edward sensed that something was wrong and pulled my hand up holding it in both of his, while giving me a sad smile.

Gloria studied my face for a moment, and then reached up and patted my upper arm in a comforting gesture.

"I try to avoid television as much as possible, but living in this town it's been impossible to avoid the news about the two of you." She said with a chuckle, successfully changing the subject. She quirked an eyebrow "It's been quite a week for you hasn't it?"

I smiled back while shaking my head in semi-disbelief. "If I hadn't lived through it, I wouldn't have believed it." I said as I laughed out a breath.

"You're the darling of the week Bella, but don't let it affect your behavior. The press and the public are a fickle lot. They'll love you one moment and hate you the next. Just don't let wanting to be liked govern your behavior."

Then she turned to Edward who seemed to be pondering her advice. "I've been away from the business for so long that sometimes I grow restless to return. I find that I have to be satisfied with hearing about it from others." She smiled. "So what's next for you young Mr. Masen?"

Gloria wanted to talk shop.

"I'm in the middle of filming  _The Harvest of Avarice_ , a film which takes place during World War II. I'll be leaving for England next week, and filming there for a month." Gloria nodded her head as she listened with interest.

"After that, I'll be working on a project with Clint Eastwood called  _Enemy Combatant_. Parts of that will be filmed in Seattle."

Gloria stopped him there. "You're filming with Clint?" She asked smiling.

"Yes, I'm actually supposed to call him today. I wanted to touch base with him before leaving town." Edward answered.

"Please tell him that I said hello. I had the pleasure of working with him on a couple episodes of  _Rawhide_  way back when. He was such a joy to work with, a total professional but also a lot of fun." She smiled fondly. "He and George struck up quite a friendship, but just like everything else, the years go by and, with working and raising a family we tend to lose track of friends." She lost her smile. "I've only seen him a couple of times since George's funeral." She trailed off.

"I'll be sure to say something to him Miss Powell." Edward reassured.

"Thank you Edward." Gloria said, then she looked him in the eye. "Edward, I hope you don't mind, but Bella and I talked a lot on the flight from Seattle, and most of the conversation revolved around you." Edward shot me a nervous look. "Don't worry so much." She said with a laugh. "Do you know what I took away from that conversation?"

Edward's brow furrowed as he shook his head.

"The fact that Isabella loves you with all her heart. Granted, at the time she was also on the verge of killing you." Gloria laughed and I was embarrassed. "My point is, Edward don't ever,  _ever_ , _willingly_  let go of the ones you love. At some point, through circumstances beyond your control, you will be separated from them. Until that day, hold onto them with every ounce of your strength. Don't break your own heart through some misguided sense of chivalry."

Gloria looked a little sheepish. "I'm sorry. I'm just an old woman who buts in where she shouldn't sometimes, but I've lived long enough to learn a few things. I've lived with a hole in my heart for fourteen years, a hole that won't heal until the day I lie beside my George again. Don't waste these precious years, you will never get them back."

I was too stunned to say anything. Gloria's words made me want to cry.

_What was I thinking when I told Edward not to propose too soon?_

"Well, I've said too much. You probably both think I'm an old busybody, I apologize." Gloria said as she turned to walk away.

I finally found my voice. "No, Gloria, wait. What you said, it was so.."

"Perfect" Edward finished my thought. I nodded. "Thank you Miss Powell, I think those words were exactly what Bella and I needed to hear."

Gloria smiled, relieved. At that exact moment, I saw something out of the corner of my eye moving rapidly toward us. By the time I had my wits about me enough to focus on it, Alice had appeared and started fawning all over Gloria.

I watched as Gloria gazed at her in amused befuddlement. Alice went on and on about how glamorous Gloria was, and how she wished more of today's Hollywood celebrities cared about their appearance when they were in public. I noticed that she gave her brother an arched glare while making that statement.

Jasper caught up to us, out of breath after evidently chasing Alice over about a hundred yards of cemetery.

Edward finally broke into Alice's excited chatter. "Miss Powell, allow me to introduce my sister Alice Whitlock, and her husband Jasper. Jasper is also my manager."

Gloria nodded then in understanding and shook hands. Rose and Emmett arrived soon after, and more introductions we made. I think Gloria was completely confused by the fact that Emmett was my brother and Rose was Jasper's sister, coupled with the fact that Edward and Alice were siblings, I guess it would seem a bit strange.

We happily chatted for about fifteen minutes until Gloria's son arrived to take her to dinner.

"Well, I must leave you all now. I'm dining with my son and his family. It seems that I'll be giving out  _more_  unsolicited advice. One of my granddaughters got a  _tattoo._ " She said, as if it was a dirty word. "In my day, only sailors got tattoos." She sighed and shook her head as we all laughed.

Alice insisted on getting Gloria's phone number, and then we all said our goodbyes.

Before she left, Gloria turned to Edward and me. "Goodbye my friends. Something tells me that we'll meet again." She said as she patted our hands.

"If I had to assign a one-word description to Miss Powell" Alice said as we watched Gloria walk away, "I think it would be  _Classy_."

I had to agree.

_-V &V-_

Just once it would be nice if Emmett could refrain from being the center of attention.

_Shut up Bella. You sound like Ferris Bueller's whiney bitch of a sister._

We were at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. Edward had made reservations, and because he was  _Edward_ , they'd given us the best table in the house, directly in front of the stage.

Normally I would be thrilled to be this close to the featured musical act, but because it was  _Gospel_  Sunday Brunch, that meant that the musical act was a gospel group. A gospel group that believed in audience participation.

_Why should I be surprised that my brother was up on stage right now dancing as the 'Spirit' moved him._

Granted, Emmett was  _called_ up to the stage, along with other members of the audience. Everyone was now singing and dancing along with the group, but somehow Emmett always drew the spotlight to himself.

I had to admit that he had some moves, but I was fearful that he might give a couple of those g _ospel ladies_ heart attacks if he didn't tone down the gyrating hips just a tad.

I guess it never occurred to him that dancing like a stripper while singing " _Oh happy day, When Jesus washed my sins away_ " just might be wrong.

I was quick to notice that not one frickin soul was complaining about it though.

I looked around our table. Alice was dancing beside her chair. Rose was on her second mimosa while staring at the stage.

_Keeping an eye on Emmett's ass, I'm sure._

Jasper had been so thrilled that the buffet included jambalaya, that he hadn't come up for air in at least ten minutes. And Edward was watching me watch everyone else. I flushed. His stare at times was so intense, so filled with love and adoration for me, that it literally took my breath away.

_I never thought there would be anyone like that for me._

For a moment, the rest of the world ceased to exist as Edward drew me closer and kissed me. I instinctually wrapped my arms around his neck and allowed my fingers to run through his unruly mop.

_L.B. you just accused your brother of inappropriate behavior, but you don't seem averse to shoving your tongue down Edward's throat._

I pulled away from him and smiled. As I glanced around the table, I saw Rose, Jasper and Alice all smirking at us.

_What the hell? They were all occupied with other things not two minutes ago._

I gave them a dirty look.

The song finally ended, and Emmett returned to the table, smiling happily.

_-V &V-_

Walking through the airport, I didn't realize that Emmett and Edward were 'men on a mission'. Instead of hurrying past the line of paparazzi, I became aware that we were actually slowing our pace.

Emmett gave a short nod and Edward returned it as we came to a full stop. Emmett approached the paps as Edward pulled me partially behind him to shield me.  _From what?_

"Which one of you was it?" Emmett asked in an angry tone.

Jasper immediately stepped in. "Emmett, I know what you're doing, and as much as I'd like to see you wipe up the floor with that piece of garbage, there are two things that stop me from helping you."

Emmett crossed his arms over his chest and eyed Jasper coolly.

Jasper sighed. "First of all, I don't want to be responsible for you being arrested. And second, I don't see that asshole anywhere, he's not here."

Emmett seemed to become less angry. "You're sure?" He questioned.

"Yes." Jasper answered sincerely.

Emmet turned back toward the paps. "It seems that the one I  _really_ wanted to see isn't here, so I'll just pass on a message through you. You tell him I'd better  _never_ see him. He'd better  _never_ show his face around me. I will fucking  _end_ him." He then grabbed Rose's hand and stalked away.

We followed at a brisk pace. I turned toward Edward. "You knew about this didn't you?"

He nodded. "Your brother has a mind of his own. I  _doubt_ he would have hit the guy, but I know he intended to scare the piss out of him." Edward smiled. "He has his own way of handling things, not the path I would have chosen, but effective none the less."

"Oh really? How would you have handled it?" I was curious.

"I'm more of a 'plotting quiet revenge' sort of guy. I don't go after them physically, but there are other ways to make their life hell."

"I don't know Mr. Movie Star, I distinctly remember you pinning Mike Newton against a wall and threatening his life." I grinned.

He raised his eyebrows and chuckled while biting his lip. "I guess you've got me there Miss Swan. A lot of things about me have changed since I met you, and you have no idea how happy that makes me." He said as he pulled me closer while we walked.

_-V &V-_

Edward and I were seated in first class, across the aisle from Emmett and Rose. Rose snagged the window seat, leaving Emmett directly across from me, since I had forced Edward to sit in the window seat. The more distance between Edward and whatever shit Emmett was likely to pull, the better.

Rose settled down comfortably, and was asleep before we even took off. Edward pulled out his cell to make a quick call while he still could.

"Hi, it's Edward Masen. How are you?"

Edward listened as whoever was on the other end responded. "I'm good. I'm just getting ready to take off on a flight to Seattle. My girlfriend lives there."

He smiled at me. "Yes, I'm sure you have." He laughed.

"Anyway, I have to fly to England in about a week, and I won't be returning until late May, so I wanted to touch base with you."

He listened again.

"Yes, I knew that, and I do appreciate that approach." pausing again.

"Yes, as much time as I can."

"That sounds good. I'll call you then, and we can set that up. Oh by the way, I ran into a friend of yours that wished to tell you hello." He paused.

"Gloria Powell."

_Holy crap he's talking to Clint._

"Of all places, would you believe Westwood Cemetery?"

Edward listened again.

"She seems well. Bella and I enjoyed our conversation with her very much. It was, enlightening." Edward squeezed my hand.

"I think she'd really appreciate that."

"Okay, thanks Clint, I'll speak with you soon."

I noticed Emmett look over at me and grin, probably thinking about his chance to torture our Dad.

Edward turned to me as he shut off his phone. "Clint wants to fly to Seattle after I return from England. He likes to visit all the film locations so he can be involved in the local casting. I think I'm really going to like working with him."

"Why does he care about the casting?" I asked.

"I guess I didn't tell you, he's directing as well as acting in this film. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity."

I thought about Charlie.  _I guess he'll get to meet Clint sooner than expected._

Our flight attendant, who happened to be male, and a little too helpful, especially toward my brother and Edward, brought us all drinks. Knowing that I had to go to school tomorrow, I allowed myself one glass of wine.

Edward pulled out his ipod and told me that he was choosing a play list for us. I watched him surreptitiously as he scanned the list for it.

_Hey there's a playlist titled 'Beautiful Bella' on there. I may have to investigate that later._

He plugged in his earbuds and handed one earphone to me, while placing the other in his ear. The first song started, causing me to laugh out loud, as the beginning strains of  _Time Warp_ from  _Rocky Horror Picture Show_ played.

He grinned. "I couldn't resist. It will forever remind me of our second date." He gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

The next song was softer, so soft in fact that I could hear my brother and Rose having a hushed but urgent conversation beside us.

I hesitated before removing the ear bud.

_Did I really want to know what they were talking about?_

My curiosity won, and I listened in.

"Babe, It's something I've always wanted to do." Emmett whined.

"Sort of like what you talked me into on Chrismas night in your old bedroom Emmett? Do I need to remind you that what you're suggesting is  _against the law._ " Rose hissed in a whisper. "I do not enjoy the thought of being arrested Emmett. You know there are sky marshals on these flights now."

"Yeah, but I've come up with a foolproof plan. Since we've got a male flight attendant, who's obviously gay, I'm positive it will work." He said in a low voice.

My asstard brother was suggesting that Rose and he join the 'mile high club'.

He spoke as if he were in negotiations for something perfectly reasonable and legitimate, instead of having sex in an airplane bathroom.

Rose looked at him as if he'd gone insane.

I didn't want to sit here and witness this, but I was riveted. Just like watching a train wreck, I couldn't seem to pull my gaze away. I handed the other earbud back to Edward, motioning that he should place it in his ear.

_I'd really like to spare him this little bit of Emmett's idiocy._

"Please Rosie" he whispered. "I'll come to your office, and we'll do it in the conference room again. Maybe we'll even do it on Mike Newton's desk." He chuckled.

_Ew and Ew. I am never touching that conference room table again. Or the chairs. Or Mike Newton._

Not that I had  _ever_  planned on touching that shithead.

Rose giggled, and I could tell that she was going to cave.

_Just say no Rosalie!_

She must have agreed, because about a minute later she disappeared into the bathroom directly behind Edward's and my seats.

_They are officially trying to ruin my life. Fuck you Emmett and Rose._

Apparently that was exactly what was about to happen.

Our flight attendant came by with an assortment of goodies and drinks, so I decided to have a second glass of wine.

_Hell, why not?_

Emmett kept him there talking. "Hey, Rocky is it?"

I snickered at the flight attendant's phony name.

"Yes, and I know who you are." Rocky answered with a leering smile and a twinkle in his eye.

Emmett grinned. "Are you a fan Rocky?" He asked in a lilting voice.

_What the? No way. Please tell me that Emmett is not pretending to be gay._

Rocky caught on immediately, looking shocked. "Um, why yes. Whenever I'm not flying I love to watch you play."

"That's what it's all about isn't it?" He crooned in his fake effeminate voice. "Making the fans happy. Despite the personal cost." He added sadly.

"Oh Mr. Swan, I'm sure you must have a very happy life." He comforted.

"It's happy Rocky, it's just not the real me. It's a shame that I have to keep who I  _really_ am a secret.  _If_ you understand me." He covered his face with one hand, faking emotion.

_Good grief, he almost has me convinced that he's gay._

"Oh my, are the Seahawks strict?" Rocky asked, concerned.

"You have no idea" Emmett lisped sadly. "It's very  _don't ask don't tell_. It's so difficult, but I do it for the fans." Emmett faked like he was going to cry.

"Oh Mr. Swan, let me get you something. Maybe some hot tea will make you feel better."

Emmett looked up with sad eye. "Can you put a little honey in it?"

Rocky smiled. "Why of course, I'll be right back."

As soon as Rocky disappeared into the galley, Emmett disappeared into the bathroom,  _with Rose._

Rocky came back a minute later with the tea, and looked around for Emmett, confused.

"I think he's in the bathroom." I told him, trying to be helpful.

Just then, I felt a thump against the back of my seat. Then it happened again. Edward looked startled and removed his earbuds.

"I hate turbulence." He said as he grabbed my hand.

I took a big gulp of wine. "It's not turbulence Edward."

He looked at me with a puzzled expression.

_Oh you poor little innocent man-child, just go to sleep._

The thumping continued, and I saw awareness take over his features. He got a disgusted look on his face. "I knew we should have changed our seats, I can't believe that some people are so horny that they can't wait."

I just sighed and took another sip of wine.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Edward peered around me then. "Where are Rose and Emmett?" He asked.

I just looked at him, my face a blank mask.

_Come on Edward, I know you can figure this out._

His eyes widened in shock. "No." He breathed.

"Yes." I whispered back.

A few minutes, and many thumps later, Rose emerged from the bathroom, followed closely by Emmett. My brother was so stupid the he was still tucking in his shirt while walking back to his seat.

None of this escaped Rocky's notice, and he looked at Emmett questioningly.

Emmett, not missing a beat, cupped his chin with one hand and mouthed the words 'my beard' while gesturing toward Rose.

Rocky nodded and gave Emmett an understanding smile.

The rest of the flight was relatively uneventful, although I did notice that Rocky kept a watchful eye on Emmett and Rose until we landed.

As we exited the plane, he smiled at Emmett knowingly.

Emmett grinned and slapped Rocky on the arm while shaking his hand. Hey man, I'd like you to meet Rose, my fiancée."

Rocky returned his smile. "I thought as much Mr. Swan."

"I'm sorry dude, but I couldn't  _not_ go for it." He said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Rocky laughed. "It's okay. You're still my favorite player."

Emmett's grin got wider as Rose just shook her head in embarrassment. "Thanks Rocky."

"Oh, by the way Mr. Swan." Rocky continued.

"Yeah?"

"Would you and your fiancée each like a set of airline wings?"

Emmett and Rose looked confused, this wasn't their first time flying.

Rocky smiled smugly. "For joining the Mile High Club, of course."

My brother didn't even have the good manners to look embarrassed. "Hell yeah bro. That would be epic."

_Maybe someday Edward would join the Mile High Club with me._

_I'm shocked L.B._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Emmett does rejoin the church, he's going to be in the confessional a looooonnnnnnggggg time. Just sayin.


	34. Ringtones & The Prodigal Son

 

When we walked into my apartment, it felt as if I'd been gone for a year. In the short span of one week, my life had undergone a seismic shift. Little did I realize that when I left last Saturday, I was leaving my old life behind.

The life where the man I loved had tried to convince me that he didn't want me any more. The life where our relationship had been like a rollercoaster ride, up and down, incredibly happy and exciting moments, followed by disaster.

What a huge difference a week made. Not only had Edward apologized profusely for every stupid thing he'd said and done last Friday, but we'd come to an understanding. An understanding in which we both realized that we wanted a permanent commitment.

An understanding in which I was certain, that in the not too distant future, Edward was going to propose. Propose marriage. To me.

The young girl inside wanted to squee at finding her 'prince charming'. The young woman took it a lot more seriously. I had been deathly afraid of so many things, marriage included.

Until I'd met Edward.

During the months since, I had become convinced that Edward was what had been missing in my life. He had helped me face so many of my fears, faced them, and defeated them. Something I'd been unable to do alone. I knew that he felt the same way about me. I was the part of his life that helped him make sense of it all.

I'd come to the conclusion that, somehow, whether through a quirk of fate or by Divine Providence, Edward and I had always been meant to be together.

The bond we shared now wouldn't be easily damaged by outside forces. We were determined to weather the storms together.

After speaking with Gloria Powell, my last little nagging fear of marriage evaporated. I wanted to be with Edward and, faced with the fact that some day one of us would have to carry on without the other, I knew my fear of getting married was stupid. How many years or months would I waste not being with him because of my unfounded fears?

Whenever he decided to ask, I'd be ready.

My mind was brought back to the present when Edward spoke. "Bella, I'm just going to put our bags away." He looked sad.

I realized why as I looked around my apartment. The evidence of my pity party, and then my rushed departure were everywhere.

_Crap, I should have asked Rose to clean up while I was gone._

Although, even if I'd thought of it, I probably wouldn't have asked her. She had an extremely busy week at work, partially because I wasn't there to help, but also because she was cramming five days worth of work into four, in order to make the trip to L.A.

Edward stowed our bags in my closet while I fixed us a couple of sodas. We had both just collapsed onto the sofa and taken a sip of our drinks when my phone started ringing.

_'I'm bringing sexy back, Them other boys don't know how to act, I think you're special, what's behind your back? So turn around and I'll pick up the slack.'_

Edward gave me an alarmed look as I fished my phone out of my bag. I looked at the screen.

_Emmett._

"Emmett, when the heck did you change my ringtone?" I barked into the phone.

His voice sang into the phone, " _Dirty babe, you see the shackles baby I'm your slave, I'll let you whip me if I misbehave._ " He laughed "Rose likes that line especially."

I rolled my eyes in disgust. "Once again Emmett, thanks for sharing." I muttered.

"What? Me and Justin are bringing sexy back. He's got the song, and I've got the body, in Calvin Klein underwear." Then he continued to sing. " _Get your sexy on, Go ahead, be gone with it. Get your sexy on._ "

That boy has no shame.  _Probably forgot I'm even here._

" _Get your sexy on._ " He kept singing.

"Emmett! You have no idea how disturbing that is. Why did you call me?" I barked.

He laughed. "Sorry Bells, I got distracted for a minute. Damn Rose, your hands are cold."

_Ugh_

"Emmett, I shouldn't even be speaking to you after that stunt you pulled on the airplane." I growled.

I could see Edward smiling and shaking his head.

Emmett sighed happily. "Bells, it's just one of those things I had to do. Now I can cross airplane bathroom off the list."

"You have a list?" I asked incredulously.

"Sure do. We still need to find a way to do it at Qwest field." He said, mostly to himself.

"Ew Emmett. I  _really_ never needed to know that." I was now anxious to disconnect the call and go wash out my ear.

Emmett laughed. "Anyway, the reason I called was that Rose and I are ordering pizza, why don't you guys come over to eat with us?"

Knowing that I didn't have anything in my fridge worth eating after being away for a week, this sounded like the perfect solution for dinner. I was sure Edward would agree.

"That actually sounds really good. I'm running on caffeine right now. Just give us a call when it gets there okay?"

"Will do." He answered.

_-V &V-_

We were sitting in Rose and Emmett's living room eating pizza when Rose's phone started playing the Witch's theme from  _The Wizard of Oz_. As soon as Rose heard it, she started to chuckle.

"Hello Ms. Chance, thanks for returning my call." Rose said in her most businesslike voice. "I just wanted to let you know that we've tentatively scheduled the taping of your segment for Tuesday, April 6th at three p.m. Will that time fit into your schedule?"

Rose listened.

"Wonderful. I'm looking forward to it also, more than you know." Rose was smirking while she winked at me. "Alright then, goodbye now Ms. Chance.  _See you next Tuesday._ " Rose said, putting special emphasis on those last four words, before disconnecting the call, looking very pleased with herself.

_Only Rose._

I turned to her. "So, the interview is next week?" I asked.

Rose beamed. "Yes, I want you to be there Bells. We'll find a place for you to watch where she won't see you."

I was a little nervous about it, but Rose knew what she was doing so, more than anything, I was looking forward to what she had planned.

Exhaustion finally overcame all of us, and we headed off to our beds.

In the morning, I got up and quietly got ready. Edward was sleeping when I left for class.

The body shop had fixed and delivered my car last week while I was in L.A. Edward panicked when he learned this, and insisted that Lou drive me to and from school. When I argued about it, he reminded me that they still hadn't caught the person or persons responsible for vandalizing my car.

I let him have his way when I realized how upset, almost despondent, he became at the thought of me driving myself.

_My stupid pride is not more important than Edward's peace of mind._

Today was the first day of my final quarter of school. Less than three months until I would graduate. There were a few days left in which I was able to change classes without penalty, and that was my intention as I headed for the registrar's office.

The pleasant treatment I'd received in California after Tanya's confession continued once I was back home. Gone were the sneers and whispers. I saw no more angry stares. In their place were smiles or, as in most cases, uncaring blank looks.

_I suppose that without the scandal, I'm not that interesting any more._

After taking care of what I needed to do in the office, I attended two hour-long seminars, and then I was free for the day.

It was noon when I sent a text to Edward.

_**E-** _

_**Whatcha doin?** _

_**-B** _

I waited for his response.

_**B-** _

_**Hey baby, I wanted to come have lunch with you, but got delayed. You go ahead and eat, I know you have class again soon.** _

_**-E** _

I decided to call him.

_**E-** _

_**I'm phoning you.** _

_**-B** _

I scrolled to his name and hit send.

He answered the phone chuckling. " _When_ did you change my ringtone?" He asked, still laughing.

While sneakily searching for his ipod so I could see the 'Bella' playlist, I had found his phone and couldn't resist changing the ringtone for my number to 'Like a Virgin'.

_I never did find the ipod._

I giggled. "Early this morning, you were still asleep."

"The memory of that night will torture me for the rest of the day now." He was still chuckling. "Just remember that turn about is fair play."

_Uh oh._

I tried to change the subject. "So, you never answered my question."

"What question was that?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Whatcha doin?" I asked playfully.

"At the moment, I'm in a car while Lou drives me toward downtown Seattle. I was hoping to see my girlfriend a little later."

"Will she be jealous that you're speaking with me Mr. Movie Star?" I teased.

"Well, she does have a bit of a temper. I'm hoping she'll let me slide just this once." He replied.

"Possibly, if you come and pick her up right now." I said sweetly.

I should have known that he'd be instantly alarmed. "Why baby, what's happened?"

"Nothing's happened, nothing is wrong. I just don't have class this afternoon." I tried to calm him.

"Oh I see. In that case, I'm on my way. See you soon Bella." His normal self again.

"I'll meet you in front of the Hub." I answered.

We were riding in the car, when I decided to explain my new schedule to Edward. "Okay, so I thought about it, and decided to switch the two classes that I have on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to  _online._ I couldn't do anything about the Tuesday-Thursday classes though."

"Wait a minute, you just said that you went to class." He looked a little confused.

"The online classes required attendance for the first session, which I did this morning." I smiled.

He smiled broadly. "So this means you're free this Wednesday, and Friday?"

"And next Monday." I said quietly, knowing that was the day he was leaving for England. "I'm sure Rose still needs me to work, but I was hoping she'd let me work Tuesday and Thursday afternoon and all day Wednesday so I could be off today and Friday."

He was still grinning. "You've got this all planned out don't you?"

"Yes. I wasn't sure I would be able to switch the classes easily, so I didn't say anything before. I was also hoping that you'd want to go to Forks with me for Easter, Mr. Movie Star."

His grin got even wider. "I would love to Miss Swan."

_-V &V-_

After clearing everything with Rose, I suddenly had a free afternoon. Edward took me to lunch at a little bistro near my apartment.

There were times that I would forget Edward was a famous movie star, but this wasn't one of them. We had drawn the attention of a  _lot_ of people.

"How long did it take you to get used to the staring?" I asked him over lunch.

He smiled. "Well, in my case Bella, it happened gradually. My fame didn't really happen over night, it took place over the course of several months to a year. It was well over a year before I was recognizable to Joe Blow on the street. As I got more famous though, people tended to get bolder. I'm still not used to that."

"What do you mean?" I was curious.

"There have been 'fans', and I use the term lightly here, that have tried to physically accost me. They are usually trying to get something from me. Sometimes a piece of clothing, or a lock of hair."

My mouth fell open in shock. "They tried to cut your hair?"

He grinned. "Yes, of course, obsession makes the seemingly rational person do irrational things I suppose." He paused, thinking.

"Have you ever been stalked?" I asked.

He looked uncomfortable. "It depends on what you mean by stalked."

I waited for him to continue.

He shrugged. "The worst incident for me was this one fan that wouldn't leave me alone." He said as his brow furrowed. "After following me for weeks, the police literally found her hiding in the bushes outside of my house."

"Your house?"

"Not the one I live in now. It was the one I had before this one. She's the main reason that I now live in a fortress. That whole episode was seriously creepy." He shuddered a little.

"What did she want?" I asked, worried now.

"What do they all want?" His voice suddenly low and sexy as he held my hand. "To seduce me, to chain me to their bed, become the mother of my children."

"Unfortunately for them, there's only one woman I'm interested in doing those things with." He said as he lifted my hand and brushed his lips lightly against the open palm.

_Fuck me. Edward wants to be chained to my bed?_

My mind went blank and my mouth fell open, as I felt his warm breath on my hand. I only hoped I wasn't drooling.

_He can even make hand-kissing sexy. Ugh._

_Sexward is going to be the death of me. But what a sweet way to go. ._

After I recovered slightly, I noticed that Edward was chuckling at my reaction. He was completely aware of what he was doing to me.

_How to give him a taste of his own medicine?_

_I admit it, Katy Perry inspired me._

I leaned over as if to kiss him, but instead, I stuck out the tip of my tongue and in a slow, seductive move, licked him very lightly from his jaw line up to his ear, then lightly bit the lobe.

I sat back in my chair, enjoying his reaction. He sat there with a stunned look on his face, and had to blink several times before speaking.

"Bella, did you enjoy the caveman exhibition so much that you want an encore?" He said in a low voice.

_Oh crap._

"Not here" I answered in a squeaky voice I didn't recognize.

"Then you'd do well to  _never_ do that again." He said seriously. "At least not in  _public._ " He added with a cheeky grin.

_-V &V-_

We spent the evening with Carlisle and Esme. I'd had a guilt trip over how much time Edward was spending with me during these visits to Seattle.

"Bella, you really don't understand." He smiled when we were on our way home. "I never used to come home to Seattle. If my parents wanted to see me, they would have to wait a long time for my visits. Instead, they usually made the trip to L.A."

"They've seen more of me in the last three months then they had for the previous two years, simply because I've been coming here to visit you."

"Edward, why would you treat your parents that way?" I asked sadly.

He was remorseful. "I was pretty fucked up for a long time Bella. I didn't want anyone too close, even my parents. I'll always regret that. In my mind, I always viewed home as the place where everything in my life fell apart. I always felt more in control back in L.A."

Then he smiled. "Since I've met you, everything is different. The prodigal son has returned home. You my dear Miss Swan seem to be the cure for all my hangups. If I've never said it before, thank you for that." He added quietly.

_I understood exactly what he meant._

_-V &V-_

When I got home, I found a distraught Emmett sitting in my living room.

I immediately panicked. "Emmett, did something happen to Rose? Charlie?" I vaguely registered that Edward had wrapped his arm around me.

"No, sorry Bells. Shit, I didn't mean to scare you." Emmett blurted out. He stood there pouting for a minute.

"Rose is pissed at me."

"Oh Emmett, Rose is always pissed at you. She'll blow off steam, then she'll get over it." I said with a sigh of relief that everyone was okay.

"I don't know about that." He said skeptically.

"What happened this time?"

"You know I'm shooting my ads tomorrow and the next day right?"

"Of course Emmett, you've only told me about it fifty times already." I snarked.

"They called me today to go over the schedule. Tomorrow all my solo shots, video and interviews will be done. Wednesday I have to work with their female model. Nothing risqué, just more still shots and video. Rose found out and is pitching a bitch."

"Why would Rose react like that, it's just a job. It's not like you'd be interested in the model or anything." I was confused. Rose had never questioned Emmett's faithfulness before.

"She didn't lose it until she found out the model's name, she's an actress. Edward knows her, he's worked with her before. It's Jonelle Everett, she was in that movie  _September Ends_ with him _._ "

_Fuck my life. That's the chick that got to rub all over my boyfriend. And she's gorgeous._

I saw Edward's eyes grow wide in surprise while his mouth frowned in disgust.

"Evidently, she's got a reputation for going after every guy she works with." Emmett continued. "I just don't understand why Rose wouldn't trust me."

"Oh Emmett, I'm sure she does." I reassured.

_I'm so glad that skank won't be anywhere near my Edward._

"Rose is insisting on being there on Wednesday. I really don't care if she comes. That's fine. I just wish she'd trust me. I won't lie Bells, it hurts." He said sadly.

_Poor brother bear. Rose is being ridiculous. Emmett would never even look at another woman. Just like Edward, L.B._

But, I had to admit that if I were in Rose's shoes, Bella's little ass would be on site. Just to keep an eye on that filthy skank.

Emmett turned to Edward. "Edward, what do you say? You worked with that chick before."

Edward paused, thinking then he looked Emmett straight in the eye. "It would be better if Rose went with you."

_Whoa._

Although I believed Edward when he said he'd never had  _sex_  with anyone else, part of me wondered what  _exactly_  happened with  _Jonelle._

_A conversation for another day Bella._

_-V &V-_

Tuesday was uneventful.

I went to class, had lunch at the hub with my movie star boyfriend.

_Same old, same old, L.B._

I went to work. Rose was in a much better mood knowing that she'd be at the photo shoot on Wednesday. I spent the evening with my boyfriend making out on the sofa, before one or the other of us came to our senses.

Sleep came easily with Edward's arms around me, no nightmares reared their ugly heads to disturb my peace.

Wednesday turned out to be the polar opposite of Tuesday, and it all started with a phone call.

Rose was at the Four Seasons Hotel, the location of the photo shoot. She was working this story into her show, so it ended up being a working day for her. I didn't have any classes, so I was supposed to spend half the day working at the office and half the day with Rose, if she needed me. That plan came to an abrupt end when I answered my phone at approximately 10am.

"Bella, you need to get your ass over here to the Four Seasons as soon as possible. I need moral support." Rose whispered into the phone.

"Rose, what's going on?" I asked, concerned.

"Just come okay?" She sounded like she'd been crying.

"I'm on my way Rose." I answered.

I stared at my phone in quiet bewilderment.  _Rose never cries._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to read Edward's POV in 'Love Rescue Me'.


	35. Boxer Shorts & Serenades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song recs: 'The Only Exception' by Paramore and 'Love You 'Till The End' by The Pogues.

 

Knowing that Edward planned to bring me lunch, I shot him a quick text.

_**E-** _

_**Rose needs me. I'm going to the Four Seasons. Don't know if I'll be able to have lunch with you today, I'm sorry. Love you.** _

_**-B** _

I was locking up my desk, when he texted back.

_**B-** _

_**How did you plan on getting there?** _

_**-E** _

Knowing he wouldn't be happy with my answer, I sent another text.

_**E-** _

_**I'm calling a cab. Don't worry about it.** _

_**-B** _

I asked the receptionist to call me a cab, then I walked downstairs.

_**B-** _

_**Don't call a cab. Lou and I can be there in ten minutes.** _

_**-E** _

He's being so silly. Nothing is going to happen to me during a half-mile cab ride.

_Good grief._

_**E-** _

_**Too late the cab's on its way. See you later, I love you.** _

_**-B** _

No response back. No 'I love you'. No nothing.

The cab arrived in less than five minutes.  _Must be a slow day._

Just as I got in, my phone chirped again.

_**B-** _

_**You know that I love you too. I just worry. See you in a bit.** _

_**-E** _

I was relieved that he wasn't upset. _I wonder when 'a bit' is?_

The cab arrived at The Four Seasons approximately five minutes later. I phoned Rose.

"Are you here Bella?" She whispered into her phone.

"What is going on?" I didn't know why I was whispering back into the phone.

"Just come up to the second floor, turn left when you get off the elevator, you'll see me." She sounded so upset.

I found her just as she'd said, down the hallway from the elevator. She had a few tears streaming down her face.

"Rose…" I didn't get a chance to say any more before she started speaking.

"I arrived here a few minutes before I called you, and went to the room where the shoot was being done." She stopped to wipe her eyes. "I couldn't find  _Emmett_ anywhere," her breath hitched when she said his name "so I asked one of the assistants. I found out that they wouldn't be ready to shoot for an hour, so the models had gone to their rooms. She told me that Emmett's was _212._ " She turned to glare at the door.

I looked at the door to room 212. Not noticing anything odd about it except the  _Do Not Disturb_ sign hanging from the doorknob, I got ready to knock. Before my fist made contact with the door, Rose grabbed me.

"No, Bella. They're in there having  _sex_." Rose whimpered. "I heard them."

"Rose, no way. That can't be Emmett in there. It's got to be some kind of mistake." I said as I grabbed both her hands.

"Oh Bella, he's still acting weird about the wedding. He won't talk to me about it. Sure, we still have sex, sometimes I think it's just to shut me up." She looked at me through bleary eyes. "Even on the airplane, as soon as I started talking about the ceremony, he wanted to join the Mile High Club."

As she said this, she sank slowly to the floor until she was sitting there, a blubbering mess with my arms around her. "I think he's changed his mind about marrying me, and he's in there right now with  _her._ "

_I still couldn't believe it. Not Emmett._

"Rose, what do you intend to do?" I didn't know what to say or think.

"I'm going to confront him, and probably slap him, and maybe kill them both. I don't know." She whispered.

Just then I heard a booming voice from behind us.

"Can I ask why you ladies are loitering outside of  _Ho-nelle_ , I mean  _Jonelle's_  room?"

I turned to find my brother grinning from ear to ear, while eating an apple, and wearing nothing but a pair of white  _Calvin Klein_ boxer shorts.  _Of course._

Rose and I jumped to our feet. As soon as Emmett realized that Rose was crying, his smile vanished, and he rushed over to her.

"Babe, what's the matter? Are you okay, what happened?" He was all worry and concern.

"Emmett, why did you say this was Jonelle's room?" Rose asked.

"Because it is. Originally it was mine, but she pitched a fit because mine had a better view. I didn't give a shit, so I switched with her. I'm across the hall in 211." He said as he pointed to his room. "I just wanted her to shut the hell up. She's a whiny bitch, and she keeps hitting on me. I'll be glad when this day is over. I've been in there playing Nintendo to kill time."

Rose wiped the tears from her eyes, still looking at Emmett. "So you're not in that room having sex right now?" She asked as she pointed to room 212.

Emmett raised one eyebrow and looked down at himself, then back up at her. "Um, yeah, I'm pretty sure that I'm not in that room having sex." He said as he grinned. "And I would never have sex anywhere if it involved anyone other than you babe." Then he smirked at her.

Rose threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Within about five seconds they forgot I was there as the kiss became heated and Emmett fumbled with his room key, pulling Rose inside.

I was left standing alone in the hall, feeling rather stupid. As I walked to the elevator, I heard a door open behind me. I glanced back to see Jonelle.

She exited the room wearing a flimsy robe over what I assumed were her  _Calvin Kleins_. I couldn't help myself, I had to know who was with her. Imagine my surprise when a  _woman_  followed her out. She was very muscular and attractive with a masculine haircut, but she was definitely a woman.

_Holy shit. What a story that would make for Rose._

I couldn't care less about Jonelle's sexual preference, but that bitch had hit on my brother. And probably my boyfriend. Yes, most definitely a story there.

I sprinted ahead so I could make a quick escape.

Just as I reached the elevator, the doors opened to reveal a startled Edward. He smiled broadly when I stepped inside. At that moment, I heard the shrill nasally voice of  _Jonelle Everett_ "Hold the elevator please."

_No way was Ho-nelle getting near my boyfriend. He was off-limits. I need to hide him. But how?_

Edward pressed the 'door open' button as I grabbed his hoodie, pulling the hood over his head. I then grabbed his face with both hands, pushing him into the far corner of the elevator. I pulled him down and locked lips with him, successfully covering his face with my head.

Within seconds I got lost in the kiss as Edward's hands snaked around my back. I vaguely registered Jonelle and her 'hook-up' board the elevator and start snickering.

Neither Edward nor I made a move to break the kiss until after I heard Jonelle and mystery chick exit. "Get a room" was her parting shot as the doors closed.  _How original._

I finally broke the kiss, and Edward started to chuckle. "You know, I think you probably had a reason for doing that, but I can't say that I care." He smirked.

We'd forgotten to select a floor button, so I jumped when the doors suddenly opened again. Jonelle and her sidekick were back.

"Edward Masen? Is that you?" She questioned in her simpering voice.

I saw Edward sigh in defeat. "Yes Ms Everett. How are you?" He asked politely.

"Better now that I know you're here." She said in what I guessed was supposed to be her 'sexy voice'. "I'd heard that you were often in Seattle these days." She actually had the nerve to reach out in an attempt to touch his chest.

I stepped between them, blocking her hand. She quirked an eyebrow, and glared at me.

"Ms Everett" Edward stated in a businesslike voice "Allow me to introduce my girlfriend Isabella." Edward reached his arms around my waist from behind as he spoke.

"Hm, pleased to meet you." She frowned. "Well, I forgot something in my room, I need to go back up there."

I grabbed Edward by the front of his hoodie and pulled him from the elevator without saying goodbye to the Ho.

Once in the privacy of the car, I relayed everything to him. He was stunned when I told him about Jonelle having had sex with the woman in the elevator.

"To say I'm shocked would be an understatement. That woman is Jonelle's personal assistant, Tess. She's worked for her for several years."

"Jonelle is known for coming on to every actor she works with, but there's never been any indication that she's bisexual."

_She must be hiding it from the public._

He then went on to tell me how relentless she'd been in pursuing him during the filming of  _September Ends._

"I need to call Rose." I announced.

Not surprisingly, I reached her voicemail.

_Who knows how long her and Emmett will be distracted. Ew_

I left her a detailed message of what I'd seen and found out. Rose would know what to do. I was pretty sure that she wouldn't be hanging around the Four Seasons for very much longer today.

We picked up lunch, and carried it back to the station. Since my incident in the break room with Camille, I'd been eating at my desk, so that's where Edward and I spread out to have our food.

Rose arrived back just as we finished. She smiled when she saw us. "So, I've set up an interview with Jonelle this evening at seven. She has no idea that I'm connected to Emmett in any way. This should be a lot of fucking fun." She grinned.

_Thank heaven that Rose was back to normal. I'm going to crown my brother if he doesn't have that talk with her soon._

Later that evening, Rose stopped by the apartment to fill me in on the interview.

"It turns out that Ms. Everett is gay." Rose dropped that bombshell with a grin on her face. "She didn't want to tell me at first, but when she found out what I knew about her and her assistant, she blurted out every sordid detail of her colorful past."

"Seems she was convinced early on that actors just starting out were as good as shunned if they were gay. Most wait until they're well-established to 'come out', some never do."

Edward and I sat there in silence as Rose held the floor.

"She has gone out of her way to appear straight by flirting with man after man, but evidently she never let things go beyond that. She's been in a committed relationship with Tess for five years."

_Wow, I'm beginning to wonder if any of the relationships touted in the tabloids were real. Hollywood truly does thrive on its illusions._

"She begged me not to 'out' her. She believes that information would torpedo her career." Rose sighed. "I decided not to be a bitch, so I promised to keep the information confidential. I did chew her out about the things she'd said to my fiance though. I told her she needed to tone down the obnoxious behavior because she was making a lot of enemies, and it wasn't because of her sexual preferences. She had no clue. I'm pretty sure she still doesn't get it. The chick's just dense."

_I don't like her._

It didn't make me feel better knowing that the half naked chick rubbing all over Edward in that movie was gay.  _Or did it?_

_I'm so confused._

My thoughts traveled back to this afternoon, and Rose's emotional breakdown.

"Rose, has Emmett spoken to you about what's bothering him yet?" I asked quietly.

Rose's looked at me and narrowed her eyes. "You know what it is don't you Bells?"

_What the hell could I have just said that gave me away?_

"Tell me Bells" Rose said, half-demanding, half-pleading.

"Rose, it's nothing bad, believe me, but Emmett needs to tell you." She looked dejected, it broke my heart. "Listen" I started. "You let him know that if he doesn't talk to you tonight, I'm going to tell you tomorrow. That should motivate him."

She gave a small smile, seeming satisfied with that. "Okay, wish me luck. Bye guys." She said, and was gone.

_-V &V-_

_When I was younger, I saw my daddy cry,_

_And curse at the wind, He broke his own heart,_

_And I watched, As he tried to reassemble it_

It was almost as if Hayley was singing about my life, although I was aware that she wasn't. Since I'd met Edward, this song had become my favorite. Precisely why I'd chosen it as his ringtone, and as the first song on my 'Edward' playlist. Yep, I had one too.

_And I've always lived like this,_

_Keeping a comfortable, distance,_

_And up until now,I had sworn to myself that I'm content,_

_with loneliness,_

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk,_

_Well, You, are, the only exception,_

_You, are, the only exception,_

_You, are, the only exception,_

_You, are, the only exception,_

_And I'm on my way to believing,_

_Oh, And I'm on my way to believing._

I was listening to my 'Edward' playlist as Lou drove me to class. Today was Thursday. I knew that Edward had a lot of errands to take care of before his trip to England. Since we were leaving for Forks tomorrow morning, that made this the last day in which to get everything done.

With a promise that I'd make due for lunch without him, I had kissed him goodbye and headed out.

I'd gotten a text from Rose informing me that Emmett had finally 'spilled his guts' and that she wanted to kick his ass for making her worry. Her reaction had been what I'd expected. If a church wedding was what it took to make Emmett happy, Rose was all for it.

After my first class, I sent a text to Tara asking her and Joanna to meet me for lunch in one of the campus snack bars. When I entered a little while later, I saw them seated at a table near the back.

We hadn't seen each other since spring break, so they were very excited and inquisitive about everything they'd seen and heard with regard to Edward and me.

"Bella, I'm so happy for you." Tara grinned. "I have to confess that since Tanya came clean, I've paid more attention to the news about you guys."

Joanna nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, I'll even admit that once I saw that youtube video of Edward singing  _Kiss_ at that karaoke bar _,_ I saved it in my favorites." She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

I'd been so busy that I'd forgotten to look that up. Tara noticed the expression on my face. "Bella, haven't you  _seen_ that video? It had like a million hits the first couple of days."

I shook my head. "Well I  _did_  see it in person, but I haven't seen the video yet, no."

Joanna immediately pulled out her laptop. "I'm so happy that I have an excuse to watch this again." She said excitedly. Tara and I just laughed.

Seeing that video brought back all my memories of Caveward from that night. I wanted to cry and beg for mercy. I wanted to tell Joanna to shut it off. I wanted to find my boyfriend and dry hump him in the janitor's closet.

A few minutes later, I found it necessary to grab some extra napkins in order to clean up the three puddles of drool now evident on our table.

Immediately after that, I almost died of embarrassment when Joanna showed me my own performance from that night.

_If I ever find the idiot that videotaped that, I'll wring their stupid neck. I just pray that Charlie never sees it._

_Fuck me! I've got more hits than Edward!_

"Relax Bella" Tara tried to soothe "Your performance was fantastic, and Edward throwing you over his shoulder at the end was…." She drifted off as her eyes glazed over.

_I believe the word you're searching for is 'fuckhot'._

When the girls learned that Edward was leaving for England next week, we made plans to spend some time together. I then headed off to my last class of the day.

Every time someone glanced at me and smiled, my stomach churned a little and I frowned at them.

_They probably saw my drunken karaoke performance too. Kill me now._

_-V &V-_

"Exactly who am I going to meet tonight?" I asked Edward. Meeting new people was still something that made me nervous, despite the positive changes Edward had made in my life.

"She's a close friend of the family. We've known her for years. She just got back from Florida, after spending the winter there. I'm anxious for her to meet you." Edward explained.

We were riding out to Mercer Island for dinner with Edward's parents and, evidently, a close friend of the family. Emmett and Rose had been invited too, which helped calm my nerves a bit.

Upon arriving, we were greeted warmly by Carlisle and Esme, then Edward took my hand and led me into the living room where, seated on the sofa, was an elderly woman smiling knowingly at us.

"Dorothy Ward, I'd like you to meet Bella Swan." Edward announced proudly.

Dorothy pulled me down into a hug. "Glad to finally meet you Bella. You've been responsible for quite a change in our boy over the last few months. Keep up the good work because he used to act like an asshole a good deal of the time." She said with a chuckle.

Emmett guffawed from across the room. Edward looked slightly embarrassed.

Dorothy continued. "Hey, I just call it like I see it. I think Edward would be the first to admit that he's changed for the better." She winked at him.

Edward grinned. "Undoubtedly Dorothy. You know me well."

_I like this woman._

Dorothy was so entertaining. She spoke her mind about anything and everything. It dawned on me halfway through dinner that she was an older version of Rose. She just had more 'life experiences' under her belt. Not surprisingly, Dorothy and Emmett hit it off immediately.

First, she gave him a rash of shit about the Seahawks' dismal season.

Then she went on to describe her winter in Florida with her daughter's family.

"Those damn kids don't even know how to talk to each other without an electronic device in their hand. My grandson was, what do they call it?  _Texting_  on his phone. Come to find out that he was talking to his brother who was sitting across the room from him."

She shook her head in exasperation. "If it hadn't been for my granddaughter, I'd have gone out of my mind." She smiled. "At least once a week, she and I would escape to the dog track. Damned stroke cost me my cigars and my liquor, but at least I can still gamble."

We all laughed, Emmett the loudest.

During the dinner, conversation inevitably drifted to Rose and Emmett's wedding plans. If every thing went well with Father Pat this weekend, Rose and Emmett were going to see about holding the ceremony in the Cathedral, with Father Pat officiating.

_Somehow I knew our little church back in Forks wouldn't be Rose's style._

"Oh Rose, that sounds lovely." Esme exclaimed excitedly.

Emmett turned to Dorothy. "Mrs. Ward, you've got to come to our wedding." He said insistently.

"First of all, call me Dorothy." She paused and thought for a minute, then looked at Rose and Emmett. "You know, I think I'd really like that." She said as she smiled.

After dinner, everyone went into the living room to relax. Before I could sit down though, Edward took my hand and led me away. We ended up alone in the Cullens' music room. I knew he played the piano, but all he'd done in front of me was play around a little on his guitar during our stay in California.

He sat down on the bench and pulled me to sit beside him.

"Any requests Miss Swan?" He asked playfully.

I thought for a moment. "I really liked that one you played on your guitar at the hotel in Laguna Beach. Um, do you know how to play it on the piano?"

He smiled at me indulgently, as if I were a small child that had just asked the most adorable question. Then he began, playing the tune flawlessly, as his talented fingers glided effortlessly over the keys.

_I just want to see you, when you're all alone,_

_I just want to catch you if I can,_

_I just want to be there when the morning light explodes,_

_On your face it radiates,I can't escape,_

_I love you 'till the end._

_I just want to tell you nothing you don't want to hear,_

_All I want is for you to say,_

_Why don't you just take me where I've never been before,_

_I know you want to hear me catch my breath,_

_I love you 'till the end_

_I just want to be there when we're caught in the rain,_

_I just want to see you laugh not cry,_

_I just want to feel you when the night puts on its cloak,_

_I'm lost for words don't tell me cause all I can say,_

_I love you till the end._

I watched him as he poured his heart into the song. The reality of our looming separation was eating at him, and I tried not to cry as I thought about that. He was everything to me, and the sincere love and adoration I felt from him at that moment, would have to be enough to sustain me for the weeks I would be without him.

When the song finished I wound my arms around his waist and laid my head on his shoulder as I whispered "I'll miss you too Edward."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter, you may want to read April Fool's Day from Emmett's POV. It's posted under my story 'Outtakes: Virgins & Villains'. Chapter 2 - The April Fool.


	36. Wookies & Good Friday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **OKAY..so I'm going to recommend strongly that you read 'Love Rescue Me' through chapter 5 before reading this chapter. Edward's behavior will make a LOT more sense. I love it when I can make him nervous by the way. 
> 
> song rec: 'Down In Mexico' by The Coasters
> 
> Enjoy!

 

"Dorothy was a pleasant surprise." I grinned at Edward.

"She is one of my favorite people." Edward smiled back as he held my hand.

We were on our way back from the Cullens' house after dinner. We weren't riding with Emmett and Rose this time. Edward borrowed his Dad's Mercedes for our trip to Forks, so Em and Rose were following in the Hummer.

"I toyed with the idea of taking the Vanquish to Forks" Edward said casually. "But I thought it would make you uncomfortable to be in such a flashy car for our first trip there."

_He's right. For this trip is would be enough to 'show off' by gorgeous boyfriend. The car could wait until next time._

"Yeah. Even though I'm certain that every single person in Forks knows about us, I'm all for keeping a low profile while we're there this weekend." I grinned at him.

Edward nodded in agreement. "Besides, my Dad loves to have an excuse to drive the Vanquish." Edward chuckled.

As soon as we arrived at my apartment, I went to my bedroom to pack my suitcase while Edward switched on the television.

I had almost everything packed when Edward called to me "Bella, would you like a drink?"

"Yes please. A coke would be great." I answered.

At that exact moment, I heard a loud, high-pitched scream, _Or was it a wail?_ coming from my kitchen.

_What the fuck?_

I ran in there to find a wide-eyed, panting Edward, staring unbelievingly into my fridge.

I glanced in there and my heart almost stopped, when I saw Chewbacca's head gaping at me, but I refrained from screaming like a pre-teen.

"Oh, shit. I forgot it was April Fool's Day." I muttered.

Edward just looked at me with a furrowed brow, still freaked out.

I looked back at him with my eyebrows raised, _come on Edward, think, you know who did this._

All of a sudden, awareness lit his features. "Emmett" He muttered in disgust. "I'm going to the bathroom." He said as he abruptly left the kitchen.

I grabbed my cell and dialed Emmett's number just as Edward yelled from behind the bathroom door. "Your brother is one sick motherfucker."

_He's about to be one dead motherfucker._

"Hey there Sissy, what can I do you for?" Sang the voice of the doofus.

"Emmett." I was so angry I could barely get the words out. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Oh, I see you found my little gift." He was enjoying this.

"No Emmett, I didn't find it. Edward did." I was pissed. "I'm surprised you couldn't hear him scream all the way over there."

"He _screamed_ Bella?" he started to snicker.

When I thought about it, I couldn't help but snicker too.

_My big, strong, handsome boyfriend, reduced to a quivering, shaking, mess by a wookie._

"Like a ten year old girl." I admitted, then I burst out a laugh.

_I hope Edward doesn't hear me._

"Where's he now?" Emmett asked.

"He's in the bathroom. I think you may have literally scared the shit out of him." I whispered.

_I sincerely hope not, that would be so humiliating for Edward. And pretty freaking awkward for me._

Emmett was laughing so hard that I couldn't help but join in. I was also certain that I could hear Rose laughing in the background.

I finally pulled myself together enough to say "You know Emmett, someday someone is going to get even with you for all your nonsense."

"It's all good Bella, I wouldn't dish it out if I couldn't take it." He answered.

_Well, that was true enough. Emmett was a very good sport._

"Tell Eddie that anytime he feels the need to scare me shitless, he can bring it. I just need to make sure that I have a supply of adult diapers on hand before he does." We both laughed again.

"Look Emmett, I just saw you in your underwear yesterday. I have no desire to see you sporting a pair of _Depends._ " We both laughed again.

I looked up just in time to see Edward looking at me with narrowed eyes from the doorway.

"Uh, Emmett, I'd better go." I squeaked out.

"Sure Bells. You guys still leaving in the morning for Forks?" He questioned.

"Yes"

_At least I hope so. Unless Edward's too pissed at me for laughing at him._

"We'll see you tomorrow night then. Bye Bells."

"Bye Em."

I ended the call and turned, smiling toward Edward. "Hi." I said sheepishly.

He stared at me for a moment, thinking. "Just tell me that you didn't have anything to do with that prank Bella."

"What?" I was a little flustered. "Oh God no Edward. It was clearly intended for me. You just got caught in the crossfire." I tried not to laugh again.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, I'm glad that I was able to spare you that at least. Makes me feel a little better." He sulked.

"Yes Edward." I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "You saved me." I smiled.

He grinned crookedly and kissed my nose. "Looking out for your welfare is my favorite thing Miss Swan, even when I'm unaware that I'm doing it."

I tilted my head "That's your _favorite_ thing to do Edward? Really?"

He smirked again as he caught my very unsubtle meaning. "I guess not. Now that you mention it, I can think of a couple things that I like more." He said as he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine.

Edward brushed his lips and then his tongue across my bottom lip, I immediately parted my lips, allowing entrance. We swiftly got lost in the kiss and I tangled my hands in Edward's hair.

_What that man can do to me with just a kiss._

"If you've changed your mind Bella, remember all you have to do is tell me." he murmured "Just one word from you baby." He whispered as he kissed down my neck and across my collar bone. "I can forget all about being a gentleman for a little while." He breathed.

My thoughts were all over the place as I panted for air. I felt my inhibitions melting away.

_No, no, no. Not like this, he's leaving in four days. And you're making out in front of Chewbacca._

I reached over and pushed the fridge door closed. I'd forgotten it was open.

"Sorry, Chewy watching us was creeping me out." I grinned as I regained my self-control. "Okay Mr. Movie Star, get your bag packed for Forks."

He chuckled as he shook his head.

_-V &V-_

About halfway to Forks, I was having to make a serious effort to stay awake, but it was difficult. My carcalepsy was taking over.

Edward must have sensed this, because he stopped at a convenience store to get drinks.

_Caffeine should definitely help._

As I waited in the check-out line with Edward, I noticed the rack of tabloids on display. It was really weird to see myself on the cover of a magazine.

One had a photo of Edward and I dancing at Disneyland.

_Damn, I look pretty good in that one. I wish all the photos were that flattering._

A second magazine had a photo of us kissing in front of the Basilica in Capistrano.

_Well, that's not too bad. I don't look like a hussy as I feared anyway._

I breathed a sigh of relief over that one.

_Oh shit. There's one of us standing next to wax Edward at Madame Tussaud's. Rats. Edward said he would make me pay if photos of that got out._

I glanced up at Edward and he was gazing out the window. He turned to look at me and smiled.

_Maybe he didn't notice it._

The caffeine only helped for a short while. Edward even put on livelier music, but after a while I felt myself drifting off.

I kept dreaming about Quentin Tarantino movies. It wasn't very restful.

_He wears a red bandana, Plays a cool piana,_

_In a honky tonk, down in Mexico_

_He wears a purple sash, and a black moustache_

_In a honky tonk, down in Mexico_

I woke with a start when my dream morphed into a scene of me straddling Edward to give him a lap dance.

_Ho-lee-crap._

I blinked hard and looked around trying to wake up.

_That lap dance song is still playing._

"Edward, isn't that song from _Death Proof_?" I questioned when I realized the song from my dream was playing on the car stereo.

"Yeah, I have a whole playlist of songs from Tarantino movies. Do you like it?"

"Sure, I guess it's okay." I answered. "I wasn't talking in my sleep, was I?"

Suddenly I was terrified of what I may have said while dreaming of grinding on my boyfriend.

"No, why?" Edward grinned questioningly.

"Um, I just watch too many movies that's all." I muttered.

For the first time today, I was actually thankful that, at Charlie's, Edward and I would have to sleep in separate rooms. Who the hell knows what I'd mutter in my sleep if I had that dream again?

_-V &V-_

When we arrived at Charlie's, my Dad was still at work, so we let ourselves in. As I predicted at Christmas, the grand tour took about five minutes, not counting the fifteen minutes that Edward lingered in my childhood bedroom.

He seemed most amused by my old bulletin board, of all things. It had ended up being a 'catch all' for my favorite old photographs. He took particular notice of a photo of Charlie, me and Emmett with the Clearwaters from Christmas a couple years ago.

"Who are they?" He asked while pointing at it.

"Those are the Clearwaters, Harry, Sue, Leah and Seth. They're friends of the family."

"How old's that guy?" He asked while pointing at Seth . Edward actually sounded jealous.

" _Seth_ is probably nineteen or twenty now, I really don't keep track." He still didn't look satisfied, so I decided to tease him. "What's the problem Edward? Do you think I have a secret boyfriend or something?"

He grimaced. _Seriously?_

"Edward where is this coming from? Remember me, Bella Swan, never had a date before you." I laughed, but had to admit that it was kind of flattering.

_Edward's really hot when he's jealous. Who are you kidding Bella? He's hot any time._

He sighed. "I know, I'm being silly. I'm sorry Bella. By the time I leave on Monday, I'll probably need medication. My paranoia is showing." He wound his arms around my waist as he spoke.

"Come on, let's get some lunch, and then there's someone I'd like you to meet before we go to the grocery store." I really wanted Edward to meet Father Pat.

While I took a short inventory of Charlie's kitchen, deciding what groceries I needed to get for Easter dinner, a police car pulled up in front of the house.

I watched as Deputy Mary exited the car, heading for the front door. Mark slowed down as he eyed the Mercedes in the driveway.

Edward, who had been seated at the table in front of the window, suddenly darted from his chair mumbling something about needing the restroom.

_That's weird. I thought he just went?_

I pulled open the front door just as Mark was getting ready to knock. He smiled broadly when he saw me. "Hi Bella."

"Hey Mark, how are you?"

He frowned. "I'm here to deliver some of Harry Clearwater's fish fry batter. I just picked it up from Sue. Your Dad was out of it, and knew you'd need some for tonight."

"Why is Dad making you run errands for him?" I asked, confused.

Mark looked sheepish. "He found out that I helped Emmett put jello in his boots" he said, "and marshmallow fluff in his tackle box."

I laughed. "I'm sorry."

Mark grinned "That's okay, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. Well, I'd better go pick up the Chief's dry cleaning."

I tried not to laugh again as he left.

As soon as Mark was gone, Edward came out of the bathroom looking pale. "Edward if you're not feeling well, you don't have to go. I can…"

He cut me off. "Don't be silly Bella. Let's go, I'm starving." He said with a big smile.

I directed Edward to the Forks coffee shop. He paled again as we got ready to exit the car.

_What is wrong with him today?_

Margie showed us to my favorite booth. I noticed that Edward kept his cap and sunglasses on. "Edward, I'm pretty sure you don't need the glasses and hat inside."

He looked uncomfortable. "I don't want anyone to recognize me." He said in almost a whisper.

It didn't help, everyone still knew who he was. It was well known in Forks by now that we were dating, so if they recognized me, they immediately knew Edward was with me.

I started to watch him closely, noticing that any time Raye, one of the waitresses, got close to our table, his hands visibly shook.

_Why the heck is he afraid of Raye. She has to be over seventy years old, it's not like she's going to molest him._

Then my mind flashed back to an image of 'Grandma Moses' groping Edward during Mass.

_No, Bella, Raye's a sweet lady. Edward is just a nervous wreck._

Before we left, Margie made sure to give us a box of hot cross buns to take home to Charlie. By the time we were back in the car, I was really concerned about Edward.

_Maybe he's headed for a mental breakdown. The trip to England is bothering him more than I thought._

After lunch, Edward and I drove over to Saint Anne's church. It was Good Friday, and I wanted to be there for the last part of the Three Hours' Agony.

We sat in a pew in the back and listened to Father Pat read the passion. To me, the readings from this day were the most meaningful.

As usual, my mind began to wander. I was still concerned about Edward, although he seemed to have returned to normal. I thought back to the conversation I'd had with Esme the previous night.

** _flashback**_

_Edward had been deep in conversation with Dorothy when Esme started toward the kitchen, asking me to help her for a moment. I followed her out._

_While she made a pot of coffee, we talked. "Bella, I've heard all about how Edward is handling this upcoming trip to England, but how about you?"_

_I felt sad, but I knew I'd be okay. "I think the time will pass quickly as long as I keep busy. I've also arranged my schedule this quarter so that I don't have class on Fridays or Mondays. I'm going to try to surprise him on one of the weekends by flying over. I was thinking of asking Alice to help me plan it."_

_Esme's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Oh Bella that would be wonderful. You will make Edward so happy."_

_I thought about how Edward, being such a good actor, was very adept at hiding his feelings from me. "Esme, tell me how he really is. He hides his anxiety from me most of the time."_

_She smiled sadly. "He is in agony knowing he has to leave you again. Partly because he worries so much about your well-being, but most of all because he knows how lonely he'll be without you."_

" _I'll miss him too, but he worries too much." I answered._

" _Yes, but only about you." She smiled. "You need to understand how precious you are to him. He's changed so much since meeting you. Dorothy was right, my son had become so cynical and bitter over the last few years, that I hardly recognized the loving child I raised." She patted my forearm "You've brought him back to us Bella. I can never thank you enough."_

_I helped her carry the tray of coffee as we walked slowly back toward the dining room together._

" _Esme, everything you perceive that I've done for Edward, I want you to know that he's done exactly the same for me. He's helped changed my life in so many ways over these last few months, and I don't miss my old life one bit."_

_We walked back into the dining room. Edward looked up at that exact moment, as soon as our eyes met, his face lit up with a breathtaking smile._

_I didn't know how I'd survive for the next month, but I was determined to show Edward that I could be strong._

** _end of flashback**_

After Father Pat had concluded the services for Good Friday, he came over to greet me.

"Hello there Isabella." He said as I hugged him.

"Hi Father Pat. I wanted you to meet Edward Cullen."

Edward smiled as he shook Father's hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Edward. Isabella's quite taken with you." Father smiled.

Even though Edward already knew how desperately I loved him, I couldn't help but blush at Father's comment.

Edward seemed very pleased by that and smirked at me.

Father Pat and Edward chatted for a few minutes about the movie industry, leading back to his upcoming trip to England.

_Why does every conversation lately end up back at that damn trip?_

When I could feel the edges of my sanity starting to fray, I silently prayed that I could keep from falling apart until Edward's plane was airborne.

"So Father, we'll see you for Easter dinner?" I asked.

"Yes, of course Isabella. I wouldn't miss it."

Edward seemed completely back to normal as we said our goodbyes and headed to the car. Just as I fastened my seatbelt my phone rang.

_Rose_

"Hey Rose" I answered cheerfully.

"Hi Bells" She sounded happy too. "I'm still at work, but I needed you to pick up a few things at the store if you haven't gone yet. I've decided to attempt making the breakfast tomorrow."

Since their engagement, Rose had been trying to improve her formerly nonexistent cooking skills.

"Oh sure, we're on our way there now. Let me get something to write with." I pulled out my little scruff of a grocery list. There wasn't any more room to write anything else on my list, and I didn't carry a pen in my tiny purse. "Edward, can I look in the glove compartment for paper and pen?"

Edward shrugged. "You can look. I think Dad probably keeps a pen or two in there, not sure about paper."

I opened it to find I was in luck. There was a pen and a piece of white paper, folded in half. I grabbed the paper, unfolded it, and started to write.

Rose rattled off the things I needed to get in order for her to prepare breakfast, and I knew she would need my help. We said our goodbyes, and I ended the call.

I decided to rewrite all the items from my scruffy list on this one. I quickly ran out of room on the front and flipped it over to continue on the back.

At first, I started to panic because the paper wasn't blank, and I'd obviously written on something of Carlise's. The panic disappeared when I realized what I was looking at, and my confusion took over.

_What the hell?_

"Um, Edward, why was there a receipt in there for the Pacific Inn Motel, Forks Washington, December 25th 2009 with your name on it?"

I watched Edward's face as it morphed into one of horror. He stared at me with wide eyes, blinked several times and swallowed twice before he found his voice. "Bella, is there any possibility that you could forget you ever saw that?" he asked while looking at me with pleading eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Oh Edward, I don't think that's going to happen." I smirked and folded my arms across my chest as I waited for his explanation.

_This should be interesting._


	37. Lap Dances & Abstinence

 

Edward turned the engine off and unfastened his seatbelt. Evidently, this was going to take a while. I followed suit and unfastened mine.

He cleared his throat before beginning. He also scrubbed his face with his hands, tugged at his hair, pinched the bridge of his nose, and bit at a fingernail alternately. I wouldn't have been surprised to see him curl up into the fetal position.

_Why is he so freaked out about this?_

"Edward, would you relax. It's just me here. So you've been to Forks, so what?"

Then it dawned on me. _HE'S BEEN TO FORKS ? More importantly, he'd been there at the same time that I was there._

This was confusing. _Why was he in Forks?_

He calmed somewhat, let out a big breath, and looked into my eyes as he spoke. "Okay. I can't hide this from you anymore. Not that I intended to hide this from you this long. It's just that the days and then weeks got away from me, being really busy, and I completely forgot about it. I meant to tell you, honestly…." He was so flustered that it was comical.

I bit my lip in order not to laugh.

He let out another breath and seemed to calm further. "It all started when I met you. Well, I guess _everything_ started when I met you." He smiled crookedly at me, and then turned to stare at the instrument panel as he continued.

"I knew I'd miss you when you went home to Forks, I just never realized how much. All Christmas Day as I tried to enjoy myself with friends and family, my thoughts kept returning to you. More and more, you consumed my every waking moment. It got to the point that Dorothy even told me to go see you."

"Once the thought entered my head, I couldn't shake it. Alice being well, _Alice,_ she knew I'd be making the trip. She told me to take Dad's car because it was less conspicuous, she even packed an overnight bag for me, just in case I needed to stay."

_Wow, we'd only known each other a few days then, and Edward had driven all the way to Forks to see me._

He paused there, biting at a fingernail, still looking away from me. "Once I arrived in Forks, things got weird. Not that they weren't weird before, seeing as I'm a _stalker_. First, I drove around the town trying to work up the nerve to go to your house. A deputy pulled me over for 'driving erratically' and proceeded to fuck with my head."

My curiosity got the better of me. "Do you know which deputy it was?" I couldn't help it, I was curious.

"That same dude that pulled up in front of your Dad's house this afternoon." He replied weakly.

"Ah, Mark. So _that's_ why you hid in the bathroom." This was becoming more amusing by the minute.

"Exactly. Anyway, he let me go with a warning. After that, I drove straight to Charlie's." He said as he cut his eyes toward me, still unsure of himself.

"Why didn't I ever see you Edward? Why didn't you come to the door?" I asked.

"You had company, I didn't want to intrude. Also, if I'd gone to that door, I was convinced that your brother and Rose and probably even Charlie would kill me. Therefore, I sat in the car, watching from a distance like the fucking stalker I am."

I bit down on my tongue hard to stop the laughter that was welling up inside me from escaping.

Edward was looking through the windshield now, "So, I just sat there watching you, falling more in love with you every minute. Of course I didn't know it was _love_ at the time, but it was." He finally looked at me.

"Remember the text I sent you that night?"

I nodded.

"I was sitting in front of Charlie's house when I sent it. After that, I spent the night at The Pacific Inn." He sighed, defeated.

Edward was actually afraid that his admission would make me angry. I thought about this.

_Should I be angry?_

It wasn't possible. The man I adored just confessed to traveling several hours to simply watch me through a window, without hope of anything more. The man that, while I knew he loved me, I had been certain until now, he couldn't possibly love me as desperately as I loved him.

Here in my hand, I held tangible proof that Edward was just as madly in love with me as I was with him. I was just as much his obsession as he was mine.

I thought my heart would burst with love for him at that moment.

 _People magazine is sooo right. Edward_ _**is** _ _the Sexiest Man Alive, but for reasons they will never know._

What I did next surprised even me. I dove across the car and straddled his lap, my knees firmly planted on the edges of the leather seat. I clasped his face between my hands and forced him to look at me. It was not the most comfortable of positions, but it couldn't be helped, I didn't want there to be an inch of space between us.

"Edward" I gasped.

"Bella?" He answered, looking at me as if I'd taken leave of my senses.

Maybe I had. But I was sane enough to notice Edward easing the seat back.

_Thank heaven, the steering wheel was killing my ass._

"Edward. That is the sweetest and sexiest thing you've ever done." I whispered. "I can't even tell you how much I love you right now. There. Are. No. Words." I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. Hard.

His lips parted and I slipped my tongue inside. He tasted like cherry coke and mint and I was soon lost in the feeling of lips and tongues moving together. I pulled back slightly and Edward began kissing down my neck. I wasn't even aware that my lower body had started grinding against his. I was all feeling and sensation, there was no cognitive thought. I leaned in, my lips close beside his ear, and I whispered "I love you", I heard his sharp intake of breath when I bit down gently on the lobe.

For a brief second, flashes of my dream returned, and I writhed rhythmically against him.

Edward's hands which were gripping my legs just above my knees, started to slowly move upwards. I threw my head back slightly to give his lips better access to my neck again as I felt his fingers slip under the hem of my dress. I gasped when they reached the edge of my lacy boy shorts, and my eyes flew open.

As soon as I did this, I became aware of where we were. I stopped my gyrating hips and lowered my head so that our foreheads were touching. We both tried to calm our breathing. "Edward, you have no idea how much I'd love to continue this, but I may die of embarrassment if someone sees me giving you a lap dance in the church parking lot."

Edward scrunched his eyes shut as he started to laugh. "My God Bella, when I'm with you I lose all awareness of my surroundings." He raised his head and brushed his lips against mine. "I wish I could say I was sorry for that." He whispered.

I sighed in contentment, my fingers in his hair. Ours breaths starting to even out. I took a quick glance out of the windows. There was no one around.

_Cripes I hope nobody saw me. I am so freaking ashamed of myself. Again._

Reluctantly I slid off of Edward's lap and back onto my own seat. I could feel his gaze on me, but I couldn't return it. I just stared out the window.

"What are you thinking Bella?" He whispered, his voice full of concern.

I hesitated. "I just, what you said just now, I know exactly what you mean Edward. Every time you touch me, I lose track of where I am, and how I _should_ behave. I'm trying so hard to be good, but I think it's killing me." I sighed.

He smiled gently as he shook his head. "You _are_ good Bella. You're the best person I know." He took my left hand in his and watched as his thumb brushed casually back and forth against my ring finger. "Sometimes, we get carried away, but isn't that what people in love are supposed to do?"

"I sometimes feel like a terrible person Edward. It used to be easy to keep my thoughts kind of, I don't know, maybe the word _pure_ would be appropriate."

_As pure as they could be around Rose anyway._

He barked out a laugh at that, and I bit my lip. "Okay, so maybe that's not the right word."

"Suffice it to say that, in the past at least I tried, but now look at me. I'm grinding on my boyfriend in the church parking lot." I said in a disgusted tone. "On Good Friday!" I added in alarm. "I feel like Bella the bimbo."

Edward palmed his face and proceeded to laugh at me for several minutes. After a while I couldn't help but join in. He finally looked at me, his amusement still apparent on his face "I'm so going to miss you" He said as he leaned over and kissed me quickly on the lips before starting the car.

While on our way to the Thriftway, I thought about Edward's odd behavior earlier that day. "Edward why were you so weird during lunch today?"

He chuckled. "The day after Christmas, I went to the Forks coffee shop for a quick breakfast. I was sitting on the other side of the partition when you and your family arrived. I hid behind that damned elk head until you left."

I started laughing at that. "Oh Edward, that is hysterical. Let me guess, Raye was your waitress?" I asked as I continued to laugh.

He nodded, I noticed he had a pained expression on his face. "I was afraid she would recognize me today. Sorry I freaked you out." Then he started chuckling too.

"You had quite an adventure didn't you?" I asked with a smile.

He grinned. "I'd do it all again. If you haven't figured it out by now, you're my favorite obsession Miss Swan." He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it as he drove.

"As you are mine Mister Movie Star."

_-V &V-_

It was so odd getting to show off my boyfriend in my hometown. The stares and smiles affected me differently than in Seattle or even California simply because they came from people I'd known my entire life.

Granted, I didn't give a crap what a lot of them thought about me, but there were a few that were really nice people, and whose good opinion I valued. Folks that our family considered to be 'friends'.

I saw my old high school counselor in the Thriftway and made sure to introduce my _boyfriend_ to her. She was a sweet lady, and always very helpful during those difficult years.

By the time we finished grocery shopping, it was almost dinner time. Edward talked me into ordering pizzas instead of having a fish fry.

"Bella, I'd like you to relax tonight. You don't need to spend the entire evening cooking. I promise that tomorrow I'll _help_ you fry fish." He gave me that panty-dropping smile, and I was lost.

A short time later, we were sitting in Pacific Pizza waiting for our order. The door chimed, and I looked up to see a familiar looking face. He turned to look at me and smiled. "Hi Bella."

I returned the smile "Hi Mitchell, how are you?" I asked.

"I'm good." He said as he looked at me wistfully. "I graduated last year and am an IT consultant at a firm in Portland. Just home for the weekend visiting my family."

"That's great. I can't wait until I graduate in June. Oh, Mitchell, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend. Mitchell this is Edward."

Edward shook hands with Mitch. Mitchell then turned back toward me. I felt Edward's eyes on me as we talked. "I've see you in the news." He chuckled. "Must be strange for you huh?"

I nodded in agreement.

"You were always so quiet in school, I can only imagine.." His voice trailed off then, he looked uncomfortable. I'm sure he was thinking about my panic attacks and otherwise awkward behavior in high school, probably trying to understand how I could cope with the media spotlight now. I started to feel a little embarrassed by the memories.

At that moment, my name was called, our order was ready. "Well, it was nice seeing you again Bella. Nice to meet you Edward." Edward nodded toward him.

"Take care Mitch" I called as we headed toward the door, pizzas and salad in hand.

"You too, and Bella.."

I turned to look back at him. "Yeah?"

"I'm really glad to see you happy."

I smiled "Thank you, I am _very_ happy."

It was the Gospel truth.

Back in the car, Edward was quiet.

I spoke before he did. "Mitch was in a couple of my classes in high school. He tried to be a friend, even asked me out. I always refused, but he never stopped being kind to me. He graduated the year before I did. This was the first time I'd seen him in over four years." I said quietly.

"He cares about you." Edward answered.

"I suppose so, I've never really thought about it. Sometimes I feel bad for the way I acted in high school, although some of the students were downright cruel to me about it, others like Mitch never were." I thought about the handful of people that defended me without knowing the details of my past. "I just realized that there is an upside to all the publicity about the day my mother died."

Edward looked at me questioningly.

"At least now people like Mitch will understand why I behaved the way I did, and maybe forgive me." I said as I grabbed onto his hand.

"Bella, sweetheart, there is nothing to forgive. I never want to hear you talk like that again." He said sincerely as he squeezed my hand. "You know, there are a lot of people that care about both of us. Sometimes I get so caught up in the 'eye of the storm' as it were, that I forget that." He answered quietly.

_Edward always knows exactly what to say to make my hurt and self-doubt disappear._

_-V &V-_

Charlie was happy with the cheese pizzas, as long as he had his Vitamin R. In the middle of dinner, Edward's cell rang. He excused himself from the table to answer the call.

I heard him say "Hello, do you have news for me?" from the living room, but didn't hear any more because Charlie distracted me.

"So I was thinking" Charlie said

"Always a dangerous occupation" I said as I smirked.

"You're getting to be a wise-ass just like your brother" he said as he grinned.

I laughed. "You know I love you Dad."

"So, I wanted to invite Edward to go fishing with me and Emmett tomorrow morning. But I know he's leaving Monday, and I didn't want to take him away from you."

"Dad, are you becoming 'sensitive' in your middle age?" I giggled.

"Bella cut that out. I'm _trying_ to put my daughter's feelings first." He said sincerely.

"That's really sweet Dad. Look, it's okay with me. Rose and I have a lot of cooking to do."

"You girls could come too, but I know you hate it." He answered.

"No Dad, that's okay. I'll leave it up to Edward. He can decide what he wants to do."

"What are you leaving up to me Bella?" Edward was standing in the doorway smiling.

Charlie cleared his throat. "I was going fishing for a few hours tomorrow morning, wanted to know if you'd like to join me. Emmett's going too."

Edward cut his eyes to me and swallowed hard. I could tell he wasn't sure _what_ was the correct answer. I decided to intervene.

"Edward, I told Dad it was okay with me if you wanted to fish. Rose and I can get all the cooking done while you're gone."

Edward sighed and smiled. "In that case, I'd love to go Charlie."

Charlie beamed. "Alright then, we'll leave about five am" He said as he left the room.

I watched Edward's smile drop.

"Just think of it as a 'bonding experience' Edward." I said as I laughed at his expression.

Rose and Emmett arrived later that evening and Emmett had the same old argument with my Dad.

"Pops I can't understand your reasoning in this. Rose _has_ a ring on her finger this time." Emmett pleaded.

"I understand that son, but it's not a _wedding ring_ , not yet." Charlie was unyielding.

"Pops what if I promised nothing _sexual_ will happen."

Charlie's face morphed in disgust. "Emmett _please_. Not a conversation I want to have thank you." He said as he tried to walk away.

Emmett's head dropped. "I'll just _miss_ her." he whispered.

Charlie looked at him and arched one eyebrow. "Son, I'd have a little compassion for you if I wasn't one hundred percent sure that you are full of shit." He grinned.

Emmett looked offended at first, then he blurted out a laugh. "Don't push me old man" He said with a dimpled smile.

Charlie narrowed his eyes at him "Emmett, you're damn lucky you're not sleeping in a tub full of lime jello after that shit you pulled." He said as he poked my brother's chest, emphasizing each word.

We all laughed at that. Emmett, once again, trying and failing to win the argument.

I fixed the sleeper sofa in the basement for Edward. He looked dejected as he grabbed the pillow to put on a pillowcase.

"Cheer up Edward" I said with a smile. "At least you have a bathroom down here, and a pool table." I said jokingly.

He made a face "It smells like moth balls, and cigars." He stepped closer to me and wrapped his arms around me, "and nothing like you." he ducked his head and kissed my neck.

"I know it's kind of stuffy, but it's better than sleeping in the living room. You'd be woken up by every noise, at least down here your sleep will be undisturbed. Five a.m. comes pretty early."

"Besides, if it makes you feel better, Rose and I never had sex on that sofa." A voice boomed from across the room.

We looked toward the sound to find my brother standing on the basement stairs smiling from ear to ear.

"Good to know Emmett." Edward answered while shaking his head.

"Although I should probably tell you that this is the room where I perfected my 'fart on demand' technique." He sighed and stretched "Good times, good times…"

Edward made a disgusted face, probably imagining he was smelling more than moth balls and old cigars.

"Emmett, why are you down here?" I asked.

"Just making sure you're coming upstairs Bellaboo. Not that I think Andy's going to do anything out of line, but if I've got to be lonely, then he does too."

I just stuck my tongue out at Emmett, and gave Edward a passionate goodnight kiss, employing use of said tongue in the process, right in front of my brother's stupid ass.

_-V &V-_

Dad promised they'd return from fishing by noon, so Rose and I spent the morning cooking. The guys had taken a few snacks with them, but didn't eat breakfast so we knew they'd be starving when they arrived home.

Rose prepared most of the food, and I complimented her newly acquired cooking skills. "Well, you know Bells, it's not fair for us to depend on you for most of our meals." She said with a wink.

"Our lives are changing. Mine and Emmett's, yours, Edward's" She was smiling at me. "And I couldn't be happier for you sweetie" She said as she squeezed my hand.

I smiled back at her. "Hey, you're the one getting married." I answered back. "You've got to be getting excited."

"I am. Although my mother is an even bigger pain in the ass than she is normally. Also, I'll be glad when this meeting with Father Pat is over with. He's meeting with us both first, and then with Emmett alone. It's got me a little nervous. Emmett _is_ an idiot after all." She laughed.

I laughed too. "Relax Rose, that's something Father Pat is very familiar with."

The men arrived home shortly after with their catch, and a couple of fishing stories. I silently hoped that Edward really enjoyed himself, and wasn't just pretending for my benefit.

For our brunch we feasted on Eggs Benedict a la Rosalie.

Emmett and Rose left for their meeting with Father Pat in the mid-afternoon. I made sure Charlie was relaxing in his recliner with a beer before I started cooking again.

As promised, Edward helped me in the kitchen. Our first task was to color Easter eggs.

"Why exactly are we doing this?" He asked.

"I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count." As I arched an eyebrow at him.

"Emmett" He muttered.

"Bingo" I smiled.

"Don't feel bad Bella, Alice colors eggs every Easter" We both laughed.

After the eggs, we started cooking the fish feast. We were in the middle of making hushpuppies when the front door flew open.

"I can't fucking believe this" My brother shouted.

We rushed from the kitchen just as Charlie jumped up from his recliner to see what the trouble was.

"Emmett, you need to calm down. After all this was _your_ idea. You just need to decide how important it is to you." Rosalie was trying to soothe him.

Emmett stomped into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. "It's not just about the wedding, it's the fact that I want to rejoin the church." He stormed as he took a big swig. "I thought Father Pat was a friend. This is ridiculous."

Charlie finally said what we were thinking "What the hell's going on Emmett?"

Emmett scowled "I had a long discussion with Father Pat about rejoining the Church. He was agreeable and gave me some literature I needed to read. He wants me to think it over and get back to him in a couple of weeks. If everything works out, I'll be able to start receiving the Sacraments again. He also said that having the wedding in the Cathedral wouldn't be a problem."

I was confused. "So what's the big deal Emmett?"

"He said I was to use the next couple of weeks to reflect and decide if I was really serious. If I truly loved Rose and wanted to rejoin the Church, then the sacrifice asked of me would be secondary to that, in fact it should be easy."

_What is he babbling on about?_

"What sacrifice Emmett?" I asked, bewildered.

Emmett looked at me with the expression of a man who had just been handed a death sentence "No sex until the wedding." He answered mournfully "Ab-sti-nence" He pronounced each syllable.

He sighed and took another swig of his beer as we all looked on in stunned silence.

"I may just _fucking die_ before the wedding _._ " He muttered "Because you know what? I sure as hell won't _die fucking._ "

_Emmett Swan, The Bard of Forks._


	38. Pool Tables & Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song rec: 'Need You Now' by Lady Antebellum
> 
> Enjoy!

 

The sound of the smack Rosalie applied to Emmett's head was music to my ears.

"Emmett, what did you expect Father Pat to say?" Rose asked. " _Sure Emmett, continue living in sin with your fiancée, because I know you're a twenty-eight year old horndog and can't help yourself_?" Rose said in her best Father Pat voice.

Emmett looked at her incredulously "While the word _horndog_ never entered into my mind, yes I thought he would see reason. I even offered him money."

"You tried to bribe Father Pat?" I asked, appalled.

"Not _bribe_ per se. I offered to finance the new parish hall that he wants to build. I offered to pay for the entire thing if he'd just forget this abstinence stipulation. He wouldn't budge." Emmett slumped into a chair in defeat.

I looked up to see my father grinning, then he proceeded to chuckle, then out-right belly laugh at Emmett's predicament. I couldn't help myself, I soon joined him as did Edward and Rose, while my brother scowled at us.

"Laugh it up nearest and dearest, but now I've got some serious thinking to do."

We quieted our laughter, and soon I started to feel awkward.

_I shouldn't laugh at my brother. Haven't I been struggling enough about wanting to have sex with Edward? I need to show compassion._

"Sorry Emmett, but you have to admit that this _is_ kind of funny."

His brow creased, and then he grinned. "Look, if it was happening to anyone else, I'd be laughing my ass off." He chuckled.

After that, everyone seemed to scatter. Edward and I went back to cooking dinner. Charlie suddenly felt the need to go to the hardware store. I personally thought he just wanted to get away from the 'weird'. Emmett and Rose disappeared into the basement to play pool.

Edward and I worked in silence for a while as I pondered the ridiculousness that is Emmett.

While frying the fish, Edward realized he'd left his cell phone in the basement and headed down there to retrieve it.

A moment later I heard a muffled "O fuck" in Edward's voice come from the vicinity of the basement stairs. A couple seconds later, he bolted into the kitchen, looking more than a little freaked out.

"What the heck Edward?" I asked.

"Your brother and Rose….Jesus that was awkward." He sounded distressed.

Just then the voice of my brother wafted up from the basement "Sorry Eddie, my bad."

I was still confused. "Edward, what…?" Then realization dawned. "They did not.." I stared at him wide-eyed.

"They most certainly did, and are _doing_ " He answered while shaking his head in semi-disbelief. "I should have stopped when I heard the grunts and moans, but it didn't register until I caught a glimpse of them 'doing the deed'. Thank God it was only a glimpse."

"Oh shit." I muttered. "On the sofa?" I was horrified.

"No" He answered shaking his head "On the pool table" He answered quietly.

"You _saw_ them?" I was beginning to feel sick.

"Well, no, not _them._ Actually, almost one hundred percent of my 'glimpse' was limited to your brother's bare ass." He blurted out.

We stared at each other for one silent moment before bursting into laughter.

If I'd only known then that Emmett intended to use the next couple of weeks as his own personal Mardi Gras of sex, I would have found a way to pack myself in Edward's suitcase and gone away with him.

_To hell with graduating on time._

_-V &V-_

"Let's go people. I need to get my drink on!" Emmett boomed from the front door.

It was our last night in Forks, and we'd all decided to go out to a local bar. Knowing that I wouldn't be coming back here until the middle of May, I decided going out was better than staying in and feeling sorry for myself.

Besides, they had live music. I kept telling myself that it would be fun, even though I'd never been there before, and had no idea if I'd enjoy it or not.

Charlie declined going with us, but did drive us there in the hummer, reminding Emmett to call him when we were ready to come home. Besides being a cop, Dad had witnessed too many accidents caused by drivers 'under the influence'. Emmett and I always respected the law and Dad's wishes where that was concerned.

We arrived just as the band was setting up, and scooted into a large semi-circular booth in the corner. As expected, our table drew most of the customers' attention. I was pretty sure that almost everyone we knew stopped at least once to say hi to Emmett. I was also sure that every one of the women stopped by merely to ogle at Emmett or Edward.

_As long as they don't try to touch, I will not have the urge to cut a bitch._

Rose must have read my thoughts because I caught her smirking at me. She seemed to be reassuring me that we had nothing to worry about.

I found myself relaxing, but then again, it may have been the beer.

The band was pretty good, although I didn't recognize many of the songs. Their repertoire consisted of mainly country music tunes. When they started performing a slow song that I'd heard on the radio a few times, Edward asked me to dance.

_Picture-perfect memories scattered all around the floor, Reaching for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore,_

_And I wonder if I ever cross your mind? For me it happens all the time_

_._

"The lyrics are a little ironic, don't you think Mister Movie Star? All about lovers being apart and missing each other" I tried to smile.

.

_It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now._

_Said I wouldn't call, but I lost all control and I need you now._

_And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now._

_._

Edward sighed. "Unfortunately, we've been through this too often in the relatively short time we've known each other Bella."

.

_Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door._

_Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before._

_And I wonder if I ever cross your mind? For me it happens all the time._

_._

"Bella, after this trip, I'm going to try my best to not have any more long separations. I really can't bear it." He breathed into my hair as he held me close.

.

_It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now._

_Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now._

_And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now._

_Oh whoa. Yes I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all.._

_._

I was thinking back to when we danced in the jazz club on our first date. Edward had said then that he would keep that moment with him for the three weeks we would be apart. It would be the one he would think about when he missed me the most.

.

_It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now._

_I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now._

_And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now,_

_I just need you now._

_._

"Is this our moment Edward?" He caught onto my meaning immediately.

"Yeah baby, I think it is." He said as he bent down and gave me a tender kiss, neither of us caring about the curious stares from those around us.

.

_Oh baby I need you now._

_._

After we'd been in the bar for a couple of hours, Rose and Emmett disappeared. "Edward, maybe you should go looking for them?"

In response, he raised an eyebrow at me "Seriously Bella? I have no desire to walk up on what I did in the basement this afternoon."

_I don't know how I managed to forget about that._

"Good point Mister Movie Star." I said as I grinned. We'd had more than enough alcohol, and decided to switch to soft drinks. Edward went to the bar to get us each a coke, while I headed to the rest room.

"Well if it isn't little Bella Swan" A familiar voice slurred from behind me as I entered the hallway leading to the rest rooms. I shouldn't have turned to look, but I did, coming face to face with a tormenter from my past.

_Tim Carver._

He, along with his girlfriend Michelle, had made my senior year of high school a living hell. It started with snide remarks and insults, but before the end, they'd resorted to pushing or tripping me every time they thought they'd get away with it. I never told anyone, I just wanted to graduate and get out of there.

I didn't respond to him, he didn't seem to notice though, I could tell he was very drunk. "I see you're not that shy little Swan anymore." He smirked. "I saw the video on youtube. You know, the one with your tits hanging out. You must be a quite the little freak in bed to have pussy whipped someone like Masen."

I stood there, frozen in place, not believing what I was hearing.

 _My tits were_ _**not** _ _on display. This fool doesn't know the difference between tits and cleavage. Is this indicative of what everyone thinks of me?_

Tim inched closer. I was having flashbacks to the ranger, and that made me angry. "Come on little Swan, how about a taste of what I wanted in high school, for old times sake. Michelle was so jealous of you, but she _never_ has to know. I bet you like it rough. That's my specialty."

That fucking _did_ it. "Hey Tim?" I said mustering up a fake smile.

"Yeah little Swan?" He was leaning closer to me, his breath about to bowl me over.

I looked down towards my feet "Do you like these boots? I've been told they're sexy." I almost choked on the bile in my throat.

_Rose had forced me to wear her very high-heeled boots with my jeans tonight. Not wanting to fight, I had given in._

"Yeah little Swan, they are mighty sexy. I'd like to see those boots resting up on my shoulders while I pound into you baby." He breathed.

_Um….eww_

"I'm really glad you like them Tim, because if you touch me with _any_ part of your nasty body, I'm going to see how far I can shove one of these boots up your ass."

Tim looked a little confused. I decided to elaborate for him.

"After that, I'm going to find my brother Emmett. I'm sure you remember him don't you? As a matter of fact, he's around here somewhere."

Tim's eyes started to widen in panic.

"I'm not sure what Emmett will do to you, he'll probably have to argue with my overprotective boyfriend to see who gets first crack. Then, after they're done, Chief Swan will come down here to pick up what's left of you and throw it in jail."

"Sounds like a lot of fucking fun for you." I snarked. Tim got smart and took a step back. _Finally._

"Cheer up Tim, maybe if you keep molesting women, you'll eventually be arrested for assault. You won't have to hang around bathrooms in small town bars, hoping for some drunk dude to shove his dick in your mouth, you'll get lots of dick in prison."

I wheeled around to walk away, the urge to use the bathroom suddenly gone. I was met by the stunned faces of Edward, Emmett and Rose. Evidently, they'd seen and heard a good portion of my performance.

Rose had her hand on her heart, looking a little misty-eyed. "And to think, I raised her from a pup." She said admiringly.

Emmett and Edward glared at Tim as he scurried away. "Are you okay Bella" Edward asked, full of concern.

"I'm fine Edward. He didn't touch me." They all looked relieved, and Rose grabbed my arm pulling me into the bathroom with her.

I had a feeling that the guys weren't going to let Tim get away that easily.

"Bella, that was awesome. I am so proud. By the way, who was that prick?"

"Just some jerk from high school. He tormented me daily then, but I'm no longer anybody's victim." I was startled with the truth of my own words.

I proceeded to tell her all the things that Tim and his girlfriend had done to me. Then I told her the part of the confrontation that she'd missed. She and the guys had arrived just as Tim suggested how sexy the boots would look perched on his shoulders. She said she had to hold our men back in order to hear my answer.

Rose smiled. "I hope our guys fuck him up."

Rose got her wish. By the time we caught up with them, they were outside and had Tim and his two very drunk friends on the ground.

Edward told us that one of the drunks had ended up throwing the first punch, so he and Em were able to claim self-defense for beating the living daylights out of them.

Emmett had a bruised and swollen jaw. Something he said he'd received by jumping in front of Edward at exactly the right moment. In Emmett's words, he didn't want the "pretty boy's face damaged because he had to shoot a movie next week."

I had to admit that I loved Emmett a little more at that moment.

Emmett also had bruised knuckles from landing several punches to the drunk dudes' faces. I immediately examined Edward's hands to find them perfectly normal.

Edward grinned. "I followed Emmett's advice and only threw body punches, trying to keep the damage to my knuckles at a minimum." He laughed. "And I did land a couple of kicks while I was at it."

Chief Swan arrived just as Deputy Mark hauled the three losers in for drunk and disorderly. Mark smiled and waved at us as he drove away. I hugged Edward as we climbed into the hummer, noticing that he winced slightly.

"Edward what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing Bella, I just caught a couple of punches."

Once we arrived back at Charlie's I made him lift his shirt, only to find red marks on his abdomen and ribcage which were already starting to turn purple. My heart clenched.

"Oh Edward" I sighed as I kissed the marks. I wanted to cry, but held it in.

Rose examined Emmett and found the same bruises forming. "You're lucky those guys were falling down drunk Emmett, otherwise they might have seriously injured you both."

"It's alright ladies, nothing broken, and bruises heal quickly." He answered with a smile. "I get worse than this during practice."

Edward smiled too. "It's not often I get to defend your honor in such a satisfying manner Miss Swan. Let me enjoy the moment."

_All I can say is those paparazzi had better watch themselves, especially if Emmett and Edward decide to team up against them._

_-V &V-_

I missed my mom. It was always hardest during holidays. And, if I was being honest, I was also feeling a little sorry for myself over the impending separation from Edward. These two factors were the only rational explanation for the irrational behavior which I exhibited that night.

I had gone to bed with a heavy heart, thinking about spending another Easter without Mom. Christmas I could handle. After my parents divorced, they made sure that Emmett and I spent our Christmases together, in Forks. That had always been our home and they felt it important for us to spend that particular holiday there. So, even though I missed Mom after her death, it was easy to fool myself into believing that she was back home in Arizona celebrating Christmas with her sister.

Easter on the other hand, was Mom's holiday. The location varied from year to year, but Emmett and I always spent it together, with her. Since her death, we'd been spending it in Forks, and I'd tried to pretend to be unaffected by her absence.

I was usually successful in bottling up my feelings around Dad and Emmett, although I was pretty sure that Rose was wise to me. This year, I held myself together until after Rose had fallen asleep. Sleep, however, eluded me. So I spent the next hour crying silently in my bed, soaking the pillow with my tears.

Even getting angry at myself for my pathetic behavior wasn't enough to pull me from my pity party. Here I lay, distraught, while the man I loved, and would soon be separated from again, slept two floors below me, all alone.

Realizing that sleep wasn't going to come any time soon, I slipped from the room and went downstairs. I halted when I reached the door to the basement. Now that I was there, I didn't really know what to do. Do I go downstairs and defy my father? Or do I go back to my bed, letting insomnia rule the rest of the night?

In the end, I decided to sit down on the floor next to the basement door. It was the closest I could be to Edward without actually breaking Charlie's rules. I leaned my head against the wall and quietly cried.

My mind was filled with memories of the years spent with my mother. My heart ached for her. At times like this, when I allowed myself to think about the fact that I'd never see her again in this lifetime, the pain was almost unbearable. I knew that some day, at the end of my life, we'd be together again, but the many years that lay between now and then seemed such an unbearably long time to be without her comforting hugs, loving smiles, and encouraging words. I just plain missed her.

There were so many things I wanted to talk to her about. I longed to tell her about Emmett and Rose's wedding, about my graduation in June, but most importantly, I longed to tell her about Edward. She would be so happy for me.

I pulled my knees up and laid my head on them as I cried. I could feel my body being wracked with sobs, but couldn't do anything to stop it. Suddenly a strong pair of arms pulled me into a warm embrace.

_Edward_

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? What's happened?" His voice full of concern as he brushed my hair away from my face.

I couldn't answer, I just continued to cry and hold onto him. "Bella please, you're scaring me." His voice still low, but frantic.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to quiet my crying as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I just, I really try you know?" I took another deep breath and wiped my eyes with my shirt. "I try to be strong. I try not to think about her, but I just miss her. Sometimes it's hard to bear."

Understanding dawned on his face along with an expression of profound sadness. "Oh Bella, I can only imagine how it would be to lose a parent." He wrapped his arms tighter around me. "I wish I knew what to say to help…" He trailed off.

"You do help Edward, more than you realize." Then I remembered he was leaving in a couple of days, and a new wave of sobs hit. "And now you're going to leave. I'll miss you so much." I blurted out between sobs. Edward held me for a while, soothing my distress with quiet words.

When I finally calmed and pulled myself together enough to stop the crying altogether, he half-carried me to the living room sofa. His pillow and blanket were already sitting there. "Edward are you sleeping up here?"

He smirked then. "Yes Bella. There's no way I want to sleep downstairs after the porn moment I witnessed earlier. It would be too freaky."

I had to giggle at that. He pulled me down with him, and eventually I fell asleep in his arms.

-V&V-

"Isabella Marie Swan, what the hell is going on?"

I started from a sound sleep to the sound of my father's angry voice. I felt Edward start to stir from behind me. We'd both been lying there, sound asleep, spooning. It had been quite comfortable until Charlie scared the crap out of me.

We both jumped up from the sofa. It was clear from our attire that no 'funny business' was going on, but Charlie _was_ a dad, and I guess I'd technically broken his rules.

"What do you have to say for yourself Bella?" He asked me as he shot daggers at Edward.

By this time, Emmett and Rose had both stumbled down the stairs to watch the show.

"I was having a bad night Dad. I…" I stuttered out as I tried to answer.

"Chief Swan, this is my fault not Bella's. She was crying, I carried her over here and held her until she fell asleep."

"You know I can't control what happens at my daughter's apartment, or at your big fancy home in L.A., but I sure as hell should be able to say what's allowed in my own damn house." Charlie was pissed. "I'm just very shocked that Bella would disregard my rules.." He ranted.

"Dad, I didn't disregard any rules. It's just like Edward said, I was missing Mom. He was comforting me."

"Humph" Charlie still wasn't satisfied, although I noticed that his eyes softened at the mention of my mother. "I still don't like it." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I'd just hoped that you'd take a little time before jumping into _that_ part of your relationship…" I had a feeling that Charlie's words weren't necessarily about finding us on his sofa any more. I was starting to realize that he had been distraught over the thought of me in a 'sexual' relationship for some time now.

"Dad, stop right there. Nothing is going on, not now and not before now."

_Well, disregarding a few things like that lap dance in the Mercedes…._

"Edward's been a perfect gentleman." I happened to glance at Rose, she was smiling smugly, enjoying every moment of this.

_bitch_

"Sure he has, Bella." Dad muttered.

"Dad, I really wish you weren't making me say this." I sighed loudly. "I'm a virgin, and that's not likely to change any time soon."

My Dad's eyes opened a little wider in shock, but I could tell that he believed me. He still, however, didn't trust Edward. "Well, with his reputation I'm sure it's only a matter of time…"

"Pops you really need to lighten up." Emmett suddenly chimed in. "They are both adults, and this is not anybody's business but theirs."

Charlie looked at Emmett in shock. "What the hell Emmett? I don't care how old Bella gets, she's still my daughter and I don't want her to make any decisions that she'll regret. No offense Edward, but your past is pretty sketchy."

Emmett guffawed. "Pops if you only knew." He said as he continued laughing "I think our little Bella is perfectly safe with Andy, at least for now."

I shot Emmett a warning look. I was mortified. I couldn't believe my entire family was discussing my non-existent sex life. One look at Edward told me he felt the same way.

Charlie narrowed his eyes at Emmett. "There you go again Emmett. You keep calling Edward by the name _Andy_. At first I thought that must be his middle name, but then while we were fishing you referred to him as _Andy Stitzer._ I googled that shit and found out that's the name of the guy from _The 40 Year Old Virgin_." Charlie looked puzzled.

"Oh yeah that. Uh, it's just my nickname for Eddie ever since I found out he was a v-" He was cut off when Rose elbowed him in his already bruised abdomen. "Ow Rose, that shit hurts. Do you mind?"

_Emmett's a dead man._

"Found out he was a what?" Charlie was still confused. "He's no where near 40 years old and he certainly isn't a vir-"

At that exact moment Charlie caught the panicked expression on both Edward's and my faces.

_Damn it I wish he wasn't so good at reading people._

Charlie just stared at us, his eyes shifting back and forth between our blushing faces. "Holy shit." He muttered before collapsing into his recliner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested, go to Outtakes: Virgins & Villains, and read Chapter 3 - Ode to the Arse. It takes place a full thirteen months before Bella and Edward meet, and is total silliness from beginning to end.


	39. Creme Eggs & Welcome Distractions

 

A lot of good it did me to go to Church today, I was pissed off during most of the Mass. I tried to calm down and relax, but every time I caught a glimpse of Emmett's face, and he smiled, I got pissed all over again.

I could not believe that he as good as told Charlie that Edward was _inexperienced._

_No way in hell was I going to say the 'V' word just now._

During his sermon, I noticed that Father Pat kept glancing at our family. Normally, we would all sit together in the same pew, close enough for our elbows to touch. Today, Charlie sat at the far end of one pew, basically alone. He needed space in order to process what he'd learned this morning.

Emmett sat in the same pew as Charlie, but you could have squeezed a family of four into the space between them.

Rose was pissed at Emmett, and wouldn't sit in the same pew with him, so she sat in front of Charlie. I was pissed at Emmett, so I sat next to Rose. Edward, I'm pretty certain, just wanted to get the fuck out of Forks. He sat next to me.

_**flashback**_

_Emmett stood there grinning at the scene he'd just caused. I was so angry that, without thinking, I stomped over to him and kicked him as hard as I could in the shin._

" _Bella! What the fuck?" Emmett said as he rubbed his leg._

_The pain that seared through my foot caused me to immediately double over. "Motherfucker!" I shouted._

_That snapped Charlie out of his stupor. "Language Isabella Marie!"_

" _Great Dad, Emmett can curse but I can't? Quite a double standard you've got going there." I sputtered out through my pain._

" _I gave up on Emmett a long time ago, finding it best to ignore him. You, on the other hand, occasionally listen to me." Charlie defended._

_My attack on Emmett had not been well thought out. It was obvious that I'd hurt myself a lot more than I'd hurt him. Edward ran to the kitchen, returning with a bag of frozen peas as I sat on the floor cradling my poor foot._

" _I'll be alright" I said quietly as Edward handed me the peas. I then turned toward Emmett, unleashing my verbal tirade. "You have such a big mouth Emmett. I seriously thought about junk-punching you, but I want a niece or nephew some day."_

_Emmett actually had the balls to smile at that._

" _Bottom line is, Dad didn't need to know that. It's no one's business but Edward's." I hissed._

_By this time, Edward was rubbing my back, trying to calm me down._

" _Look, I know Pops. He'll go easier on you now that he knows the truth." Emmett said quietly so Charlie wouldn't hear._

" _Just shut up Emmett." Rose barked._

_**end of flashback**_

As I sat there stewing in church, I felt a warm hand on mine. I looked up to see Edward looking down at me. He gave me a little smile, and I could feel my anger start to melt away. I sighed and leaned into him as I listened to the rest of Father's sermon.

"The problem is, now that Charlie knows your 'status'." I said, making little air quotes with my fingers. "He's probably already decided that you must be gay, and that I'm your beard, just like all those other women that went before. By now, he's most likely convinced himself that this can only end badly for me. He really cannot stand the thought of me being hurt Edward."

"That makes two of us Bella." He said in response.

We were in the Mercedes, on our way back to Charlie's after church, as I explained my thoughts to Edward.

"So, why not tell him the whole story Bella?" He asked quietly.

"Edward, I can't ask you to do that. My family needs to butt the hell out of this. They've been too involved in our personal business already."

He reached over and took my hand in his. "Bella, none of that matters to me, don't you see? At this point, I don't care who knows. You are my one and only concern." He lifted my hand and gave me a gentle kiss. "Your relationship with Charlie is important. Therefore, my relationship with him is important. I don't want him to have any reservations about me. Let me do this."

I looked at him. His beautiful green eyes so sincere and hopeful. He was willing to do this for me. For us.

After we arrived back at the house, I changed into casual clothing and went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. When Charlie came downstairs, Edward quietly asked to speak with him in private. I watched as they disappeared onto the back porch.

I was dying of curiosity, but I behaved myself, and kept busy in the kitchen. After a few minutes Emmett appeared grinning from ear to ear as he dug into his Easter basket.

_Yes, the Easter bunny still visit's the Swan household._

"So Bellaboo have you cooled down yet?" He asked.

I sighed and looked at my brother. "Emmett, I love you more than you probably realize. It's just that sometimes I want to pound you into the ground like a tent peg." I snarled. "And my toe still hurts." I added as an afterthought.

Emmett guffawed, his mouth full of chocolate. "Look Bells, I'm sorry I upset you. It really wasn't premeditated, everything just kind of came out. I still believe it's better for everyone if Pops knows."

"Maybe." I answered in a whisper. "Edward's giving him the rest of the details now."

Emmett's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Wow." He stroked his chin. "Well, if anyone understands Edward's situation, it's Pops" Then he laughed, "especially the abstinence."

"Ew, Emmett. You are the uncrowned king of the 'overshare'." That was something I'd tried never to think about. I'd always wondered if Dad maybe had a secret girlfriend over the years. Obviously not, Emmett would know, and probably blab it all over the Olympic Peninsula.

"It's true Bells." He was serious now. "Pops loved Mom. It destroyed him when she left. Sometimes I think if he hadn't had me to take care of, he might have done something crazy."

_Poor Charlie._

"Needless to say, I don't think he'll ever be able to trust another woman. It's a matter of self-preservation." He added sadly.

_Dad and Edward have a lot more in common than I realized._

"Oh! Cadbury crème eggs!" Emmett boomed as he unwrapped one. Nothing ever killed his good mood for long.

With Rose and Emmett's help, the dinner was prepared in no time. As we were setting the dining room table, Charlie and Edward emerged from the porch, all smiles, and each drinking a Vitamin R.

 _Well_ _**that** _ _wasn't what I expected._

Edward seemed genuinely happy, borderline giddy, for the rest of the day. Charlie was, uncharacteristically, also in good spirits. It was puzzling.

_I wonder if Edward will tell me what Charlie said?_

I never had time to grill Edward as I would like to have. Father Pat arrived for dinner, and we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, visiting with him.

At one point while Emmett was in the other room, Father Pat questioned our strange behavior in church. I admitted to him that Emmett had been in the doghouse with almost everyone in the family at that time.

Father laughed. "Isabella, I hope you don't hold a grudge against Emmett for too long. He is a good person, and always means well. Sometimes he goes about things the wrong way, like trying to bribe the priest." He said with an arched brow. "But he loves his family very much."

"A person can count themselves as truly blessed if there exists at least one other that would lay down their life to save them. You, Isabella, are blessed several times over." He said as he patted my hand.

_Maybe I'd been too tough on my brother. Wasn't it just last night that he beat the crap out of three people on my behalf?_

After some thought, I decided that he was just being _Emmett._ As annoying as that may be from time to time, I wouldn't want to change him for the world.

As soon as Father Pat left, we cleaned up the dining room and kitchen and packed our bags to head back to Seattle. Charlie walked us to our cars.

I hugged Rose and Emmett goodbye, so that my brother would know that I didn't harbor any anger toward him. "I knew you couldn't stay mad at me." He said as he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

_Doofus._

Dad lingered for a moment when he said goodbye to me. "Bye Bells. If you get lonely while Edward's in England, you know you can always come here for the weekend."

"Thanks Dad, I'd like that." I answered truthfully.

I could really use some quality time with my Dad. A weekend in Forks sounded like the perfect escape from a sad weekend alone in my apartment.

During the drive, I decided I'd broach the subject of Edward's talk with Charlie. "So you and Charlie seemed in good spirits when you came in from the porch."

Edward grinned. "Yes. We had a good talk."

I waited for him to continue.

Nothing.

"Um, did you tell him _everything_?" I asked, hoping he'd volunteer more information.

Edward sighed and smiled again. "Yes. Because he's a cop, he was already familiar with Meghan's case. He even knew things that the general public didn't, like the fact that her boyfriend had been arrested." For the first time this afternoon, Edward lost his smile. "Of course he never knew my name. After learning about everything, he seemed to understand why I isolated myself. He didn't even question my reasoning for inventing a false public persona with a very active social life."

"It seems that your father has trust issues of his own." He added in a quiet voice.

"Seems that way." I agreed.

I'd never told Dad about the things Mom had said about him before she was killed. I didn't know if it would help him or add to his pain, so I'd held back all these years.

_Maybe I should consider sharing that with him._

We stopped at a quick mart in Port Angeles to get gas. While Edward filled the tank, I visited the ladies' room. Safely hidden away in one of the stalls, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud when I overheard the conversation between a couple of teenage girls standing by the sinks.

"Did you see Edward Masen out there? I swear it's him, and he's pumping his own gas." The first girl said excitedly.

"I saw him! Gah, he's even more beautiful in person. I wonder if his girlfriend is with him. I didn't see her, but you know she comes from Forks. She seems really sweet, I hope he doesn't break her heart." The second voice answered.

"Oh Susan, I don't think that will happen. Have you seen the way he looks at her in the internet photos? Michael _never_ looks at me like that."

They both sighed and exited the bathroom.

_Bella Swan, you lucky bitch._

I exited the bathroom and walked around the corner, headed toward the car. It was then that I saw Edward. He was leaning against my door, in what appeared to be a casual stance, with his arms folded across his chest, but his green eyes were blazing as they watched me approach.

_Is he angry?_

My heart started to beat faster as I tried to imagine what I'd done wrong. As soon as I was within arm's length of him, he pulled me into a rough embrace.

"Oh my dear Miss Swan. I remember distinctly telling you that if certain photos ended up in the tabloids or on the internet that you would be made to pay."

_Oh shit._

Edward proceeded to kiss me passionately, right there in the quick mart parking lot, in full view of everyone. Instinctively, I laced my fingers through the hair at the back of his head as he pulled my body flush with his.

One of his hands traveled to my hip, holding me in place. The other hand was splayed across the top of my back between my shoulders. We both got lost in the kiss, as our tongues battled for dominance. He literally kissed me so hard I couldn't breathe. Then, Edward gently bit my lip before pulling away, smiling down at me.

"Was that my punishment?" I asked breathlessly.

"You don't think it was enough?" He asked with a grin.

_I love playful Edward._

"I think that if you do that again, I'm going to pass the fuck out right here in the parking lot." I panted.

Edward laughed out loud as he turned to open my door for me. There, lying on the seat, were copies of the latest National Enquirer and Star magazines, both sporting cover photos of Edward, myself, and Waxward.

I slid into my seat, Edward's kiss effectively taking away most of my ability to function or think.

After a while, when my ability to speak and form a full sentence returned, I turned to him. "You know that everyone in that parking lot probably took a photo of that _kiss._ "

_Mmmm, that was some kiss._

Edward chuckled. "Hopefully the photos are good enough to knock those silly ones off the front page." He continued to grin like a little boy.

"So the only reason you kissed me was to get our photo in the tabloids?" I asked.

"No my dear Isabella. I kissed you because I am head over heels in love with you. The possible tabloid cover is just a 'fringe benefit'."

I laughed, although it came out like a snort.

_-V &V-_

We were lying in my bed during our last night together before Edward would leave for England.

I was trying not to cry, but it was an uphill battle.

"I'm going to miss you so much, especially your sense of humor." He gave me a sad smile, and kissed my forehead.

"And your laughter" he kissed my cheek. "Your scent" he kissed just under my right ear. "Your smile" he kissed my chin. "Your beautiful eyes" he kissed each eyelid. "And your lips" he then kissed me on my lips, slowly and passionately.

Edward continued placing small kisses on my face until I felt myself drifting off to sleep, content in his arms.

_-V &V-_

The day of Edward's departure had arrived.

_Where did all our time go?_

We didn't have to be at the airport until mid-afternoon, so Edward had planned a couple of things for us to do today.

First on the agenda was breakfast.

Evidently, we were both suffering from the delusion that we'd actually be able to eat. It was a nice thought. I was barely able to choke down a cup of tea.

"What are your plans for this evening?" Edward asked over his cup of coffee. We were sitting side by side in a booth at a diner.

"Before or after I mope around, missing my boyfriend?" I said sadly.

Edward put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. "The time will fly Bella, you'll see." He tried to comfort. "Just concentrate on your studies, because after your graduation I refuse to be separated from you again." He said with conviction.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed his neck. "We have skype, and the phone, we survived before." I said, trying to convince myself just as much as Edward.

"I'll miss you the most at night." He remarked quietly. "I sleep better when you're beside me."

"Me too." I whispered.

I knew that I had a lot of schoolwork to attend to. Something I'd been quite neglectful of recently. At least that would help pass the time.

Since the art museum was closed on Mondays, we spent some time wandering, hand in hand, around the Olympic sculpture park. The more time I spent with Edward, the easier it was becoming to ignore the stares we attracted from those around us. Although, I admit I still had a difficult time ignoring the flirting.

Soon, too soon, it was time to go.

At SeaTac, we stood together, our arms wrapped around each other, near the security checkpoint. Edward was delaying our goodbye until the last possible moment.

Finally, when we couldn't put if off any longer he whispered. "It's time Bella."

I'd promised myself that I wouldn't make this difficult for him by breaking down. "I know." I looked at him through bleary eyes. "Nothing's going to be right until I'm with you again."

"I know what you mean." He murmured before pulling me into a goodbye kiss. It was sweet but sorrowful, and would have to be enough until we were together again. "Goodbye my love."

He walked toward security, with one look back and a small wave before he rounded the corner. Then he was gone.

I stood there watching the last spot where I'd seen him, just staring, willing him to return.

After a few minutes, I felt someone standing beside me. I pulled myself out of my brooding for a moment to look up. Lou was standing beside me with a sympathetic smile.

"Come on Bella. Edward gave me strict instructions not to let you linger here."

I nodded, sighed, and finally turned away, following Lou to the car. I knew Edward was probably sitting in the VIP lounge by now, waiting for his flight. I decided to send him a quick text.

_**Miss you already. I stole the t-shirt you slept in..sorry. Maybe it will help me sleep tonight because it smells like you.** _

_**Love you, B** _

His reply was prompt.

_**Not the first time you've stolen my shirt if I recall. Miss you too. I'll try to sleep on the flight and pretend I'm with you.** _

_**Love you too, so much, E** _

_-V &V-_

When I arrived back at my apartment, I was tempted to crawl into bed and sleep for the next twelve hours. I fought that urge, and instead went to my bedroom, intending to get some work done on my laptop.

I was immediately distracted by a small pink gift bag sitting on my pillow. Knowing it had to be from Edward, I could feel my heart racing as I rushed to open it.

Inside I found a note and a small _Tiffany's_ box containing a pair of beautiful diamond earrings which matched the necklace he'd give me for Valentine's Day.

_**My darling,** _

_**My only request is that you refrain from wearing them until we are together again. I intend to take you out on the town.** _

_**I love you more than I can say. You have given me back my life.** _

_**Edward** _

My fingers traced over the letters of his name as I wept. Some were tears of sorrow because I knew how much I would miss him. Some were tears of joy that we found each other in the first place. I was distracted by the ringing of my phone.

_Edward._

"Hello Edward. Thank you for the earrings, they are exquisite." Try as I might, I couldn't hide the fact that I'd been crying.

"Baby don't cry. I wanted to thank you for my gift too. It's going on my nightstand as soon as I arrive."

I'd framed a small photo of us dancing close together at the Carnation Plaza Gardens and hidden it in his carry-on. It certainly wasn't much in comparison to his gift to me, but I knew it would mean a lot to him.

He breathed into the phone. "Are you really going to sleep with my shirt?" He murmured.

"Yes" I whispered.

"I wish I could be in it." He carried on in a low voice.

"Me too."

He let out a big breath. "They're getting ready to close the airplane doors."

"Doesn't that mean you have to hang up now?"

"Yes" he said, but didn't hang up.

I could hear him breathing. "I don't want to go."

At that moment I heard the voice of what I assumed to be a flight attendant.

" _Mr. Masen, I'm sorry but you must stow all electronic devices at this time_."

"Yes, of course" He answered her politely. "Well, I guess I've _got_ to hang up now. I love you Bella."

"I love you too Edward. Stay safe." I whispered.

"You too my darling, goodbye."

And he was gone.

_-V &V-_

It proved to be a difficult night, but as soon as I forced myself to imagine Edward asleep in his first class cocoon, I was finally able to drift off.

Sometime during the night, Edward had sent a text letting me know he'd arrived in London. His plan for the day was to check into his hotel and, in his words, 'gaze at my beautiful girl's photo until I fall asleep'.

He had told me that any time he went to Europe, he would spend the first afternoon catching up on his sleep in order to conquer the jet lag.

During lunch with Tara and Joanna, my phone rang.

"Edward" I breathed. I noticed my friends trying to suppress their giggles.

"Hey baby, how's your day?"

"Fine. Not much longer until Rose's interview with Geri Chance."

"Holy shit, during all the excitement of the last few days, I'd forgotten about that."

"Rose reminded me this morning. She still hasn't told me everything. Should be interesting." I said quietly. "What are you doing?"

He chuckled. "Well, it's evening here and I slept all afternoon, so I'm having a nightcap and speaking on the phone to a stunning brunette."

"Stunning huh?" I teased.

"Absolutely. She's so beautiful that when we're together, I can't keep my eyes off of her."

"Flattery will get you everywhere Mister Move Star." I smiled.

"I'm counting on that." I just knew he was smirking. "Well, I'll let you go baby, I know you've got a class starting soon."

I glanced at the wall clock. "Yeah, but this call was a very pleasant surprise. I miss you."

"Me too. Love you Bella."

"Love you too." I breathed as I ended the call.

_I'm of the firm belief that pushing the 'end' button to one of Edward's calls actually causes me physical pain._

Joanna and Tara were staring at me, eyes wide with wonder.

"Bella, tell me you plan to go see him while he's over there." Joanna said.

"Oh, well, as a matter of fact, I plan to go over there at the end of the month if everything works out."

"What do you have to work out?" Tara asked.

"First of all, I need to get ahead with my school work so that I can afford to leave for a couple of days. I was thinking of surprising him."

"Oh that's so romantic." Tara said excitedly.

_-V &V-_

At Edward's insistence, Lou was still driving me around. He reminded me that whoever had vandalized my car was still at large, so that meant I was in danger. I didn't even argue with him because I'd rather he not worry while so far away.

I sent a text to Rose as soon as we pulled up in WIRI's parking lot. She responded almost immediately.

_**B-** _

_**Emmett will come get you. We don't want the painted bitch to catch a glimpse. See you in a bit.** _

_**-R** _

_Whatever was about to go down would be a welcome distraction from missing Edward. Bring it on._


	40. Some Justice & Escargot

 

.

" _Let all of the poisons that lurk in the mud, hatch out."_

_-Robert Graves, Claudius The God_

.

Geri Chance is, quite possibly, the most evil woman I've ever known. I say 'woman', because my mother's murderer will always remain the most evil _person_ I've ever known.

Emmett and I were sequestered in a waiting room with several 'guests' appearing on today's show. As I was to find out later, these 'guests' were all victims _of_ or witnesses _to_ , the evil deeds committed by Ms. Geri Chance.

The room was equipped with two large flat screen monitors which gave us a good view of the show. Rose normally would tape her show early in the day to be aired later. Today however, the show was airing live.

I could only suppose that Rose guessed this show wouldn't have made it onto the air any other way. Producers and television station owners, well _anyone_ for that matter, would be apprehensive about taking on a federal prosecutor.

_Everyone that is. except Rosalie Whitlock, soon to be Swan._

Emmett's arm was draped around my shoulder as we watched the screen intently. Just before the show started, the door flew open and Wendy Graham moved quickly over to us, taking the seat to my left.

"Please tell me I didn't miss anything." She whispered.

I smiled at her and shook my head, "No, it's just starting."

' _ **Good afternoon everyone, and welcome. Today's show is coming to you live from our studio. Our first guest is federal prosecutor Geri Chance.'**_

I watched as Ms. Chance smiled at Rose. She was enjoying her '15 minutes of fame' big time.

_Holy shit, she looks orange. Not just orange, day glo orange. I wonder if she used spray tan on her face?_

_Combine that with the bright blue eyeshadow, and I'm definitely going to have nightmares tonight._

Rose had her most professional smile plastered across her face, but her eyes were shining.

' _ **Ms. Chance, I hope you don't mind, but we're trying a different format today. We're going to spend the entire hour telling your story.'**_

Geri looked more than pleased at Rose's words. The next few minutes were spent showcasing Geri's roots. She was from a small town near Baltimore, but went to school in Washington state. She went into detail about working her way up to the position she now held. After lulling Geri into a false sense of security, Rose started to unleash her arsenal.

' _ **Ms. Chance, first off, I'd like to bring out an old acquaintance of yours.'**_

Geri looked intrigued.

' _ **Marie Van Epps please come out and say hello.'**_

Geri looked confused, until she got a good look at the woman, then she seemed to bristle with irritation.

Rose grinned. _**'Oh, I'm sorry Ms. Chance, I should have realized, you would only remember your old college roommate by her maiden name of 'Baker'."**_

Marie turned to Geri. _**'It's been a long time Geri. How are you?'**_

I got the distinct impression that she didn't really give a shit _how_ Geri was.

' _ **I'm okay.'**_ Geri answered with a raised eyebrow.

Rose turned to Marie. _**'Marie, please tell us a little about what brings you here today.'**_

Marie answered with a sweet smile. _**'Well, as you stated, Geri and I were roommates in college, although I transferred to a school in Illinois before my junior year.'**_

' _ **And why was that?'**_ Rose asked, already knowing the answer.

' _ **I had a bad breakup, and didn't want to continue attending the same college as my ex."**_ Marie answered quietly.

' _ **Correct me if I'm wrong Marie, but you must have eventually reunited with that ex, because he's now your husband, is he not?'**_

I watched as Geri's eyes grew wide in surprise.

' _ **Yes, Rose, that's true. As you know, my husband's father was a U.S. Senator. At one time, Jason's parents had hoped that he would enter the political arena, but Jason was never interested.'**_

Marie cleared her throat before continuing.

' _ **At that time, my younger brother had had a few run-ins with the law because of his drug use. He'd also been arrested for petty theft a few times, all to feed his drug habit. When Jason's parents found out about that, they convinced me to walk away from their son.'**_

I noticed Geri fidgeting a little in her seat.

' _ **Why would you do that Marie?'**_ Rose asked.

Marie looked sad. _**'They convinced me that my family troubles would reflect poorly on Jason, tainting his chances for success. They still had political aspirations for him you see. When this wasn't enough to convince me, they threatened to cut him off financially. I couldn't let that happen.'**_

' _ **He never forgot about me though. After he graduated and established his own business, he searched for me. When I explained to him why I'd broken up with him, he was abruptly furious. Unbelievably, he forgave me. His parents though, he was not as easy to forgive. They spent years trying to mend fences with us, and I can finally say that he's close to them again.'**_

' _ **Soon after the birth of our third child, his father came to me and explained that someone I knew had insisted on meeting with him all those years ago. This person gave him the information about my brother, implying that it would be devastating for anyone wishing to have a career in politics to be acquainted with my family.'**_

Geri broke in at that point, looking only at Rose. _**'I fail to see how this pertains to me Miss Whitlock!'**_

Marie turned to face her. _**'Oh but you see, my father-in-law identified his informant as none other than you Geri. The one thing I don' t understand though, is why you would do that to me. I had never been anything but nice to you, but from the first time you saw Jason and I together, you became openly hostile.'**_

Geri narrowed her eyes at Marie. _**'You wouldn't understand. Women like you always have some guy with money to take care of you, or fight your battles for you. You are pathetic. Your type wouldn't know how to make it on your own.'**_

Marie just shook her head.

' _ **On that note, I'd like to introduce the next guest.'**_ Rose said cheerfully.

_She's enjoying this way too much._

Rose marched out person after person that had been on the receiving end of Geri's vindictive nature.

One young woman was in tears as she described how, when her eighty-one year old Grandfather accidentally backed his car into Geri's mailbox, and she brought charges against him. Since tampering with the mail is a federal offense, Geri felt she was perfectly within her rights to do so.

The case never made it to trial, because the judge had enough sense to throw it out. Unfortunately, the old man had been so traumatized by the entire ordeal, he had a massive stroke and died within the year.

"What a bitch" I heard Emmett mutter beside me.

' _ **I have taken an oath to uphold the law, I am required to bring charges whenever the law is broken.'**_ Geri sneered in her own defense.

A husband and wife came on next, the Crawfords. It seemed that a disgruntled ex-employee of Mr. Crawford had tipped off authorities that the couple were traffickers of child pornography. They were innocent, of course, but that didn't stop Geri.

The Crawfords were kept away from their home for days, as investigators combed over every square inch, confiscating their computers and several boxes full of their belongings. In the end, they were unable to find anything even remotely connected with _any_ kind of pornography, let alone _child_ pornography.

Geri, however, took it upon herself to charge them with 'copyright infringement' when it was discovered that Mrs. Crawford had recorded and kept the tapes of several episodes of 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer.'

Just as before, the judge threw out the charges at the arraignment, but the damage was already done. Mrs. Crawford who had been seven months pregnant at the time federal agents invaded their home, went into premature labor a few days later. Both Mr. and Mrs. Crawford got emotional as they discussed almost losing their little boy, who was now two years old, and the many medical problems he'd had to endure since birth.

Geri just sat there with a smug expression on her face.

' _ **What do you expect, an apology? I do my job, and I'm damn good at it.'**_ She sneered.

' _ **Are you?'**_ Rose asked, and then proceeded to cite how many times Geri had been defeated in court. The most troubling aspect of this, was that some of those cases were important ones. Cases against dangerous drug dealers, or members of organized crime.

In the end, everyone viewing the program could only come away from it with a sense that if Geri Chance hadn't wasted so much time on her little vendettas, she may have had a real chance at putting away some very dangerous criminals.

With the presentation of each story, I could see Geri becoming more and more angry.

The last story of the day was another heartbreaker. One that also involved everyone's favorite park ranger, _Barry Kershner_. I watched as the parents of a young man named Martin Buchanan told, through their tears, the story their son's last days. Martin, who had been despondent over the fact that his long-time girlfriend had dumped him, and also that he'd been placed on academic probation because of his faltering grades at U of W, had gone to the park with the intent to end his life.

Ranger Dickhead stopped him for speeding and searched his car. He arrested Martin for bringing a handgun onto federal property. But it was Geri that put the final nail in his coffin when, instead of getting him the psychiatric help he needed, she had Martin thrown in jail, awaiting his arraignment.

Despite the pleadings of his parents and their lawyers, and proof from his doctor that Martin was being treated for depression, but wasn't taking his meds, Geri wouldn't budge. It didn't take Martin long to figure out a way to finish what he had started at the park. He was found dead in his cell two days after his arrest.

This particular story brought back thoughts of Edward's ordeal, and I covered my mouth with my hand as I choked back a sob.

My hands were trembling as I listened to Martin's parents described how they were suing the federal government, and Ms. Chance in particular, for the gross mishandling of their son's case.

Martin Buchanan's story seemed to be last straw for Geri. I watched as her control finally snapped, and a string of curse-words directed at Rosalie, erupted from her mouth.

' _ **You father-fucking bitch. You set me up.'**_ Geri practically screamed at Rose.

Emmett was immediately on his feet, bounding through the door, headed into the studio, Wendy and I following in his wake.

We made it into the studio and stood behind the cameramen, watching the showdown.

' _ **You planned this. I don't know why, but I will find out. You will not get away with making me look like a fool to the voters.'**_

_In her anger, Geri must have forgotten that the show is 'live'._

Rose smirked. _**'And why would it matter, Ms. Chance, if you looked bad to the voters?'**_

Geri stumbled over her words. _**'It doesn't matter'**_ She tried to backtrack.

Rose interrupted her _**'Ah but now I don't think you're being honest with us Ms. Chance. I think it matters very much to you, since the goal you've had in mind for some time now is to be elected to political office.'**_

Geri took a few breaths in an effort to calm herself. She narrowed her eyes at Rose.

' _ **And why shouldn't I want that? Find me one person who has worked harder than me. Tirelessly day and night, not like these fools they've elected in the past.'**_ She rambled.

Emmett, Wendy and I stood there slack-jawed as Geri Chance self-destructed before our very eyes.

' _ **You think you're so smart, Whitlock, parading all these losers through here today. None of these people are fit to wipe my ass. They are the dregs of society.'**_

Geri was shouting and flailing her arms, as Rose sat quietly watching her.

' _ **Old stupid men that shouldn't even be behind the wheel of a car. An unborn child that was obviously not meant to survive. In ancient society, a child like that would have been left to die, exposed to the elements.'**_

_Oh my fuck. She did not just say that. By the looks of everyone in this room, Geri better have a bodyguard when she leaves the building._

I saw Rose's nostrils flare as she tried to keep her temper in check.

' _ **Pathetic pieces of shit. The Buchanan boy? That stupid fucker probably should have offed himself years ago, he was a waste of oxygen.'**_

_To hell with everyone else, I want to murder her myself._

Sensing that this could turn into a mini-riot, a couple of the studio hands started to usher the few remaining 'guests' back into the waiting room.

' _ **Weaklings all of them. Well, if the voters aren't smart enough to elect me then they don't deserve someone of my caliber in the first place.'**_

' _ **I'm still curious Whitlock. Why would you do this?'**_

At that moment, Geri glanced over and spied Wendy and me standing with Emmett. She looked confused, and even more pissed off.

' _ **Well if it isn't a couple more pains in my ass. Wendy Graham, someone who wishes she could be as successful as me.'**_

I heard Wendy chuckle beside me.

' _ **and Isabella Swan, a clingy, whiney little basket case.'**_

Rose interrupted _**'By the way, Ms. Chance, we're still on the air'**_

I saw Geri's eyes widen in sudden horror. It seemed she'd been so busy with her rant that she had forgotten she was on television.

' _ **Oh and Ms. Chance, let me introduce one more person to you. Do you see that incredibly well-built, gorgeous man next to Miss Swan? That would be her brother and my fiancé, Emmett Swan. Now back to what you were saying about his little sister Ms. Chance?'**_

Geri jumped from her seat, ripping her microphone off as she did. _**'You will pay for this Whitlock. I will find a way to get even for what you've done here.'**_

Rose smiled. _**'Somehow I doubt you will ever have the opportunity.'**_

As Rose spoke, she stood from her chair and walked closer to Geri Chance stopping only inches away, while towering over her menacingly.

' _ **Ms. Chance, your little performance here today has done more to sabotage your career than ten Rosalie Whitlock's ever could have.'**_

I saw Geri go pale.

_Well, sort of a pale orange._

Then she turned and bolted from the studio.

Rose turned to face the camera. _**'That about wraps things up here. From the studios of WIRI, Seattle's first choice for news and entertainment, I'm Rosalie Whitlock, thank you for joining us.'**_

All the technicians, along with Rose, Emmett, Wendy and I were finally able to release the laughter we'd been holding in during 'The Geri Show'.

"Rosie baby, that was amazing." Emmett said as he wrapped his arms around her. "Although, I'll admit that the only way I thought we'd get rid of Ms. Chance was with a well-aimed bucket of water."

Rose laughed. "Actually her reaction was almost _exactly_ what I had expected. The nasty remarks about Bella took me by surprise, and I almost knocked the shit out of her for that, but I realized that would be the worst thing I could do. Better to let her kick her own ass, and I must say she did a very good job of it!"

Rose went back to the waiting room and thanked the roomful of witnesses that had been so crucial to the success of today's events. In turn, they all thanked her for having the opportunity to help end Geri's 'reign of terror'.

After that, Rose turned to us "I know there will be hell to pay for what I did, but I don't care right now. Let's go out to celebrate tonight!"

We all went home to dress for dinner, Wendy agreeing to meet us later at Rose's favorite French restaurant.

Despite the fact that the entire afternoon had been extremely draining, I felt lighter. My heart was still weighed down by the fact that Edward was far away, but seeing Geri crash and burn did wonders for my mental outlook.

 _I had expected a show, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect fireworks worthy of the 4th_ _of July._

I put on a pretty little vintage cocktail dress that I thought would be appropriate for our celebration. It was salmon colored, fitting well with my light happy mood.

After glancing at the clock and realizing it was entirely too late to phone Edward, I decided on a text and photo instead.

First I took a photo of myself in the dress and heels. I then sent it to him along with a text message.

 _ **Rose outdid herself today. Video of Geri's meltdown prob on youtube by now. Going out to celebrate. Wish you were here**_ … _ **Not to worry, the necklace and earrings are safely tucked away, awaiting your return.**_

_**I love you, B** _

Actually, I planned to take the jewelry with me on my surprise trip, but there was no need to leak that information.

I packed my clutch and was headed out the door when my phone rang.

It was Edward.

"Hello Edward." I smiled happily as I answered.

"Baby, are you trying to kill me?" He spoke, his voice still groggy from sleep.

I chuckled. " _That_ was the furthest thing from my mind Edward."

He chuckled also. "Here I was in a dead sleep, dreaming about this gorgeous brunette who was just about to let me have my wicked way with her, when I was awoken by your text."

_Wicked way? Whoa…_

I drew in a sharp breath at his words. "Um. Sorry I woke you up."

"Please don't be, the photo of you in that dress… Bella, you're so beautiful." He trailed off.

Normally I would argue, saying that my looks were nothing special. Then Edward would be pissy and tell me off, reiterating how he thought I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever met.

Tonight, I didn't have it in me to argue though, I missed him too damned much.

Finding the need to lighten the mood I asked "So who's this brunette you've been dreaming about?"

'Now that you mention it, she looks remarkably like you." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

I cleared my throat, willing my stomach to stop fluttering at his words.

_How the hell does he have that effect on me from eight time zones away?_

That voice brought back the memory of his warm arms around me and his lips on my neck, my shoulder, my mouth…

"Bella are you okay?" Edward's question effectively waking me from my daydream.

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

"If it wasn't for the heavy breathing, I would have thought we'd been disconnected." Edward said as he started to laugh.

At me. I could feel my face start to blush.

"Know what else?" He asked in a low sexy tone. "I'd be willing to bet right now that you're blushing."

_O my God, he's sexwarding me over the phone!_

"I love that blush." He murmured.

I could not form a coherent sentence.

Edward started laughing again. "Bella, say something."

"I…, I can't." I whispered. I cleared my throat again and spoke. "I miss you."

"Me too baby. More than you know." He answered quietly.

Just then there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Emmett and Rose on the other side, dressed for dinner.

I held up a my finger, indicating that I'd be ready in a minute. I found that I couldn't hang up. Not yet. "Edward, I'm going to keep talking as I follow Emmett and Rose downstairs."

So that's what I did. I followed them down and to the hummer as we spoke.

"Tell me about Geri today." He asked.

In my excitement with talking to him, I'd almost forgotten about Geri's meltdown. "You should have seen it Edward. Rose was right when she told me Geri was a crazy bitch. She's done so many evil things, and Rose called her on them. She freaked the hell out! I was afraid at one point that her head might explode." I laughed.

He joined me in my laughter. It was great to have this moment together.

During the ride to the restaurant, Rose and Emmett were unusually quiet.

"Edward, I should let you go, you need your rest." I said the words, but didn't mean them.

"I slept earlier today Bella. I don't want to hang up yet." He said sadly.

We were both silent for a moment. "This is so tough." He sighed.

Just as we arrived at the restaurant, I heard Edward yawn in my ear. "Go back to bed Edward. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Okay, we'll compromise. You go enjoy yourself. I'll go back to sleep, and dream of you."

I smiled. "I promise to do the same when I fall asleep tonight. I love you Edward."

"I love you too Bella. I'll call you tomorrow. Goodbye."

I looked up to see my brother and Rose with the goofiest grins on their faces. "What?" I asked, slightly embarrassed.

Rose spoke first. "It's just nice to see you like this Bella. You've changed so much."

Emmett spoke then. "Yeah, our little girl is growing up. What do you say we get shit-faced?" He said as he grinned at me.

"Emmett, your eloquence astounds me, as usual." I laughed.

Wendy arrived soon after, and Emmett and I did get a little shit-faced. That was the reason he was able to coax me into eating escargot for the first time.

_Definitely wouldn't have done that sober._

Rose limited herself to one glass of wine after she realized we'd need a designated driver.

We spoke about Geri for a while. "Rose, I must congratulate you on a job well done." Wendy said.

"Thanks Wendy. I couldn't have lined up all those people without your help though. Funny how predictable Geri Chance turned out to be." Rose pondered. "I'm glad I told the guys in the control booth to keep their fingers near the 'censor' button because I was fairly certain that the four-letter words were going to fly. She didn't disappoint in that regard."

We all nodded in agreement.

"So what happens to her now?" I asked.

Wendy answered. "My best guess would be that she will be investigated. They'll probably do a psych evaluation immediately in order to remove her from her job. After that, I have no idea. She may have friends in high places that will save her from being unemployed, but she'll never set foot in a courtroom again."

"Amen to that." Emmett announced as we all clinked our glasses together.

_-V &V-_

We said goodbye to Wendy at the door to the restaurant, and Rose pulled me with her to the ladies' room.

Once inside, she took a seat at the vanity. "Bella, I can't take any more. Your brother is killing me slowly, with sex."

"What are you talking about Rose?" I said, quickly sobering up a bit.

"Ever since his 'abstinence' talk with Father Pat, he's become a raging horndog. He keeps talking me into sex at _every_ opportunity."

_Cripes I feel really uncomfortable hearing this._

"Um, Rose. You have no idea how much I _don't_ want to know about his." I pleaded.

"Shut the fuck up Bella. I have to talk to someone. You know about the incident on the pool table. Well, he got me outside the bar that night, you know, right before that nasty guy cornered you. We didn't even have the hummer, so we did it behind the fucking bushes."

_Fuck my life. Why do I have to hear this exactly?_

I couldn't speak, I just hiccoughed loudly while shaking my head. _No, no, no._

"Then, again on the way home from Forks, he pulled onto a deserted road and we did it in the back seat."

_Damn it. I was just sitting in that back seat._

"I don't even know how many times yesterday he pounced on me…"

_I'm feeling slightly nauseated._

"But today was the last straw. Your brother fucked me up against the door inside the janitor's closet at WIRI this morning. It was singularly the hottest and most embarrassing moment of my life, because when we opened the door to make our escape afterwards, Marvin the janitor was standing there with a freaked out look on his face."

_Ew, poor Marvin. He was probably afraid of finding Emmett's jizz on some random surface in his closet._

"He's lost his mind. I think he's trying to get in as much 'sex' as possible before he meets with Father Pat again."

I shook my head in disgust. "He's such an idiot."

"So true." She said as she thought. I could tell she was thinking about Emmett because her eyes started to glaze over. "But, you know what?" She said slowly.

I looked at her questioningly.

"I'm certainly going to miss it when we do abstain." Then Rose's eyebrows shot up, and she headed for the door. "Oh fuck it. I may as well face the music. After all, I should have some _real_ problems to complain about right?" She laughed and left. I grabbed a handful of paper towels, and I followed her out.

_I could have lived the rest of my life not knowing any of that. I'll never be able to look Marvin in the eyes again._

The ride home with the most uncomfortable of my life. I tried to cover a good portion of the seat with paper towels before sitting on it.

Emmett was half-drunk and never really paid attention, but Rose gave me a dirty look.

I didn't care. I made a mental note to buy a box of latex gloves to wear anytime I had to come in contact with the hummer's back seat in future.

_Maybe I should look into purchasing a hazmat suit?_


	41. Pink Chiffon & Man Skirts

 

"This is going to be harder than I thought Edward. By the time I get home today, it will be after midnight where you are." I sighed in frustration.

I was on the phone with Edward during my lunch break at WIRI. We were trying to coordinate times to speak and maybe skype with each other.

"My schedule this week is a little flexible because we don't start filming until next week. Hopefully we'll find time to skype. For instance, today was spent with wardrobe and makeup, I was free for the day by two o'clock. Tomorrow will be more of the same with some rehearsals, I'll probably be finished by four o'clock at the latest. On Friday, I'm supposed to be getting my military haircut once again." He sighed.

"Oh yeah? That's good. You were looking a little fluffy." I giggled.

"Fluffy?" Although I couldn't see his face, I was certain that Edward was smirking.

"Okay maybe poofy is a better word."

"Poofy? First of all I don't think that's even a real word, and secondly there is nothing 'poofy' about me Miss Swan."

I started laughing out loud. "Okay, okay. I stand corrected." I was still laughing though, not quite sounding contrite.

Edward sighed in frustration. "God I wish I could see you." He was quiet for a minute. "Bella, I've got an idea. Suppose I set my alarm for early tomorrow morning like 5am or so, it'll be after 9 o'clock tonight where you are. Maybe we can skype for an hour?"

"Are you sure you'll get enough sleep?" I asked.

"Plenty Bella. It's almost nine o'clock here now. After I hang up with you, I'll probably play my guitar for a while, and then go to bed. My personal life is so _exciting_ when I'm not with you." He said sarcastically as he chuckled. "So, it's settled, we'll skype as soon as I wake up, I _need_ my Bella fix." He admitted.

"I know what you mean. It's a date Mr. Movie Star. I'll see you then, I love you Edward."

"I love you too sweetheart."

It turned out to be an interesting afternoon.

Soon after I hung up with Edward, Rose was called into the station manager's office and chewed out for setting up Geri Chance the way she did. Rose blasted right back, and threatened to quit on the spot. Her contract was up in June, and everyone knew she was leaving anyway.

The discussion got rather heated, and I could hear their raised voices all the way down the hall.

When Rose finally emerged, it was with a satisfied smirk on her face. It seems that in the midst of their discussion, they were interrupted when Lydia the receptionist burst into Bill's office. The poor girl had been fielding phone calls all day congratulating the station for having the balls to take on a corrupt, and insane, federal prosecutor. Some were demanding to speak with 'the boss' to pass on their thanks, and Lydia wasn't able to hold them off any longer.

Needless to say, by the time Rosalie left his office, Bill was fawning all over her. By the end of the day, he was saying she should be nominated for a broadcast journalism award.

This was turning out to be an amazing week, despite the fact that my boyfriend was so far away. I kept expecting something terrible to happen to kill my buzz.

_Remember Bella, you are now living the fairytale. No more negative thoughts!_

It sounded like my subconscious finally had her shit together too.

By nine-thirty I was curled up in bed, my laptop and cell phone perched beside me, waiting for Edward's call. I didn't have to wait long, and we immediately went onto skype.

When I got a look at him, I wanted so badly to crawl through the computer to touch him. His hair was in glorious disarray, his gorgeous face needed a shave, his eyes were bleary from sleep, and his lips were absolutely kissable.

"Edward" I whispered.

He looked just as mesmerized by me, although I'll never understand why. "Hey baby." He finally said in a voice husky from sleep.

After I snapped out of my daze, I proceeded to tell him about everything that happened with Rose.

He told me about his day, making mention of how polite the London fans were, and that he never feared being mobbed when he was out. The paps however still stalked his every move.

"Oh good, I'll have to go on the internet to see the photos." I smiled.

"Miss Swan are you threatening to be my internet stalker?" He smirked.

I missed that smirk.

"I wish I could stalk you in person." I said sadly.

"We are a mess Bella. It's not even been three days yet."

We continued talking until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, and Edward had to get ready for his day.

On Thursday, my classes seemed to fly by. I had lunch with Joanna and Tara, and the three of us planned a 'girls night out' for Saturday. I made a mental note to ask Rose if she wanted to join us since Emmett would be out of town, participating in a celebrity charity golf tournament in Las Vegas.

_I hope Vegas survives him._

My last class of the day was almost over when there was a knock at the door of the classroom. I was surprised to see a couple of campus police officers enter. They approached the professor and spoke in hushed voices with her.

"Isabella Swan" my professor announced. "These officers need you to go with them please."

My heart was in my throat as I gathered my belongings with shaky hands.

_Did something happen to Charlie? Emmett or Rose? Oh God not Edward…._

About halfway down the hallway leading to the exit, I couldn't take it any more. My legs were shaking so badly that I could barely walk. "Would one of you please tell me what's going on?" I asked, almost in tears.

"We'll explain in a few minutes Miss Swan, we just need to make sure you're in a safe location."

_What? Why?_

"Can you at least tell me if Edward and my family are alright?" I demanded.

"Oh yes, Miss Swan, sorry to alarm you. As far as we know, everyone is fine. This is about _your_ safety."

I was even more confused than before.

The sight before my eyes as we exited the building I won't soon forget.

There were two police cars in front of the adjacent building with their lights flashing. I watched as three officers went inside.

"Miss Swan, did you park in the lot today?" One of the officers with me asked.

"No, I was driven." Just then I saw Lou with a bewildered expression on his face, approaching us. He was stopped by one of the officers before reaching me.

"Miss Swan, do you know that man?" The officer closest to me asked.

"Yes, actually he's my driver."

The officer nodded to the other and Lou was allowed to walk over. "Bella, are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah Lou, but I don't know what's going on." I answered.

The officer standing next to me, ushered us over to a parked campus police car, and had me sit in the passenger seat. Lou climbed into the back as the officer slid into the driver's seat.

From my vantage point, I could see the cars with the flashing lights, and a crowd starting to gather. "Miss Swan, we received information today which led us to suspect two of your fellow students of vandalizing your car. Because of your high profile, and because we're not sure yet that there aren't more people involved, we wanted to make sure you were safe before arresting them."

_Vandals? More than one?_

"Who was it?"

"Do you know a _Pauline Stark_ or an _Amanda Ross_?" He asked.

"Not really." I thought back to the two skanky girls that had taunted me since the first day that Edward and I were in the news. I think their names were Pauline and Amanda.

"I mean, I think I know who they are, but I never knew their last names. They've been really nasty to me since I started dating Edward, but why would they destroy my car?" I was so confused.

"We don't know Miss Swan. We may never know. The important thing is for them to pay for what they've done." He answered. "And we need to determine if they are a danger to you or anyone else."

At that exact moment I saw the officers that had entered the building return with Pauline and Amanda in custody. They both started putting up a fight as they neared the police cars, and I actually saw Pauline elbow one of the officers in the gut.

"Oh boy." The policeman next to me muttered. "She just made her life a lot more complicated. For what she just did, she'll be charged with assault."

The officer said that I'd be notified of the arraignment proceedings, and if the case went to trial, I'd probably have to make a statement.

After the girls were taken away, Lou escorted me to the car. I was aware of flashes going off, and mentally calculated what time it was in England.

_Edward should be asleep, I've got plenty of time to tell him what happened before he sees the photos._

As Lou and I reached the car, I noticed Tara and Joanna frantically looking around. Tara spotted me first and grabbed Joanna while pointing in my direction. They both rushed over.

"Can you believe those bitches?" Joanna asked.

"You already know what happened?" I asked.

"Are you kidding? It's all over campus. Someone overheard those two fools bragging in the ladies' room about vandalizing your car. They have a lot of enemies Bella. The police were notified, and evidently while those whores were in class, enough evidence was found to arrest them." Tara answered.

"I'm posting the photo of them being arrested on my facebook tonight!" Joanna said excitedly.

"Do you know _why_ they did this to me?" The feelings I felt the day my car was vandalized were coming back to me. I felt sad and confused, but tried my best to kept my emotions in check.

"Bella, some people are just evil. I think you understand something about that." Tara said quietly as she placed a comforting hand on my arm.

"Yes, I suppose I do." I whispered.

"Anyway, it all boils down to just plain jealousy. They were jealous of you and Edward, and you were an easy target. Put them out of your mind." Joanna added.

"Now we have even more reason to celebrate on Saturday night!" Tara added with a brilliant smile.

I returned her smile, still not believing how good this week had turned out.

I called my Dad, only to find out that someone from the campus police had already made him aware of what was going on. Charlie had also spoken with Emmett, so by this time, Rose was sure to know.

"I'm glad they were caught Bells. I'll sleep better tonight knowing you're safe." My dad confessed.

"To tell you the truth Dad, I'd almost forgotten about it. Today brought everything back to me."

"Don't let it bother you kid. It's not anything you did, and I don't want you blaming yourself like you tend to do."

_Something I have in common with Edward._

"I still don't understand why the police made such a big production out of it." I said, still a little bewildered by the whole experience.

"Bells, as much as you may not want to admit it, you're a public figure now. Law enforcement takes these crimes very seriously. Nine times out of ten, the celebrity has not provoked the attack, _and_ they rarely know their attacker before the incident. Plus, it helps that your Dad's a cop." He chuckled.

"Why do I get the feeling that Chief Swan used his influence today?" I said.

"Don't know what you're talking about kiddo." He said as he chuckled.

I laughed too. "Okay Dad. On that note, I'd better go, I just arrived at work. Rose is probably dying to know details."

"Talk to you later Bells. Bye."

"Bye Dad."

_-V &V-_

As expected, Rose cornered me as soon as I arrived. "So what you're telling me is that aside from being evil bitches, they're stupid too. Only a fool would brag about what they'd done, while in a public bathroom." She shook her head in disgust as she spoke.

"I'm glad it's overwith anyway." I said.

She smiled in agreement.

"So, when is Emmett leaving for Vegas?" I asked.

Rose cringed a little. "Saturday morning, the golf tournament is on Sunday. If I didn't have that interview with the Governor on Monday, I'd go with him."

She started to shake her head again. "I keep having flashbacks of _The Hangover_ , and worrying about all the stupid shit he could get into."

I wanted to laugh, but somehow I knew Rose would fail to see the humor.

"Everything will be fine Rose. Just threaten him like you always do." I teased.

"Oh I'll threaten him alright. He'll be officially _cut off_ earlier than expected if he screws up." She smiled.

_Oh boy._

"Since Emmett is going to be out of town, how would you like join me and my friends for a 'girls night out' on Saturday."

Rose's eyes lit up. "Bella, do you realize how normal your life has become? Well, aside from the fact that your boyfriend's a hot movie star." She winked. "I can't believe this is the same little girl that used to be afraid of everything." She walked around her desk and hugged me.

"So yes, I can't wait to meet your friends. We need to let down our hair, it's been a hell of a week."

"Amen to that." I muttered.

_-V &V-_

When we got home, I cooked dinner for Emmett, Rose and myself. After we ate, I went back to my apartment for the evening. Knowing it would be hours until Edward woke up and called me, I took my shower, and padded over to my closet to dress for bed.

Instead of my usual sweatpants and t-shirt, I pulled out a pink chiffon baby doll nightie that Rose had purchased for me some time ago. I slipped it on, immediately feeling a little brazen. It was just conservative enough to make me feel comfortable, but risqué enough to make a lasting impression on Edward.

I hoped.

I'd probably never have the nerve to wear it in front of him, but since he was thousands of miles away, I knew it wouldn't get me into 'trouble'. I giggled as I thought about what his reaction would be.

I went back to the living room to watch television. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, I was woken from a dead sleep by the ringing of my cell phone. I jumped up and retrieved it from table.

"Hello, Edward." The words came out sounding like mush.

"Bella, thank God." He sounded relieved. "What happened today? Alec woke me to look at photos of you on the internet." He was talking very fast.

It took a minute for my brain to register what he'd said. I blinked several times, trying to will the cloud of sleep away.

"Edward, calm down. How much information did they include with the photos?" I asked.

"Nothing that makes any sense Bella. There are photos of two girls being arrested, and photos of you with a couple police officers and some of you, Lou and the officers. One website said that you were arrested, another one said that those girls being arrested were friends of yours, one even said that Lou was your new boyfriend." He chuckled at the last one.

"Geesh. They couldn't have gotten things any more wrong. Those two girls are the ones that vandalized my car. Someone turned them in yesterday. The police were ushering me to safety, in case they tried anything."

"But you're okay? Everything's okay?" He asked anxiously.

"Everything is fine. More than fine. I can honestly say that if you were here, my life would be perfect."

Edward breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

"As a matter of fact, as soon as the police determine that those girls acted alone, I won't really need Lou any more, I'll be able to drive myself."

Edward was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Bella, I'd like you to keep Lou. At least to drive you to and from school. Just while I'm away."

I opened my mouth to object, but before I could form words, Edward said "Please Bella" in a desperate whisper.

And I melted.

"Okay Edward." I answered quietly.

"Thanks baby. Let's go on skype, I need to see you."

I moved to my bedroom, where my laptop was set up beside my bed.

As soon as Edward was able to see me, I watched his eyes widen slightly as they roamed over the part of my body which was visible to him.

He cleared his throat. "Bella, what are you wearing?"

"Do you like it?" I asked coyly, knowing exactly what I was doing to him. "Rose got it for me."

I stood to model it for him, giving a little twirl in the process. I wasn't bold enough to flash Edward the matching panties, but by the look on his face, the poor boy would have had a heart attack if I had.

"Jesus Christ" He muttered.

I giggled again.

"You are a cruel woman Miss Swan." He said in a low husky voice.

"I just want to make sure you don't forget about me when all those women are throwing themselves at you Mr. Movie Star." As I spoke, I crawled onto the bed, pulling the covers up to my waist.

Edward's eyes were blazing.

_Ho-lee crap he looks hot._

"There's no chance I could ever forget you Bella. As if missing you wasn't difficult enough, you had to give me a new reason to take cold showers for the next month."

I laughed out loud.

"Come on Edward, stop teasing me. I know you're around women that are far more beautiful than I am every day." I challenged.

_Not to mention sexier. Do I even know how to be sexy?_

"Are you just fishing for compliments Bella, or do you _really_ not know how beautiful you are? I don't have eyes for anyone but you. And that is precisely why it was cruel of you to wear that sexy slip of material just to taunt me." I could see his eyes smoldering.

_Oh my, I've got to change the subject before I self-combust._

"Okay, well, I'm sorry. I'll hide under the covers in order not to tease you any more." I said as I pulled the comforter up to my chin.

"Hey! Put that right back where it was, I didn't say I didn't _like_ the nightgown, just that you were cruel for wearing it when I can't do anything about it."

_Combustion imminent._

"Um, then maybe this is the safest time to wear it." I smiled sweetly.

He sighed. "You're probably right. As I said before, I'll abide by your wishes in that matter Bella. And you can just keep torturing me." He smirked.

"Edward, aside from tonight, I've never tortured you."

He blurted out a laugh. "Maybe not on purpose, Bella, but you torture me constantly in a thousand different ways."

I could feel my face blushing at his words.

"Have I told you how much I love that blush?" He whispered.

"A few hundred times." I giggled.

Deciding it was time to change the subject before I felt the need to French kiss Edward through my laptop screen, I told him about my plans for Saturday night.

"That sounds great Bella. I think Lou should drive all of you, that way you can drink and not worry about a cab."

"Actually, that will work perfectly. Thanks Edward."

He smiled, happy I'm sure that I acquiesced to his wishes so easily.

Alice and Jasper were arriving in London on Saturday, and staying for a week. Evidently, Alice loved to have an excuse to go to London. Edward hoped to do a little sightseeing with them on Sunday, maybe drive outside the city for the day.

As Edward talked, I started to drift, visions of driving through the English countryside with him were running through my head. At some point, I must have fallen asleep.

Suddenly, I was aware of the light of day filling my bedroom. I willed my eyes open and slowly sat up, stretching my arms over my head as I did.

I heard a low gasp, and immediately pulled the comforter up from where it had fallen away from my body. I looked in the direction of the sound to find that my laptop was still connected to skype, and Edward was watching me with a smile on his face.

"What are you doing Edward? How long have you been watching me?" I said, my voice still groggy from sleep.

He looked sheepish. "You fell asleep right before I had to leave. I didn't have the heart to disconnect. I guess I was hoping we'd still be connected when I got back."

I noticed he was dressed in different clothing, and he'd obviously gotten the expected haircut.

"I like the haircut by the way. So answer the question, how long have you been watching me?" I smirked.

_If he can do it, so can I._

He grinned. "I got back about an hour ago, and have been watching you sleep ever since."

I laughed. "And you accused me of being a stalker."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry Bella, but honestly, you already knew about my stalker tendencies. It seems that I can't help myself." He grinned, unashamed.

We talked for a while, but I knew Edward needed to eat dinner, and I had to eat breakfast and get some homework done. We reluctantly said goodbye, promising to skype again that night.

I threw on my jeans and a shirt. Just as I was putting my hair up in a messy bun, my phone rang.

'Hello Alice." I'd missed her.

"Hi Bella. I heard you've had an exciting week." She said through a laugh.

I laughed too. "Exciting yes. It's all good though. Hey, aren't you leaving for England soon?"

"Our flight leaves this evening. I'm so excited. I adore London."

"I've never been." I admitted.

"Which reminds me, Rose told me that you're planning to surprise Edward with a visit."

"Yes, if everything works out, I should arrive in England on the 28th of April."

"Bella, that's wonderful. Edward will be so happy." She said excitedly.

"I think so too." I smiled at the thought.

"So, could I ask a favor of you?" Alice said.

"Sure Alice, what do you need?"

"I want you to let me purchase your ticket."

_What is it with this family?_

"Alice, no. I can afford it." I argued.

"Yes, but can you afford first class? Before you argue, just listen. First class affords you the opportunity to sleep all the way over. Your seat converts into a bed, and you have privacy dividers. Just think how rested you'll be, the jet lag reduced significantly. I know Edward will appreciate the fact that you're not a zombie when you arrive."

"Thanks for the offer Alice, but I can't let you spend that kind of money on me."

"Bella, I have a _lot_ of money. Please let me do this, we'll call it an early graduation present." She pleaded.

"Alice, I.."

" _Please_ "

_Crap, she's just like her brother, and I can't say no to either of them._

I groaned in frustration. "Alice, I know you will never stop bugging me until I give in, so okay."

She squealed.

"And thank you, I appreciate it." I added.

Emmett came over a little while later, wanting to take me to breakfast.

"So, you still planning to surprise Eddie in England?" Emmett asked with a grin.

"That's the plan. If Rose will let me beg off of work that week, I'm going to skip my Thursday classes and fly over on Tuesday evening to arrive Wednesday."

Emmett nodded as he thought. "I bet you'll be glad when you graduate and this separation is over."

I sighed. "So glad."

I spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon doing homework and studying. At about four-thirty, I started cooking dinner. As soon as I knew Rose was home, I carried the food over.

After dinner, Rose and I were enjoying our tea when Emmett disappeared into the bedroom. We were clearing away the dishes when he strolled back into the room wearing a kilt. Rose and I both did a double-take.

"Emmett" Rose began. "Why the hell are you wearing a kilt?"

Emmett sighed in fake exasperation. "Rosalie, what am I doing Sunday?"

"Playing in a golf tournament." She answered, still looking confused.

"And who invented the game of golf?" He prompted for the next answer.

" _Emmett,_ just because golf was invented in Scotland, doesn't mean you have to wear a kilt to play." Rose snarked.

"Ah yes, I don't _have_ to. But I _choose_ to." He answered seriously. "Let's just say it's my way of honoring those dudes that invented the sport. Plus, I look fucking awesome in this thing!" He bellowed.

He did have a point there.

I glanced at Rose, and realized that all the fight had gone out of her as she got a good look at my brother.

Emmett, knowing he'd won the argument, couldn't resist continuing. "Don't tell the Calvin Klein people this, but nothing comes between me and my man-skirt, if you know what I mean." He said while wiggling his eyebrows and grinning at Rose.

_Oh my hell._

That seemed to get Rose's attention. "Emmett, they are not going to let you on that golf course without underwear." She half whispered.

"They're not going to know babe." He grinned.

"But suppose some skank tries to grab your man-business." She squeaked out.

Emmett laughed. I felt a little nauseous.

"Rosie, you can watch the tournament on television, and we'll be the only ones who know. Well, us and Bells of course, but if I know my sister, she's already trying to figure out a way to bleach this memory from her brain."

_That would be correct._

They both started laughing then.

_Assholes._

"Okay" Rose whispered as Emmett pulled her against him. Rose's hand started to travel down Emmett's chest. Realizing that it was going to continue heading south, and having no desire to witness 'cuppage' I turned and fled the apartment, the sound of their laughter ringing in my ears.


	42. Panty Droppers & Belly Dances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** Girls Night Out follows...a.k.a. The Return Of Drunkella 
> 
> Edward is back to listening to WWII era music. The song is "Long Ago And Far Away".
> 
> Enjoy!

 

"Panty-droppers all around girls." Rose said in a raised drunken voice.

It was Saturday night, and we were officially celebrating our 'girls night out', club-hopping in downtown Seattle. Aside from Tara and Joanna, Rose had invited a couple of her sorority sisters and soon-to-be bridesmaids, Caitie and Tami.

Lou was also with us, at Edward's insistence. If he was bothered by having to baby-sit six drunken females, he never showed it.

"I like panty-droppers" I replied, for some reason my words sounded slurred. "Edward's a panty-dropper" I noticed a couple of the girls choke on their drinks "Well, at least his smile is" I continued.

_I like his smile, and his lips. I wish he was here right now so I could kiss the shit out of those lips._

"Bella, what the fuck are you talking about?" Rose barked. She was really drunk. "You've never dropped your panties for Edward or anyone else. I know for a fact that you're still carrying your v-card."

Lou choked on his club soda.

_That was unexpected._

I snarled back at Rose "Shut up Rose. Someone might hear you, and I don't need that information all over the tabloids next week!"

The rest of the girls at our table were looking at me with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Tara was the first to recover.

"Bella, you're still a virgin?" She whispered "Really?"

I nodded. Even with my alcohol buzz, this conversation was embarrassing.

The girls still looked stunned. Tami spoke next, also in a whisper. "You mean to tell me that you're dating Edward Masen, and you've never had sex?"

I continued to nod.

Tami started to fan herself. "Oh my God. Edward Masen, the sexiest man alive, Edward _fucking_ Masen."

"Girl, you must have amazing will power." Joanna blurted as they all started chuckling.

I thought about how to explain this without sounding like a perpetual victim.

"Look, I'm sure you all know the events of my past that have been rehashed all over the internet, magazines and television. It left me pretty messed up. I've never even had a boyfriend until Edward. He loves me so much, he's willing to wait until I'm ready."

_I can't believe I was able to say all that with numb lips._

Their smiles disappeared as I spoke. "Oh Bella, we didn't mean to be insensitive, I wasn't even thinking about any of that. I'm so sorry." Tara whispered.

"No, please don't be sorry." I smiled. "You're mine and Rose's friends. It's all good. Anyway, if I get mad at anyone it will be Rose" I shot a glare at my brother's fiancée, who smiled goofily in response. "She's the one with a big mouth."

We were quiet for a while, then Caitie spoke. "Wow, Edward Masen….what a man." Then the round of giggles started all over again, with me joining in this time.

We were drinking another round.

_How many drinks have I had anyway? And when the hell did we arrive at this club?_

I thought back and tried to count how many drinks I'd had and how many places I'd been tonight.

"Girls, I may be fucked up." I said.

At that exact moment, Caitie grabbed my phone "Smile" she shouted as she proceeded to take my photo with Tara.

"Oh, lemme send Eward" I think I was trying to express my wish to send the photo to Edward.

I sent it and a message.

_**E-** _

_**I mis u panty drper. Wait 4 me on skyppe…b4 u leave?** _

_**-B** _

He responded quickly. I blinked my eyes several times to focus on the message.

_**B-** _

_**Of course I will wait beautiful. I have off today. Going sight-seeing later with Ali and Jasper. I love you.** _

_**-E** _

"Why're you smiling so silly?" Rose couldn't articulate very well either. Then she grabbed my phone from me in order to read my text.

She smiled. "Aww, Bells, that boy's sweeeet."

Before I knew it, my phone was being passed around. "Can we clone him Bella?" Tami asked with a grin.

"No, Eward is mine, no clowns."

_Clowns are scary. What the hell were we talking about anyway?_

They all laughed at me, again.

Lou had been fairly quiet all night, from time to time I noticed him reading something on his phone, just like now.

"Text from your girlfriend?" I asked him with a smile.

"No Bella, it was actually from your boyfriend." He grinned, then turned to everyone. "Ladies, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is after one a.m. and Mr. Masen gave me specific instructions to have everyone home by two."

I didn't argue, because the sooner I got home, the sooner I saw my Edward.

I chugged my drink and left with Lou and my friends.

I was really glad that Edward had suggested we stay connected to skype while I was gone, because I was still very woozy when I got home.

As soon as I hit my bedroom doorway, I started calling him. "Edwaaarrd, are you there? I'm hooome." I didn't see him. "Hello, helloooo." I said when my face was inches from the screen.

Suddenly, Edward appeared in the room, walking toward the screen. He looked yummy.

"You look pretty good yourself, my beautiful drunken girl." He grinned.

_Oops, I must have said that out loud._

"Oh, Edward, we had so much fun tonight."

"First, we went out for Mexican food and margaritas. While we ate, the girls said they wanted to go to a karaoke bar. I told them _No way Jose,_ cause we were in a Mexican restaurant…"

I noticed that Edward was chuckling.

"Well, anyway, no more karaoke bars. I have no desire to see any more 'Bella' videos on youtube. Sooo we went to a dance club, or several. I don't really remember how many…."

"The girls got me to dance a lot." I was babbling on and on, Edward was just smiling. "Oh!" I gasped as I remembered something.

"Edward, I almost forgot the best part of the night! We met this really cool lady. She is from Morocco, or something like that. Anyway, she taught us to belly dance. It was so much fun!"

Edward was smiling from ear to ear as he listened to me.

"Rose wants to have her on the show sometime." Then I got a brilliant, drunken idea. "I should show you!" I jumped to my feet and started to move the way Adriana had shown me. "I don't know if I'm doing it right, because I can't see my belly."

I was wiggling pretty hard, but couldn't see anything.

_I need to take off this dress._

"You know, I think it would be better without the dress" I said as I unzipped it.

"Bella, what are you doing?" Edward sounded a little startled.

"You've got to see my belly Edward. It's a _belly dance_ Duh!"

"Bella, wait!" Edward yelled as he lunged for the computer, then he disappeared. I couldn't see him anymore, but I did hear a lot of cussing.

_Where did he go?_

"Edwaaard are you okay?" I was still tugging at my dress, but the stupid thing was being difficult.

_Ah, success_

Just then, Edward's head popped back up into the screen, wide-eyed. "Bella stop."

_Huh?_

"Stop what?" I asked, pulling my dress over my shoulders.

"Don't take off your dress." He whispered just as my dress hit the floor, pooling at my feet.

"That dress?" I questioned as I pointed down to it.

"Oh dear God." He croaked out.

_Edward sure is nervous._

"Are you okay Edward? You seem a little keyed up." I sighed. "Maybe my dance will take your mind off of whatever's troubling you."

Now, more comfortable in just my bra and panties, I started gyrating my hips the way Adriana had shown us.

_Gyrate left, gyrate right, left, right, left and thrust._

When I started thrusting my hips toward Edward, I thought I heard him squeak.

_That was fucking weird._

He kept doing all those things he did when he was nervous, like running his hands through his hair or rubbing them on his face.

I noticed, however, that he never took his eyes off of me.

After a few minutes he spoke, "Bella, I think you should stop and put your dress back on." He rasped out.

_I probably should stop, it's obviously not helping Edward's nervous state. I feel a little stupid now._

"You're probably right, but I'm not putting my dress back on to go to sleep silly." I grinned.

"Okay." He winced like he was in pain.

_Maybe he's got a headache._

"Edward, I'm going to get dressed for bed, no peeking." I sang while waving a finger at him. "I think I'll wear your shirt."

I grabbed his shirt from my bed and proceeded to turn my back to him as I unclasped my bra.

There was an audible gasp from the computer, and I peered over my shoulder at him. "Are you sure you're okay Edward? You've been having a lot of trouble breathing tonight."

I got the bra off, still keeping my back to Edward.

_It sounds liked he's muttering to himself._

I peered at him again, "Edward, would you stop smacking yourself in the forehead, you might get brain damage."

I slipped his shirt over my head and turned around to face him. "I'm sorry my belly dance wasn't very good."

He cleared his throat. "It was fine Bella. Truly the best belly dance I've ever seen." He was looking down while he spoke.

"Edward, do you feel okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He still wouldn't look at me.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked sadly.

"Of course not Bella." still not looking at me.

"Then why won't you look at me?" Abruptly, I wanted to cry. So I did. His head suddenly jerked up as soon as he heard me.

"You could do so much better than me." I said through my drunken sobs.

"Bella, sweetheart, don't cry. I want only you. You know that."

"But I don't understand why Edward." I answered as my nose started to run.

I wiped it on his shirt.

"I'm not a very good girlfriend." I said as I hiccoughed.

"You are the best girlfriend. You're my girl, and I love only you." He answered sincerely.

"But I can't even do a proper belly dance." I whined.

I was officially having a crying jag.

"I'm not beautiful or glamorous like Tanya. I don't have huge boobs. I'm not blonde with blue eyes." I was _really_ feeling sorry for myself now.

"You _are_ beautiful and glamorous. I love your brown eyes and your silky brown hair. You don't need silicone, your body is perfect." He sighed then. "So perfect in fact that after your little performance tonight, I feel the need for another cold shower." He chuckled.

My head shot up and I looked at him. "Really?" I asked through my drunken, runny-nosed, bleary-eyed haze.

"Really." He said quietly. "Now, will you do me a favor?"

"Anything" I whispered.

"I need you to go to the medicine chest and take 2 Tylenol with a glass of water. I'll wait here."

I did as he asked and was back in two minutes.

"Now sweetheart, I want you to get in bed and switch off the light."

Again, I followed his directions.

"Edward?" I mumbled as I settled onto my pillow.

"Yes Bella?"

"Will you sing to me?"

"Of course. I love you Bella."

"Love you too, Edward." I said as I yawned. The last thing I heard was Edward's voice as it lulled me to sleep.

" _Long ago and far away, I dreamed a dream one day_

_And now that dream is here beside me_

_Long the skies were overcast, But now the clouds have passed_

_You're here at last…"_

_-V &V-_

After I opened my eyes, I made the mistake of trying to lift my head.

_Oh shit. That hurts._

Instead of trying to lift it again, I attempted to roll my head and the rest of me in the direction of my nightstand. There it was, my laptop. It was sitting there taunting me. I scooted close enough to see the time, vaguely aware that I was still connected to skype although Edward was nowhere to be seen.

_Nine-thirty._

I tried to remember what time I fell asleep. I tried to remember last night. As soon as I thought about our 'girls night', everything that happened came flooding back to me.

_Mexican food and margaritas. Dance club number one. Drinking. Dancing with our friends. Turning down dances with frat boys who would not stop asking. Drinking more. Dance club number two. More drinking. Learning to belly dance? Yeah, that was fun, and funny. I really hope footage of that doesn't end up on youtube. Dance club number whatever…drinking, dancing, sending drunken text to Edward._

_Edward._

_Coming home and talking to Edward on skype. God, he's gorgeous. Telling him about my night and my belly dancing. And… taking off my dress…!_

_Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit._

As the memory of every stupid thing I did in front of Edward hit me, I jumped from the bed and slammed my laptop shut, not caring that my head hurt like a motherfucker.

_I can never face him again. What the hell came over me last night? Talk about losing your inhibitions…_

The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.

_Edward's probably so disgusted with me. By now, he's probably convinced that I'm a crazy drunken slut._

_I want to crawl into a hole and die._

Usually when I drank to excess, I didn't remember everything from the night before, the memories I did have would be fuzzy at best. This time, unfortunately, I remembered _everything._

_I can't show my face to Lou again either. Or any of the girls. Or Rose._

_Rose. This is all her fault. She made me drink like it was spring break in Cancun. Ugh._

I was at least thankful that I didn't wear a thong, or anything see-through.

_You're still an idiot._

Vowing to avoid Edward for the rest of the day, maybe for the rest of the week, I jumped in the shower. I dressed in a hurry and arrived at Mass late, positive that everyone there knew I was hung-over.

_Just another embarrassing moment to add to the list._

Back at home, I changed into casual clothes. Spying my dress of shame and red bra lying on my floor, I grabbed them both and shoved them into the darkest corner of my closet.

_Maybe if I didn't have to look at them, I'd forget what I did._

I looked at my phone and saw two text messages from Edward. I read the first, sent around noon my time.

_**B-** _

_**I guess you went to church. Call me or skype when you get back. I'll be here all evening.** _

_**-E** _

And the second from about an hour ago.

_**B-** _

_**I hope you had a good morning and your head doesn't hurt too much. Call me. Love you.** _

_**-E** _

I couldn't bring myself to call him, or skype. I felt like such a fool.

I spent the rest of the afternoon ignoring phone calls, even from Rose. All my homework for the week was done, so I decided to start reading Lord of The Rings, again. As I told Edward, I read it about once a year and today was as good a time as any to start.

I was curled up on my sofa with a cup of tea. Frodo and friends had just had supper with Farmer Maggot's family, when the door to my apartment flew open.

"Why the hell aren't you answering your phone?" Rose barked.

I just shrugged and looked at her apologetically as I set my book on the coffee table.

"Bella, what is going on? I've had to field phone calls from Edward, Alice, and now even Charlie is trying to find you." She said in a softer tone as she studied my face.

I don't know what came over me, but I started to cry. Then I proceeded to tell Rose what I'd done the night before. After I was finished I glanced at her, only to see a very amused smirk on her beautiful face.

"Rose. Please don't tell me you think this is funny." I said.

She cleared her throat. "Bella haven't I always been truthful with you?" She asked as she quirked one eyebrow at me.

"Yes." I answered.

"Okay, so I'm going to be completely honest. What you did was not only funny, it was downright hilarious. Don't freak out! It's only hilarious because it was _you_ doing it. I told you that Edward had changed you. I didn't realize how right I was."

I cringed at the mention of Edward's name.

Rose shook her head and smiled. "It's also perfectly normal to share that with your boyfriend, especially considering you were drunk. You know about all the fucked-up things I've done while drunk."

That was true. I could write a book about Rose and Emmett's exploits, sober or intoxicated.

"Would it help to know that I also reenacted the belly dance on skype for Emmett last night?"

I looked at her. "I guess so." I said quietly.

"Of course in my case, I was drunk _and naked._ "

I gasped while Rose laughed.

_Why am I not fucking surprised?_

"Stop worrying Bella. That guy is head over heels in love with you. You probably made his night with that dance. Correction, you probably made his _month_ with that dance." She cackled a laugh. "I remember his face during your karaoke performance." She continued to laugh.

I suddenly remembered Caveward carrying me outside and kissing me against the wall of the karaoke bar.

"Come over soon. I tevo'd the golf game so we could just watch the parts with Emmett in it." She instructed while walking to my door. She stopped and turned to look at me. "Call Edward first."

"Okay." I answered dejectedly.

I sat quietly for a few minutes before retrieving my phone from my bedroom. I sat on the bed, staring at the screen before finally dialing his number. He answered immediately.

"Bella" He whispered, sounding a bit frantic. "Are you alright? Where have you been?"

"Sorry I didn't call." I answered quietly.

"Bella what is the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're hiding something?" He said.

"Listen Edward, I can't talk long. Rose wants to watch Emmett's golf game." I needed to get off this call.

"Bella" He was on the verge of a panic attack "Don't hang up."

"Edward, I'm okay. You need to get some sleep, you've got to work tomorrow." I said quietly.

"Bella! Don't you dare hang up that phone!" He demanded.

I froze. He'd never spoken to me like that before.

"Now. You need to tell me what the fuck is going on or I'll be on the next plane to Seattle." He ordered.

"Um. I don't know what to say."

"Start with why you won't speak to me." He said in a much softer voice.

I released a frustrated sigh. "Ican'tbelieveIdancedinmyunderwear" I rushed out.

Edward was silent for a minute, then he started to chuckle. "Bella is that all that's bothering you?"

"All?" I half-screamed. "Isn't that enough Edward. I made a fool of myself!"

"Um, Bella, how should I put this? That dance last night was the hottest thing I've ever seen. Even hotter than the karaoke, and you know how I reacted to that." He breathed.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." I argued.

He laughed. "Bella, for God's sake, if I could have found a way to record that dance on skype I would have done it. In other words, feel free to make a fool of yourself any time." He chuckled.

"Seriously?"

"I was hoping we were past all this insecurity baby. Can we go on skype now?"

"No, I really promised Rose that I'd be over. I'm sorry." I said quietly.

"Okay." He sighed sadly. "Are you better now?"

"Yes" I smiled even though he couldn't see me.

_I don't know why I avoided him all day. He always knows what to say to make me feel better._

"Good. And remember what I said, you can make a fool out of yourself _any time,_ but Bella."

"Huh?"

"You're only allowed to make a fool of yourself in front of me okay?" He chuckled.

I giggled. "Only you Edward. I love you."

"I love you too baby. We'll skype before I leave for the studio okay?"

"Okay, bye."

_-V &V-_

When I arrived at Rose's, she tossed a couple tabloids at me before we watched Emmett.

"Have a look at this bullshit, but don't get upset about it Bella. I actually find these amusing." She grinned. "At some point, I'm going to do a whole show dedicated to how inaccurate these rags are. Sort of like a TV version of 'Gossip Cop'."

_That's a really good idea._

The front pages had photos of Edward arriving at Heathrow Airport, and photos of me going to class. The headlines screamed about our 'breakup', and also about Lou being my new boyfriend. Although the only photo they had of me and Lou also included Edward.

_Morons._

The golf game was quite entertaining. I couldn't believe they actually allowed Emmett on the course in the kilt. He had explained to Rose that because it was for charity, they relaxed their rules.

I personally think he either bribed someone, or they couldn't resist his charm. Either way, Emmett got what he wanted.

The crowed adored him. All golf course etiquette was forgotten every time it was his shot, as he was greeted with enthusiastic applause and a few catcalls from the women. Rose and I laughed a lot, especially when he would wiggle his tush before each shot.

Then I remembered he wasn't wearing underwear and felt a little uncomfortable.

_Golf wouldn't be so boring if they allowed the men to dress like that though. On second thought, they'd have to be built like my brother to pull it off, or like Edward. Mmmm Edward in a kilt._

"Stop picturing Edward in a kilt Bella."

_Damn it. Rose knows me too well._

After the tournament, Emmett was interviewed.

" _I really appreciate the opportunity to play here today, and I'm glad we raised a lot of money for a good cause."_ Emmett grinned during his interview.

The interviewer went on to ask him a few standard questions, to which he responded in the standard way. Before ending the interview, he made sure to mention us.

" _On a personal note I'd like to say hello to my family back home, Pops and Bella, and especially my fiancée Rosie."_ Then he looked straight into the camera _"Best dance ever babe, bar none."_ He said as he grinned and winked, to which Rose and I began to laugh hysterically.

_I wonder how drunk I'd need to be in order to belly dance naked?_

_That's a question for another day Bella._


	43. Yellow Carnations & First Class

 

The next week flew by. Thankfully, my classes were not difficult. Unlike a lot of students, I had taken courses every summer. Most of what I was taking now were electives that I needed to take in order to complete the required credits for graduation.

It gave me a secret satisfaction that my nerdy, bookish ways turned out to be good for something. Now, they enabled me to plan a trip to England without feeling guilty about missing a day of class.

Tuesday was by far the strangest day of my week. Dr. Stone, one of my professors called me into her office. After I was seated, she began.

"Bella, I won't take up much of your time." She smiled. "I just wanted to know if you've given any thought to what you'll be doing after you graduate?"

My mind and every other part of me had been so wrapped up in Edward that I hadn't given any thought to  _after_ graduation since the day my advisor had insulted me.

"No, actually everything is so up in the air right now." I hesitated and bit my lip, hard.

Dr. Stone gave me a sympathetic smile. Of course she knew about my relationship with Edward, everyone did. "Listen, I hope you won't be upset, but I was talking about you to one of the other professors."

_Huh?_

"And I showed him one of your essays." She looked at me apologetically.

_I knew that Dr. Stone always enjoyed my writing but…._

"You may or may not know that Dr. Baird is a published author." She kept searching my face for a reaction. "He was very impressed with your work and wants you to write something and, with you permission, he would like to show it to a magazine publisher friend of his."

_What the .. ?_

"I know you weren't looking for something like this right now, but it really couldn't hurt to see if it leads anywhere." She prompted.

I was stunned. I'd always said I wanted to write, but I assumed it would be years down the road before I'd be able to publish anything.

_Wow._

I thought for a few minutes about this.

"I think I would be agreeable to it, under one condition." I said quietly.

"What would that be?" Dr. Stone asked.

"I don't want this publisher knowing who I am. Anything he reads can't have my name on it. I don't want my relationship with Edward influencing the way anyone views my work."

Dr. Stone smiled and nodded slowly. "That's a very prudent request Bella. I am really pleased you are going to allow this."

My brain suddenly started working overtime, coming up with questions that immediately spewed from my mouth.

"How long should my writing sample be? Is there a particular subject matter? When do I need to have it completed?"

'Hold on Bella." Dr. Stone said with a chuckle. "Just relax. Remember, this may not even pan out. To answer your questions, two thousand words would be sufficient for the length. If the publisher is interested, I'm sure he'll ask for more. With regard to subject matter, you could expand on the essay I showed to Dr. Baird."

"Which one was that?" I asked.

"The one about the young family spending the afternoon at Qwest Field. It was so entertaining. You were able to take a seemingly mundane event, and make it interesting and humorous. Just work on it and bring something to me by Monday."

"Okay, well thanks Dr. Stone. I'll have something prepared in a few days."

"Have a good week Bella."

After leaving Dr. Stone's office, I decided to keep the subject matter of our meeting to myself. I would wait to see the outcome before building up anyone's hopes, including my own.

On Thursday, I went to class and work. I was just about to leave for the day, when a vase of yellow carnations was delivered to my cubicle. The card was unsigned, and merely read:

_**Looking forward to a 'private dance' with you very soon** _

This was confusing. Edward had sent me pink roses just last week, and the note sent with them was handwritten by him. I finally got him to admit that he'd made arrangements with the florist to deliver his handwritten note with his order.

_He finds new ways every day to touch my heart._

These flowers weren't Edward's style at all, and the note was just weird.

_Edward was the only one I'd ever done a 'private dance' for._

I mentally kicked myself again for doing that skype belly dance, but kept telling myself how much Edward told me he liked it.

 _He's actually told you several times since Saturday that he_ _**loved** _ _it._

_Shut the fuck up Bella and just enjoy the fact that your boyfriend thinks you're sexy._

I left the flowers on my desk and headed home with Rose.

"Bella, the photos of us dancing are all over the internet. Those flowers could be from anyone." Rose told me once we arrived home. "But, in order to remove all doubt, you should ask Edward."

That night on skype, I did just that.

"So, how are you?" I asked him with a smile.

"Missing my girl." He grinned.

Deciding to get straight to the point, I asked him "Edward, you didn't send me flowers today did you?"

His brow furrowed. "You got flowers?"

I nodded.

"I didn't send them Bella." He frowned. "They were unsigned?"

I nodded again and bit my lip.

"I don't think I'm comfortable with some strange guy sending you flowers. Where were they sent?"

"To WIRI. So, it's not like he has my home address or anything." I answered.

"That's true. I still don't like it. Was there a card?"

"Yes."

"And?" He pressed. "What did it say Bella?" He sounded a little irritated.

"Just something about looking forward to a 'private dance' with me soon."

"The fuck you say." He was angry now.

"Listen Edward, Rose and I discussed this. The photos from our club hopping are all over the internet, along with video from our belly dancing lesson." I cringed as I admitted this. "Everyone's probably seen it by now."

_Including my Dad. That's going to be a fun conversation. I plan to blame Rose._

Edward was visibly upset. "Bella, promise me you won't go anywhere alone."

"Edward, you're overreacting."

"Please Bella." He sounded desperate. "I'm so far away, I'll go out of my mind if I have to worry about your safety."

"Of course Edward. Please don't concern yourself with this any more. I promise not to go anywhere alone."

_Silly boy. He worries entirely too much about me._

He breathed visibly in relief. I felt the need to change the subject.

"So are you ready for movie night tomorrow, er, I guess it's tonight for you." I asked.

He grinned. "Yes I am. I can't wait baby. I should be back here by five tonight. Speaking of that, I'd better go. You get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow morning your time."

I nodded, hating to say goodbye. "I love you Edward."

"I love you too Bella. Sweet dreams."

_-V &V-_

My dreams that night, or at least what I remember of them  _were_  sweet. Normally I would only say that if Edward had been in them, however this time he wasn't.

I was running through the woods. It felt as if I was running away from something rather than toward something. I suddenly stumbled into a beautiful clearing filled with wildflowers, and a feeling of utter peace overwhelmed me. When I looked around I could see a woman sitting over on a blanket preparing a picnic. As I studied her movements from a distance, I gasped in shock.

"Mom." I whispered as I began to run to her. She stood to face me and waited with open arms. I threw myself into them and started to cry into my mother's neck as she rubbed my hair.

"Sweetie, it's okay." she soothed.

"Mom, how are you here?" I said when I could finally speak.

She smiled and gestured for me to sit with her. I sat down, but couldn't let go of her hand.

"Remember the picnic we attempted, and you were attacked by bees?" She asked with a smile.

"Yes, it was terrible, but you made everything better Mom." I whispered as she smiled. "I miss you so much."

"I know you do honey, I feel it. I'm okay though and I check in quite often on you and Emmett… and Charlie." She answered quietly.

"Do you know that Rose and Emmett are getting married?"

"Yes, that was wonderful news. The wedding will be beautiful." She answered.

"Listen sweetie, I need to tell you something before I go."

"Don't go Mom." I could feel my eyes begin to well-up with tears.

"I have to honey..you're going to wake up soon. I'll visit you again. I promise." She said as she pulled me into a hug.

"Bella, I want you to remember something. Even when things are at their darkest and seem hopeless, you have to fight. Promise me you'll fight with everything in you. Don't give up."

_I wish I understood what she's talking about._

"Okay Mom, I promise." I whispered.

"Everything will work out if you do that. You will have a beautiful life Bella. I love you. Always." She said as she brushed the back of her hand across my cheek.

"I love you too Mom." I could feel myself waking up as the dream faded away.

I sat up in bed, grabbing a tissue to wipe the tears from my face. Just the thought that my Mother could check in on us made me so happy, while also giving me a profound sense of peace.

I tried to tell myself that the entire thing was probably manufactured by my subconscious, but even I wasn't buying my own bullshit.

_No, I deserve this after all the misery I've been forced to endure._

So I held on to the dream.

After dressing for the day, I ate breakfast and worked on homework until Edward returned from filming. I was already connected to skype and waiting for him when he walked into his bedroom.

"Someone's anxious for movie night." He smiled. "Sorry I'm a little late. Did you have a good night?"

I smiled as I thought about my dream. "I did. It would have been better if you were here of course." I admitted.

He grinned his crooked smile. "I'm going to take a quick shower. Dinner is being delivered to the room, then we can watch the movie together."

"I'll be here waiting Mr. Movie Star." I was so happy. Even though we were thousands of miles apart, Edward and I were spending the next few hours together.

We'd decided that since I was off every Friday, we'd make it our 'movie night'. We would each get a copy of a movie we wanted to watch, and view it together.

Today is was 'Pirate Radio'. Neither of us had gotten to see it in the theaters.

After Edward ate, we both got bowls of popcorn and prepared to watch the movie. It took a few minutes to get them in sync, then we both settled in our beds to enjoy our movie night.

We both started chuckling after realizing that one of the major plotlines in the story was about 'Young Carl' losing his virginity.

"We can never escape that shit can we Isabella?" Edward laughed.

I laughed too. "I think Young Carl's definitely going to lose his virginity by the end of the movie Edward. He's  _awfully_ cute."

"So you think Tom Sturridge is cute do you?" Edward asked with mock jealousy.

"He's adorable." I grinned.

By the time the movie was over I added "He's got a cute butt too."

I think I actually heard Edward growl. "Don't get jealous Edward, yours is cuter."

_Oh shit why did I just blurt that out?_

Edward gave me a wicked smile. "Miss Swan, that was an appallingly shocking thing to say."

"Eh, yeah. Well Edward, um, I did see your naked butt in  _September Ends_. I believe you were already aware of that."

_Attempting to cover my own ass while talking about his. Brilliant Bella._

Edward was still smirking at me. "You know Miss Swan, I'm at a loss here."

"Why's that?" I asked, hoping he was changing the subject.

"You've seen mine, but I haven't seen yours."

_Sexward should be required to give me a 'heads-up' before he arrives. These surprise appearances will be the death of me._

"Uh. Um. I've never seen it in person, only on the movie screen."

_So there Sexward. How can you answer that?_

"I'll show you mine right now if you show me yours first?" He answered with a smirk.

_Day-um._

I cleared my throat and a nervous giggle escaped my mouth. "Maybe I would have done that the other night Edward. But today there is zero alcohol in my system. I'm not mooning you on skype."

He cocked his head to one side, still smirking. "That's too bad." Then a brilliant smile took over his features.

"Bella, really what's the big deal? It's not like I'm asking for a frontal view." He smirked again and laughed. "Okay, I'll admit that as much as I'd enjoy seeing any part of your body on skype, I guess I'd rather wait to see some parts in person. But Bella, I'm definitely not covering my eyes if you decide to flash me."

"Stop teasing me." I giggled again. I knew my face had to be a bright shade of red by now.

"I'm not teasing baby. Just remember, my offer still stands, among others I've made." He was still smiling brilliantly.

"What's gotten into you?" I smiled back.

"Just missing you." He said quietly. The smirk permanently etched on his gorgeous face.

We spent the rest of Edward's evening talking about everything. Every once in a while Sexward would arrive back on the scene to drive me crazy. All too soon it was time for Edward to sleep.

We said our goodbyes and I mentally calculated how many days it was until I would see him in person.

_Twelve, hopefully short, days until we were together again._

_-V &V-_

The next day while in the grocery store, Rose called me.

"Hey Bells."

"Hi Rose, what's up?" I asked as I put a couple items in the cart.

"Bells, I didn't call you last night because I knew you were on skype with Edward most of yesterday, and I didn't want to interrupt."

"Okay, so what's going on?" I was becoming a bit concerned.

"Well, I threw away your flowers yesterday. I hope you don't mind."

"No that's fine Rose. I know Edward didn't send them, I guess they're from some random guy that saw me dancing at the club."

"Yeah, that's what I think too, but…" She trailed off.

"But what Rose?" It wasn't like her to not get to the point.

"Well, it's just that I looked up the meaning of yellow carnations, just out of curiosity you know?"

"And?" I asked.

"It probably means nothing, but I thought you should know, just in case it  _does_ mean something."

"Rose, just get to the point."

"It's kind of creepy Bella. If you send someone yellow carnations it's supposed to mean that you're disappointed in them or they've rejected you. Like I said, it probably means nothing. Most likely the guy that sent them likes yellow carnations. I doubt he was sending you a message." She tried to play it off, but I could tell she was a little worried.

"Thanks for telling me Rose. Knowledge is never a bad thing. I mean, it's better to know as much as possible, just in case."

She sighed. "Yeah, you're right. We all tend to overreact where you're concerned Bells."

"I know, thank you. I love you Rose."

"Love you too Bells. See you later."

When I went to the checkout, I was still thinking about what Rose had said. Whether or not it was some kind of stalker who sent the flowers, or just some delusional guy who wanted to date me, I decided not to share this latest information with Edward until I got to England.

_There's less of a chance he'll freak out after hearing this if I'm with him where he knows I'm safe._

My mind was suddenly pulled away from all thoughts of my potential stalker when I glimpsed the newest rack of tabloids. The covers contained photos of Rose, our friends and me dancing in various clubs around Seattle. The headlines said it all:

_**Virgin Bella enjoys night out with friends, while Edward lives the quiet life in London.** _

_What the fuck? I was afraid our drunken conversations in the club would be overheard._

_**True love transforms playboy into chivalrous protector of girlfriend's virtue.** _

_Okay, well at least they realize Edward and I did not split up. But this is beyond embarrassing._

I couldn't help myself, I needed to know what was written in the articles, so I bought the stupid magazines. Every. Damn. One.

The articles took what someone overheard me saying to my friends and expanded it into a couple of pages in each tabloid. They went on and on about my traumatic life, and the fact that I'd never dated until Edward. They spoke of how we were holding off 'doing the deed' until I was ready, and how this was a huge lifestyle change for Edward. I snickered at that.

_Oh if they only knew._

I couldn't complain too much about the articles, because they made Edward out to be just as wonderful as he really was. They even explained the belly dancing photos accurately.

_Don't get used to it Bella. They just happened to stumble upon the truth this time._

That afternoon, while hanging out with Rose and Emmett the subject of the gossip rags came up. "Bells, it's even worse on the internet. We discussed this. If you're going to date Edward, you have to be tough."

"I know. it's just hard to adjust to the fact that people would be listening in to my conversations so intently."

"You make them money sweetie. That's all you are to them. Forget about it, and live your life."

Edward was none too pleased about their subject matter when he found out about them thanks to Alec, although he made sure to tell me that the photos of me dancing were 'hot'.

On Wednesday, I spent all day working at WIRI. At a few minutes before noon, Rose went to a lunch meeting, so I was left alone in her office working on interview questions for an upcoming show.

It was almost one o'clock before I decided to break away from my work to get something to eat.

As I stood waiting for my order at the corner sandwich shop, I heard someone behind me, "Well if it isn't little Miss Swan."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up at the sound of that voice. I turned slightly to see Victor James, the star of WIRI's news team, standing behind me, leering.

_Creepy._

Rose had warned me before I even started working there about what a sleazy character he was. He wasn't a very good reporter, and gained most of his popularity because of his sex appeal.

_Ewww. Okay Bella, not everyone's lucky enough to have an Edward._

_True._

Feeling the need to be nothing more than polite, I gave Mr. James a tight smile and turned back to the front.

This obviously wasn't enough for him because he moved until he was uncomfortably close beside me.

"From what I saw on the internet, you seem to be handling your separation from Masen fairly well."

_Well that was a bit too personal._

I was torn between telling him to fuck off, or just ignoring him. Something about this guy made me decide to be careful. He wasn't like Mike Newton, a pesky asshole that you could scare away. Victor James seemed almost sinister.

"I'm perfectly fine. He has a job, I have school and work."

That was probably too much information, but I didn't know what else to say.

James pursed his lips as he thought. "So you and your friends were just out enjoying your freedom?"

"Something like that." Thankfully, my order was up so I grabbed my food and prepared to leave.

_I hate the fact that everyone knows entirely too much about me. Stupid girls' night out. Stupid belly dancing. Stupid Bella._

Just as I reached for the door, I heard Victor James again. "You have a nice day Miss Swan."

I just nodded and left.

Why, all of a sudden did Victor James even notice my existence? I knew the answer to my question before I had even asked it.

_Edward._

Because of Edward, I've become attractive to men that wouldn't give me a second glance before.

_Jerks._

When I informed Rose of our encounter, she reiterated that I should stay away from Victor James.

"He's a creep Bella. A well-known creep. He likes to go after young women, the more challenging their situation, the better. You, my dear are exactly what he likes."

"What are you talking about Rose?" I started to feel a little nervous.

"You've got a hot, rich, famous boyfriend. You're both madly in love with each other. You present quite the challenge to Mr. James. Unfortunately, the fact that you're still carrying your v-card probably has him panting like the fucking dog he is."

_Trust Rose to be brutally honest._

She must have seen the worry on my face. "Bella relax. That fucker wouldn't try anything or I'd have his ass." She reassured.

_-V &V-_

On Thursday, a package arrived from Alice. Inside, I found my flight information for Tuesday, along with a hotel room keycard, a dress, shoes, and a note.

_**Bella,** _

_**I've enclosed your flight info. Also, Alec was able to secure an extra key to Edward's suite. I'm not sure of his filming schedule for the day you arrive, but hopefully you'll be able to surprise him!** _

_**The enclosed dress and shoes are for when he takes you out to dinner. (I saw that you'd need them).** _

_**Have a wonderful time. I'm very excited for you both. He misses you terribly.** _

_**Love, Alice** _

I clutched the flight information to my chest, butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

_If I don't calm down by the time I board my plane, I may just go up in flames._

On Saturday, I spent every minute that I wasn't talking to Edward or doing homework, packing. With every item I added to my suitcase, my smile grew.

_Three more days until I boarded that plane._

That evening I made dinner for Emmett and Rose. After we ate, as Emmett and I played video games, Rose brought out the most recent gossip rags.

I wasn't sure how to feel about the latest front page news. My relationship with Edward wasn't the top story, but it was related.

It seems that one of the women that had been seen on Edward's arm a couple of years ago had decided to cash in on the recent stories about us. From what I could tell, her career hadn't panned out the way she'd expected, so I'm sure sharing her personal experiences about Edward Masen seemed like a good idea.

She actually told the truth, revealing that their 'date' had been set up by the studio, and that Edward had been a perfect gentleman. Far from having had sex, she admitted that they'd never even kissed.

I silently wondered if this would be the beginning of a number of similar stories, and how those stories would impact the public's opinion of Edward.

Once again, Edward came away from this story looking like a hero. I told myself not to get used to the positive treatment by the press, because it could sour at any moment.

The night before my trip, I hung out at Rose and Emmett's while I knew Edward was sleeping. Emmett had been very subdued all evening, so I finally asked him why.

He looked a little sheepish. "I had a talk with Father Pat today. I drove to Port Angeles and met him for lunch."

"So why the sad face?" I asked. I noticed that Rose was smirking at us.

"He chewed my ass out Bells when I told him about all the sex we'd been having because of that abstinence shit hanging over my head. He said he doubted I was really sincere about my intentions to rejoin the church."

"I told him I really was, and promised to do anything he suggested to prove it."

Rose started to giggle. "Tell Bella what you're doing next weekend Emmett."

He grinned. "I'm going on retreat with Father Pat and a bunch of other guys. He said he only trusted me to attend one if he went also. Something about keeping an eye on me."

"It's supposed to help me focus and come away a little more dedicated." He shrugged. "Then I'll rejoin the church, and he expects abstinence until the wedding day."

_I was somehow very glad that I'd be in England next weekend. God help those other retreat attendees._

Later that night, I reluctantly lied to Edward.

"So, tomorrow night I won't be home to skype with you Edward. Joanna, Tara and I are having a study session, and I'm spending the night with them."

He looked sad. "Okay baby. Can you phone me at least?"

"Sure. I can do that."

_Shit, I don't know how, since I'll be on a flight. I'm going to have to get Alice or Rose to cover for me._

_I hate lying to him, but it will be sooo worth it if he's surprised._

_-V &V-_

It was finally here. The day I would fly to London to see my Edward. My bags were packed and waiting in the car with Lou who was driving me straight to the airport after class. I had a light lunch with Joanna and Tara, who were almost as excited as I was about my trip.

After my last class, I sprinted from the building, pretty sure that my feet barely made contact with the ground.

I was so happy to be boarding that plane, that I didn't care if the paps or anyone else took my photo, because by the time Edward heard about it, I would hopefully be in his arms.

Rose was supposed to call Edward tonight to tell him that I was having phone problems earlier in the day, so I wouldn't be calling him.

With all my bases covered, I boarded my flight, settled into my first class seat and tried to relax. Before we even took off, the flight attendant offered me something to drink. I turned down anything alcoholic, wanting to have a clear head while traveling alone. Instead I settled in with my cup of tea and continued reading Lord of The Rings to pass the time.

With my seat reclined, and my privacy barriers in place, I curled up and let my mind drift away to Middle Earth.

_Alice was right, first class is the shit!_


	44. Genuflections & Surprises

 

Several hours into my flight, I could see dawn beginning to peek across a horizon of clouds from my airplane window. We were still hours from landing, so after watching the sun, I forced myself to lie down again and  _try_ to sleep.

My nervousness, which I'd tried to stifle for days leading up to the trip, was now in complete control of my mind and body. In all of Alice's great plans for my surprise visit, and forcing me to go First class in order to be 'well rested' when I surprised Edward, she'd never taken into consideration that my nerves would make that impossible.

About three hours before we were due to land, I finally abandoned all thoughts of sleep, and surrendered to the fact that I would be a walking, talking zombie during my first day in London.

_Stupid Bella._

To aid and abet my temporary insanity, I had the flight attendant keep the coffee, tea and colas coming.

_The caffeine can only help right?_

The downside to my genius plan was that after about an hour, I realized that if I didn't go to the bathroom, I was in serious danger of my bladder exploding.

_I wonder if when a bladder explodes, it sounds like a bomb?_

_Shut the hell up Bella…don't even think the word 'bomb' on an airplane. With your luck, you'll be tackled by an Air Marshall and end up peeing all over him._

No matter how much I had to pee, I couldn't bring myself to use the airplane bathroom. After what my brother and Rose did on the way back from California, I wouldn't even consider it.

It was only when my bladder actually started to hurt, that I finally gave in and used the lavatory.

Before shutting the door, I gazed suspiciously at all the couples seated in the vicinity of the bathroom. Satisfied that none of them seemed as if they'd spent any time in the mile high club on this trip, I closed and latched the door.

_-V &V-_

During the last hour of the flight, I couldn't wipe the silly grin from my face.

_I was really doing this. I would see my Edward today. Tonight I would fall asleep in his arms._

My heart began to pound rapidly in my chest. The rush of adrenaline just from thinking about surprising him was amazing. Between that and the shit ton of caffeine I'd been drinking all morning, Bella was a fidgeting, jumpy, talkative mess by the time we landed.

"Is this your first visit to the United Kingdom?" The border agent asked, looking less than thrilled to be there.

_Wow this guy looks a lot like Charlie. Even has the mustache._

That probably explains why I instantly felt at ease bending the guys ear when all I had to do was answer 'yes' or 'no'.

"Yes! I'm so excited to be here. I mean, it's not like I've never left the United States. But I don't really count the time that Rose made me go to Mexico with her. I mean really, she expected shy little Bella Swan to step out in public in that tiny bikini she packed for me." I snorted out a laugh.

The agent watched me in stunned silence as I continued.

"As a matter of fact, she packed nothing but skimpy clothing for me, guaranteeing that I'd never leave the room. I got to know the housekeeping staff really well. They were nice ladies, although I found out that the tourists treated them pretty badly. You know the stereotype of the loud pushy American?"

The agent nodded, his mouth hanging slightly open.

"Well, I was really sad to find out from those ladies that it was true. People treated them as if they were stupid simply because English wasn't their first language." I sighed in disgust.

The agent nodded sympathetically and cleared his throat. "Do you have anything to declare?"

_Hmm.._

"Well, just that I've wanted to visit England since I was a small child. Aside from the fact that I get to see my totally hot movie star boyfriend, who I'm madly in love with, I also get to visit the land of Chaucer and Shakespeare, not to mention my personal favorite Tolkien. It's a dream come true! I probably should  _declare_  that I may never want to leave!" I laughed out loud at that, and the agent chuckled with me.

"Enjoy your stay Miss Swan" he said as he stamped my passport.

_I got a United Kingdom stamp in my friggin' passport!_

I stared at the stamp for a moment, and then did what came naturally. I kissed it.

_-V &V-_

The cab pulled up in front of the very posh Connaught Hotel. Still affected by the caffeine, I whistled out loud. The driver turned and looked at me with an arched eyebrow.

I was so excited that I jumped out of the cab before the doorman had a chance to open the door for me. I stepped out too quickly as I looked up at the hotel and, of course, in typical Bella Swan fashion, landed knees first in the gutter. There was a flurry of activity as more than one hand grabbed my arms to help me up.

I didn't even flinch at their touch.

Trying to laugh off my obvious embarrassment I spoke. "I guess I should wait until I'm in church to genuflect, I mean I'm pretty certain Jesus never stayed in this hotel, so there's no reason to pray in front of it."

The doorman gave me a confused look. "I should say not Miss."

_I am such a dumb ass._

The cab driver got my luggage. I tipped him well and thanked him profusely before he left. I tried to tip the doorman, but he looked offended so I just shut the hell up and went inside followed by some young dude carting my bags.

Once we reached the elevator, I told him I'd take it from here, not wanting him to witness my surprise reunion with Edward. All I had was a large rolling suitcase and my carry-on, which was no trouble for me to handle alone. I tipped him just to get him to leave.

On my way up in the elevator it dawned on me that since it was the middle of the day, Edward probably wouldn't even be here. I would have to postpone the surprise until tonight when he returned from filming.

_You probably should have thought that part through beforehand Bella._

I refused to let this get me down. I was in England for heaven's sake! My excitement knew no bounds.

After exiting the elevator, I turned down the hallway that led in the direction of Edward's suite. I noticed a young woman several yards ahead of me knocking on a door. The door opened, but from where I was, I couldn't see whoever it was that answered the door.

I saw the woman hand off a bucket of ice and bottle of some kind of liquor to the person inside. She obviously didn't notice me moving slowly up the hall towards her, because the next thing I knew she removed her coat, revealing the lace bra and panty set she had on underneath. My jaw hit the floor as I stood frozen in my tracks.

"Are you going to invite me in?" She breathed in a sultry voice.

I watched as a man's hand reached out and pulled her inside, leaving nothing behind but her hysterical giggles.

_Seriously? It's like the middle of the day people._

_Oh shut up Bella. If you_ _**ever** _ _actually have sex with Edward, you'll be ready, willing and able to do it any time of the day or night._

_I really couldn't argue with that statement._

I continued to move down the hallway, scanning the room numbers as I went, until I found Edward's. My happiness was cut off abruptly when I realized that Edward's room was the same one I'd seen Miss Skimpy Drawers walk in not two minutes before.

 _Not walk Bella, she was_ _**pulled** _ _into that room by a_ _**man** _ _._

I suddenly felt a little sick to my stomach.

My mind which had been so full of …everything, just a moment before, went completely blank. I literally could not process what I'd just seen.

I stood staring at the door in utter shock and disbelief.

_Why is this so hard to believe Bella? You know you've never been enough to hold Edward._

I thought about that. It was true. Logically, I should not be enough to hold Edward. He was gorgeous and talented and sexy. I couldn't see any of those things in myself.

But, the fact was that,  _Edward did._ He constantly went on about my 'beauty' and 'wit' and in his eyes, I was also 'sexy'.

So, yeah, whatever  _that_ was I just witnessed, I call  _Bullshit_ , because Edward Cullen loved me, and would never,  _ever_  cheat.

_Maybe she gave him ruffies! Oh shit._

I decided I was going in that room and getting to the bottom of things.

I unlocked the door and cautiously pushed it open. Thankfully, no one was in the sitting room.

_Fuck! That means she's got him in the bedroom._

I closed the door quietly and wheeled my suitcase into the corner. I spied the door to the bedroom on the wall to the left. I started to walk toward it when it suddenly opened with a bang. Not ready to be confronted yet, I dropped to my hands and knees in an attempt to hide.

_I've been on my knees more than a five dollar hooker today._

A man and woman were giggling as they moved closer to where I was. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them. Realizing that they were headed for the sofa, I quietly crawled until I was hidden behind it.

"Sweetie, you know I need a drink first." The chick whined.

"I'm on it." A male, very  _un-Edward_ voice replied.

_I knew my boyfriend wouldn't cheat._

I gave my subconscious a one-finger salute.

The voice wasn't Edward's, but I'd definitely heard it before.

"Alec, fix mine without ice darling." Skimpy whined.

_Alec? As in Edward's P.A. Shame on him._

_I bet Edward doesn't know about this._

The couple continued to giggle and I heard glasses clink together as they drank. I also heard them moving around on the sofa.

"Babe, you've got entirely too many clothes on." Alec told Skimpy.

"Alec, I'm only wearing six items if you count the stockings and shoes" she giggled.

_Ugh. Why am I here? I could be touring the Tower of London right now._

"As I said, entirely too many clothes." I could hear them kissing and realized I had nothing to stop my ears with but my fingers.

_No Bella, you have to be able to hear in order to make a quick get-away._

I listened a little more intently, *thump* first shoe drop, *thump* second shoe drop.

_Looks like Skimpy only has four items left._

I heard some fumbling with material, and then nothing.

_Maybe they changed their minds and my ears won't be assaulted by their sex noises._

I peeked up at the top of the sofa just in time for a pair of black lace panties to fly over it and land on my face.

Every dog within a twenty mile radius of London heard the silent scream which emanated from my horrified mouth.

_Oh my God. There's no telling what diseases my face was just exposed to._

_I. Want. To. Die._

The whores on the sofa were obviously still unaware of my presence because the giggles were fast changing into moans.

I scooted quietly to the other end of the sofa in order to be out of target range, just in case something nastier than Skimpy's underwear took flight. And, because I tend to have days that suck from beginning to end, the next time I looked up Alec's boxer briefs landed squarely on my head.

I couldn't keep my silence any more. I stood and screamed. Not the 'I need you to come kill a spider in the bathroom' kind of scream, but the 'zombies are breaking through the windows en route to eat my brain' kind of scream.

Skimpy screamed too and attempted to cover up. Alec stood and cupped his junk, for which I was grateful, having no desire to see his diseased peen.

"That's it!" I shouted, when I was once again able to form words. "I can't take it any more. Would you two horny bastards find somewhere to 'get it on' other than Edward's room." Then I narrowed my eyes at Alec "I am so telling Edward about this."

Alec looked more surprised than anything else at the sight of me. "Bella Swan?" He stuttered out.

"Yes that's me, and I refuse to have this conversation while you're naked." I started to stomp off toward the bedroom when Alec's voice stopped me.

"That's my room Bella. Edward's is over there."

I looked warily in Alec's direction to see him point back toward the foyer. I walked over to find a closed door, which I hadn't noticed when I entered, because it was positioned on the wall behind the main door to the room.

"I'll be in here until you are clothed." I grabbed my bags and closed myself in the bedroom.

_Holy crap can this day get any weirder?_

Edward's bedroom was so beautiful. Skype did not do it justice. I found myself making a beeline for the bed. I lifted the duvet and crawled under it, snuggling into the pillows.

_Mmmm. I wish Edward was here to snuggle with me._

My heart clenched as I thought about how much I missed him. Just then there was a soft knock on the door.

"Bella, can I come in?" Alec's voice sounded from the other side.

Deciding that I didn't want any of Alec's man-whoring cooties infesting Edward's bedroom, I opened the door and led Alec back out to the sitting room.

I eyed the sofa suspiciously and opted to sit in a chair.

Alec looked remorseful. "Bella, I'd like to apologize about what happened. I really don't have an excuse for my behavior."

I cleared my throat. "Let me ask you something Alec."

"Sure Bella."

"Does Edward allow you to bring girls into the suite?"

Alec cringed a little, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Absolutely not Bella. He would have my ass if he knew. I'm supposed to be on lunch break right now. I thought I had time for a quick fu.. Um I mean, a quick tryst…ugh that still doesn't sound right… uh I thought I'd have  _time_ before having to get back to the studio."

My ears perked up at that. Alec was going to the studio.

I looked around, failing to see Skimpy anywhere. "Where's your  _date_? For lack of a better word." I asked sarcastically.

Alec laughed nervously. "Um, yeah, she had to leave."

I continued to glare at him as I pondered what to do. "Alec, I'm at a loss here. I don't want to get you in trouble with Edward, but I also don't want to feel uncomfortable while I'm here. I flew over to surprise him, and got a big surprise myself instead."

_Ugh, I still need to disinfect my face._

Alec smiled widely. "He's going to be so happy Bella. He moped around all last night because he couldn't speak with you."

_Oh my sweet Edward._

"Look Bella. My room isn't really part of the suite. It has a door that opens to the hallway. I can close and bolt the door between my room and the sitting room, so you and Edward have complete privacy. I promise I won't bring any more girls back here during your stay."

I glared and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Or.. ever." He added sheepishly.

I nodded at that answer. "Well, I'm not going to keep this from Edward, but I think he'll go easier on you if I'm not angry about what happened. I would really appreciate it if you'd have housekeeping clean that sofa." I pointed at the offending piece of furniture.

"Sure Bella, whatever you want."

I took a deep breath. "There's one more thing you can do for me Alec."

His eyebrows raised in question. "What's that Bella?"

"You can get me into that studio to surprise Edward. Today."

Alec grinned "You got it Bella."

_-V &V-_

Alec informed me that we'd have to head back to the studio in approximately fifteen minutes.

I went to freshen up in Edward's enormous bathroom. I was fairly sure that half my apartment could fit into that space. I washed my face and applied a little makeup before changing into a cute little sundress, donning a light sweater to go with it.

As I exited the bathroom, I passed Edward's suitcase lying open in the closet. I couldn't help myself, I grabbed his t-shirt lying on top and brought it to my face, inhaling the scent of Edward.

_Gosh I'd missed that scent._

When I went to place it back in the suitcase, a familiar bit of material inside caught my eye.

_No way._

I pulled the material out from under Edward's clothes and held it up.

_My Little Mermaid underwear._

Those panties had gone missing months ago. I assumed that Rose had confiscated and destroyed them like she usually did. Obviously, I was wrong.

_Edward had stolen my Little Mermaid underpants._

_What does that even mean?_

If Rose were here I could ask her, but she wasn't and I didn't have time to call her, so I'd have to figure this out for myself.

I shoved the panties back where I found them and left with Alec. We determined that the best thing would be for me to wait in Edward's trailer and surprise him when he came in there on break.

By the time Alec left me alone in there, I'd burned through every bit of my adrenaline along with all the caffeine I'd pumped into my system. As I settled into Edward overlarge comfy daybed masquerading as a sofa, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I pulled the blankets up over me and felt myself drift off.

I awoke to the sound of my boyfriend's melodic voice, only he wasn't singing, he was cursing. Rather loudly.

"Wake up now! I am going to kick Alec's ass for leaving this fucking door unlocked." I heard him mutter. I tried to will my eyes to open, but it was difficult.

"Look you, whoever you are, I need you to get the hell out of my trailer. I could have you arrested for trespassing."

Obviously when I fell asleep in Edward's trailer, I had been lying down with my back to the door. So…

_Edward has no clue that it's me lying here. He can't see my face._

That thought woke me up, and I continued to listen to his rant.

"Fuck. This is not working. You! Would you please wake up. If you're expecting me to touch you to get you to move, that is  _not_ going to happen. I'll have my bodyguard come and carry you out of here."

At that exact moment I rolled over and smiled.

"I don't want Sidney to carry me. I want you to hold me and kiss me hello Edward." I whispered. "Surprise." I added with a smile.

As Edward stood there frozen, I took a minute to drink him in. He was in his WWII army uniform, and had both hands firmly entrenched in his hair. I counted to thirty before I saw him blink. "Bella" he croaked out in a whisper.

"Edward, I only intended to surprise you, not put you into a coma." I giggled as I crossed the floor to him.

His face lit up in the biggest sexiest crooked smile I'd ever seen as he pulled me into his arms. "You're really here?"

"Nope. I'm still over there." I said as I pointed to the sofa.

"Oh Bella" Then his lips were on mine, and I felt myself melt into him.

_I was home._

After he'd thoroughly kissed my lips, Edward went on to kiss my forehead, each eyelid, my cheeks, my ear lobes, that one eliciting a moan from me, my jawline, my chin, my neck. Between the kisses he muttered 'Oh Bella' and 'You're really here' over and over. I think he would have continued his trail of kisses southward if there hadn't been a knock on the door.

"Five minutes Mr. Masen." A voice sounded from outside.

Edward sighed. "Oh Bella, I'm afraid if I go, you will have disappeared by the time I get back."

"I'm not leaving Edward" I answered breathlessly.

Suddenly his eyes lit up with an idea. "Come" He ordered as he grabbed my hand and started pulling me toward the door.

"You want me on the set?" I asked, feeling a little self-conscious.

"There's nothing I want more at this moment." He grinned. "I want to show my girlfriend off to everyone."

_He had to be the most adorable underwear thief in the history of the world._

_-V &V-_

Edward held my hand all the way to the set. He introduced me to so many people that I lost track of names to put with the faces. Edward was the most famous of the main stars, but I'd seen Tony and Yves in a few movies during the last couple of years.

Hal the director was really nice. "So we finally meet the lovely Bella." He smiled as he shook my hand. "This fellow here thinks the world of you my dear." I could feel myself blush at his statement, and Edward squeezed my hand.

"I'm pretty crazy about him too." I said as I beamed up at Edward.

Before Edward was called into a scene to be filmed, he deposited me in his on-set chair.

I sat there fascinated with the whole process of making a film, and mesmerized by Edward's performance. He was so talented. He blew everyone away with each take being better than the last.

_And he looks like sex-on-legs in that uniform._

Alec winked as he brought me a soda.

"I thought a little caffeine might help with the jet lag." He said.

"Thanks" I whispered appreciatively.

After filming several takes, the director finally got the perfect one. Soon after that, they called it a day and we were free to leave.

Sidney was waiting in the lot. When he saw me walk out with Edward, he got the biggest grin on his face. "Good evening Miss Swan."

"Hello Sidney. Good to see you."

On the ride back to the hotel Edward started asking questions. "So, aren't you missing class?"

"The only day that I miss class is on Thursday. All my professors know, and gave me the work to complete ahead of time." I answered.

He smiled broadly. "So I've got you for how long?"

"I have to fly back on Monday." I answered.

"We'd better make the most of it then." He smiled wickedly and pulled me into his arms, holding me in a passionate kiss until we reached the hotel.

Five days together. Making the most of those five days just became my new favorite pastime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lease forgive Bella for her babbling..she's a smart girl, but unfortunately caffeine disintegrates her verbal filter almost as effectively as alcohol.
> 
> And Edward is paranoid about touching the 'stranger on the sofa' with good reason…he's had trouble with stalkers in the past.


	45. Bubble Baths & Hell's Kitchen

 

Edward, sensing that I was in no shape to go out for dinner, ordered it to be delivered to the room. I took a long hot bath while we waited.

I was angry with myself for not being able to sleep on the airplane, because the jet lag was kicking my ass. As I relaxed in the tub full of bubbles, I thought about what I'd like to do in London.

_Stupid Bella, you didn't even ask Edward if he has any time off._

So I laid my head back and began to formulate a list of questions to ask Edward over dinner. I didn't even realize it when I started to nod off.

"Bella. Sweetheart are you alright?"

I knew that voice.

"Bella, dinner's here." I could hear the door open. "Are you still alive?" Edward asked with humor in his voice.

"Oh shit, I must have fallen asleep." I croaked out. The water had almost gone cold, and I stood abruptly, still a little disoriented.

I heard a gasp.

_Oh shit. Edward's here._

In a split second I turned my back in the direction of the gasp, hoping I didn't give him too much of a 'show'.

"Oh Christ, I'm sorry. I'll just… " He stuttered. I couldn't see his face, and I couldn't respond. "When you're ready…. I'll just wait in the other room."

I heard the door close quietly.

 _Well,_ _**that** _ _was unexpected._

The old Bella would have locked herself in the bathroom for a week out of sheer embarrassment. Surprisingly enough, I didn't feel embarrassed. A little nervous, surely, apprehensive about what Edward was thinking right now, most definitely, but not embarrassed.

It was puzzling.

I secretly hoped that he didn't see too much. I mean, I think the bubbles strategically covered the important bits, but he definitely got a 'butt shot' when I turned around.

I slipped on my nightgown and robe, and timidly stepped out of the bathroom. I found Edward at the table in the sitting room, waiting for me.

"Sorry" I muttered as I took my seat.

"About what?" He asked grinning.

 _He_ wasn't embarrassed.

"Um, well, making you wait to eat?" I answered quietly.

Edward nodded and grinned as he ate a forkful of peas.

"And maybe flashing you in the bathroom?" I added.

The peas went airborne as Edward sputtered out a laugh, practically choking on them.

When he was back in control, he spoke. "Bella, believe me when I tell you there is absolutely no need to apologize for  _that._ "

 _Ugh. Yeah, I_ _**thought** _ _I wasn't embarrassed._

I could feel my cheeks start to flame as I stared down at my plate, unable to look at Edward.

Edward set down his fork and reached a hand under my chin, attempting to make me look at him. "Hey" he whispered. "Bella please don't be like this."

I could feel my eyes filling with tears, it was an irrational reaction, but I was tired and emotional.

"Sweetheart, don't cry" Before I knew what had happened, Edward pulled me out of my chair and onto his lap. I curled up and quietly cried into his neck while his hands rubbed my back.

I still couldn't look him in the eye, so I spoke into his neck. "That wasn't exactly what I'd hoped for, the first time you saw me naked Edward."

I could feel his chest rumble as he softly chuckled. "If it's any consolation, I didn't see much. There were a  _lot_ of bubbles."

I sniffled. "Really?" I was finally able to look him in the eye.

"Really. I was quite disappointed."

I decided to tease him. "Disappointed by what you  _did_ see? Or disappointed that you didn't see  _more_?"

He made a noise that sounded a little like a growl. "Disappointed that I didn't see  _more_ you silly girl. But what I did see was absolutely breathtaking." He whispered. Then he kissed me.

Before I knew it, my hands were in his hair and I was lost in the kiss. We finally broke apart to breathe, and then we both started to laugh.

Edward guided me back to my seat with a smile. "As much as I'd like us to spend all evening kissing, you need to eat. So let's eat and talk because then you need to sleep."

_I like it when he's bossy._

I nodded in acquiescence and dug into my food. After a couple of bites, I realized I was starving because the only thing I'd eaten all day was a scone on the airplane.

After inhaling the majority of the food on my plate, I was aware of Edward's low chuckle from across the table. I glanced up at him to find him smirking. "What so funny" I asked around a mouthful of asparagus.

"I take it you haven't eaten all day?" He asked.

"Not since this morning." I admitted.

Edward must not have been very hungry, because he stopped eating and spent the rest of the meal watching me while resting his chin on his hand.

"God, I've missed you." He said quietly.

_-V &V-_

Edward and I talked until I literally couldn't keep my eyes open any more. I did find out that he had off on Saturday and Sunday, and had already started making plans for us.

I was lying in bed, in Edward's arms, my favorite place to be.

"Any chance you will share those plans with me?" I asked with a yawn.

He narrowed his eyes at me and smirked. "No way. I think it's my turn to surprise you Miss Swan."

I woke up to the sound of muffled whispering. It took me a moment to realize that Edward was having a hushed phone conversation with someone.

"I hadn't planned on that Alice." He whispered. "You don't think I should wait until I get back next month? We don't have a lot of time before Bella has to go back."

I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Ali, you just gave me a great idea. No, I think I can handle things from here. Thanks. Love you too. Goodbye."

I rolled over to face him and stretched. Edward smiled at me. "Feeling better now?"

Boy did I feel better. Several hours of uninterrupted sleep did wonders for my mental capacity. "I feel great." I said with a smile.

"What did you want to do today?" Edward asked.

I thought about that. "Well, I could go play tourist but.." I looked at him again and smiled. "I don't have any desire to be away from you today Edward. I mean, I know you have to work but can I come with you? Then maybe tomorrow I won't mind being on my own so much."

He smiled happily. "It's bound to be boring for you Bella, but I'm not going to lie, I'd be ecstatic to have you with me."

"That's settled then." I said as I rolled out of bed to get dressed.

Edward sat up, bracing his elbows on his knees, deep in thought. "There's something you should know." He actually looked a little sheepish. "I'm getting married today."

"Huh?" was my brilliant response.

Edward laughed. "In the film Bella. We're staging a wedding scene today. The scene itself will only last a few minutes, but will probably take all day to film."

It was weird to contemplate Edward getting married in one of his movies. I'd seen him kiss other women, have fake sex with other women, fake kill people, even be fake killed himself, but he'd never gotten married.

I wasn't sure how I would handle that.

"Who's the lucky girl?" I asked with a grin, although inside I felt a little sick.

Edward moved until he was standing in front of me, his hands rubbing soothingly on my upper arms. "Rachel Novak. You remember her, the paps tried to invent a relationship between us." He studied my face as he continued. "Her character is an American Army nurse that my character knew as a child. He meets her again in England, they fall in love, and so forth."

I sniffed, trying to look unaffected by this conversation, but I had to ask the most important question. "Do you have any ..you know.. um any of  _those_ kinds of scenes with her?"

Edward chuckled. "Bella are you asking if I have any 'sex' scenes with Rachel?" He said while making air quotes at the word  _sex._

_I should be ashamed of myself. Why should it bother me if Edward has 'fake sex', it's his job after all._

I sighed in defeat, annoyed with myself. "Yes, I guess that's what I'm asking."

He chuckled again. "Yes, there's one brief scene which we haven't filmed yet."

_Why is there a knot in my stomach?_

My verbal filter failed me again as I blurted "Oh my God Edward, please tell me she isn't going to see your junk. At least not before I've had a chance to see it" I slapped my hand over my mouth when I realized what I'd said.

Edward didn't notice, he was too busy laughing his ass off.

"Have I mentioned just how adorable you are?" He said as he continued to laugh. "Bella, no one gets to see my 'junk' as you so eloquently put it." Again with the air quotes. "I wear a piece of material down there. It tapes on. I've done that for every intimate scene I've ever done. Believe me baby, I keep it covered." He said as he winked.

"So your little costars have never seen more than your butt?" Why did this fact make me so happy?

"Nope." He grinned.

"Even Jonelle Everett?" I smirked.

Edward made a disgusted face. " _Especially_ not her" Then I saw him shudder.

_I can't believe we just had an entire conversation about Edward's peen._

While I got dressed, Edward excused himself to find Alec. I decided that if I had to compete with Edward's 'bride', I needed to be extra pretty today.

I opted for sweet rather than sexy because I still had to be comfortable, choosing a pretty little dress with a strawberry print. After applying a little makeup and deciding to wear my hair down, flowing over my shoulders, I was ready to go.

The shoot today was on location at a little village church in the country. When we arrived, I felt like I'd walked into the pages of a Jane Austen novel. Everything was old stone, lovely gardens, and quaint churchyard.

The studio had basically taken possession of the entire village for the day, using the local pub for the cast and crew to gather during meals and breaks. They had day rooms reserved in the local inn for the actors to use in lieu of their trailers which remained back at the studio's main film site.

Before Edward had to report on set, he introduced me to Yves' fiancee Crystal. I liked her instantly.

"When Yves told me that you had flown over to surprise Edward, I came to the set in the hopes of meeting you Bella." Crystal stated excitedly. "It's a shame you won't get to meet Tony's wife Molly, she can't come over until next week."

Crystal and I spent most of the day together, watching our men from a distance. Edward looked so handsome in his dress uniform as they did take after take outside of the church. Rachel looked very beautiful in the part of the bride.

I knew I was being unreasonable, but I felt a twinge of jealousy every time she was with my Edward.

_Dear God, I'm such a silly girl._

Crystal was great at distracting me though. She looked at me with a knowing smile "Be glad that Rachel is Edward's 'love interest' in this film. Poor Molly has to put up with Nicole French. She tried to put the moves on Tony during the first day of filming. As soon as Edward arrived on set, she went after him."

I was alarmed. Edward hadn't said anything about that. Crystal saw the expression on my face. "Relax Bella. Your man knows how to shut down the skanks." She laughed. "I wish Yves would take some lessons from him."

I started to chuckle as I remembered how he almost had me thrown out of his trailer yesterday.

Every time he had a break from filming, Edward would come over to sit with me. He had lunch delivered to his 'day room' so we could relax and have a little privacy, both of us well aware that the village was loaded up with paps and fans constantly snapping photos.

By afternoon, Crystal and I decided to explore the village a bit. I was in heaven when I found an old bookstore. After snapping up copies of  _Romeo and Juliet, Bleak House, The Mayor of Casterbridge,_ and  _The Hobbit_ , I was one happy Bella.

_Those are going on a special shelf in my living room._

The thought of going home tugged at my heart, so I tried to push it from my mind, deciding instead to enjoy my time with Edward.

Crystal and I went in a couple other shops where I found some gifts to take home to Rose and my friends. When we arrived back at the pub, Crystal went in search of Yves. I found Edward sitting at a corner table deep in conversation with Alec. Edward had a serious, determined look on his face and kept jabbing the table with his finger for emphasis.

I had given Edward a diluted version of my arrival at the suite yesterday, hoping to spare Alec some of the admonishment he was sure to receive. By the looks of things, I hadn't been successful.

I quietly approached their table. "Alec, don't screw this up. It's very important to me. You don't have time for your little 'distractions', you need to concentrate on your job."

"I understand Edward." He replied quietly.

They both looked up in surprise when I pulled out a chair to sit.

Edward's face immediately lit up. Alec looked a little nervous, and then got up and excused himself. "Did you explore the village?" Edward asked.

"Yes" I grinned "Found a bookstore" I said as I showed him my bag of treasures.

He laughed and grabbed my hand. "Look, I'm almost done for the day. I want to take you out tonight."

Back at the hotel, I showered quickly. Since we were going out to eat, I decided to wear the dress and shoes that Alice had sent. We were going to one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants. I silently hoped we didn't see Gordon himself because, quite frankly, that dude intimidated the crap out of me.

Our dinner was wonderful, filled with light conversation and delicious food. It turned out that Gordon  _was_ there. He came out and introduced himself before we received our entrees, and then I didn't see him any more for quite a while. He was definitely just as intimidating in person as on television.

The crowd in the restaurant was polite, not staring at Edward overly much. When it was time for our dessert to arrive, who should deliver it to our table but Gordon Ramsay himself.

I froze like a deer in the headlights as he approached.

"Hello again Edward and Isabella. I thought you might appreciate a little personal service." He smiled as he presented our desserts.

I suddenly lost my appetite as Edward invited him to sit for a moment.

"Thank you Gordon, that was unexpected but much appreciated." Edward smiled.

"How was your meal Isabella?" Gordon asked.

"Delicious" I squeaked.

Gordon smirked and turned back to Edward. "How much longer will you be in England Edward?"

"A few more weeks of filming yet to go." Edward answered.

I excused myself to go to the ladies' room. It was difficult sitting at the same table with two guys who literally sucked the air out of the room.

_What about Johnny Depp?_

_Yeah, I don't count that because I was not sober._

_You're not sober now._

That was true, but I'd only had two glasses of wine. Not enough to lose all my inhibitions.

As I washed my hands, I thought about the lunch with Johnny Depp, and how Edward at first thought I was crazy for accusing that waitress of unhygienic behavior.

_I wish Gordon had been her boss. I'd enjoy seeing the ass-chewing he would have given her._

I chuckled as I thought about that.

When I returned to our table Gordon was still there. He and Edward were talking quietly and I watched as Gordon handed him his card.

They both greeted me with large smiles. "Here she is." Gordon said jovially.

I just smiled in return and took a gulp of my wine.

"Isabella, are you always this quiet?" Gordon asked.

"No, not really. I like to talk. Sometimes too much. But I'm also afraid of embarrassing Edward in public with my ramblings." I suddenly realized I was doing it again.

_Shit._

Gordon and Edward looked amused. "Um well, Gordon let me just say that you have a lovely place here."

"Thank you Isabella. Although I don't have a lot to do with the daily operation of this particular restaurant, they call me in from time to time to help with things like hiring and firing." He grinned.

_Firing? Hmmm_

Feeling brave because I was actually having a conversation with Gordon  _'_ F-word' Ramsay, I continued. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course Isabella" Gordon answered, still smiling.

"What would you do if you found out that one of the wait staff didn't wash their hands after using the rest room?"

Edward tilted his head toward me curiously. When I looked at Gordon, I almost shit myself.

His face turned blood red, and his expression lost all humor. "Which one was it Isabella? I need to know. They will be fired immediately. Well, after I've kicked their ass first." He practically shouted.

"No Gordon, you misunderstand me.."

"That type of behavior is  _never_ acceptable if someone wishes to remain in my employ." He was really angry.

Edward stared at him with a stunned look on his face.

"Can't trust these fucking people as far as I can throw them." He immediately shot up from the table and barreled into the kitchen.

We heard a lot of shouting and commotion, and I definitely heard more than one cooking implement hit the floor.

_Crap. What have I done?_

"Edward, I was merely trying to find out how he would have handled that nasty waitress from our lunch with Johnny Depp. I wasn't talking about anyone here."

"Oh no." Edward muttered. "We have to do something Bella."

When Gordon approached our table a few minutes later, he still looked pissed, but controlled. "No one will admit to it Isabella. I hate to bother you, but will you point the culprit out for me please?"

"Gordon, I'm so sorry. I wasn't speaking of anyone here. I've had it happen to me before, and I wondered how you'd handle it. By what I just witnessed, I think I got my answer. I feel so bad that you yelled at everyone." Edward smiled and patted my hand.

Gordon studied me with a puzzled expression, and then burst into laughter. "All in a days' work Isabella. If nothing else, they've all been reminded of the importance of  _washing their hands_." He was still grinning. "Well, I will leave you two to eat your dessert. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

And then he was gone.

_I think I'm getting an ulcer._

Edward and I laughed all the way back to the hotel.

_-V &V-_

That night as I lay in Edward's arms, I found myself clutching onto him. My time in England was moving much too quickly, before I knew it Monday would arrive. I had spent so many days looking forward to this trip, and soon it would be over. My stomach clenched at the thought.

"Trouble sleeping?" Edward whispered.

"A little." I admitted.

"Did you want to do something tomorrow before I have to be on set?"

"Maybe go to a museum?" I asked hopefully.

So that's what we did. We didn't have much time because the British Museum didn't open until ten, so we went straight to the exhibits we were interested in and spent a little over an hour before having to leave. I was lost in my own world, viewing artifacts of Medieval Europe, when I noticed Edward studying me with a serious look on his face.

"Are you okay Edward?" I asked quietly.

He smiled "I'm better than okay, I'm wonderful." Then he pulled me into his arms "Have I told you how happy you make me. I still can't believe you're here."

As we continued our tour, more than once I caught him looking at me rather than at the exhibits.

Edward needed to report to the set by noon, and would be filming well into the evening. Since Yves was also shooting that afternoon, Crystal and I decided that, instead of hanging around the set, we would go sightseeing.

Edward wanted Sidney to drive us, but I was able to talk him out of that. As it turned out, traveling by London Underground was much faster, and having a driver would have slowed us down.

"Why is it that every time I'm with you, we end up shopping?" I asked Crystal with a grin.

"Look, Yves is happiest when I'm out spending his money."

I laughed because Edward had tried to force me to take one of his credit cards. It must have been my lucky day because I won that argument also.

"Besides, you can't come to London and not go to Harrod's. That would be unconscionable." Crystal smiled.

"You sound like Edward's sister."

"Edward has a sister?"

_Rats. I forgot Alice's relationship with Edward wasn't public knowledge yet._

"Oh, yes. They don't publicize it a lot."

Crystal still looked curious, but I didn't say anything more.

_Everyone will know as soon as the Vanity Fair issue comes out._

We were sitting at a little outdoor café having a late lunch after spending a couple of hours shopping in Harrod's. While enjoying my food, I was very involved in one of my favorite pastimes: 'people-watching', suddenly I heard Crystal gasp.

"Holy shit. Now that's something you don't see every day." She said as she started to fan herself. "My, my, my, X marks the spot alright." She giggled.

I looked over to see what had drawn her attention, and couldn't believe my eyes. "Oh my hell" I whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I don't know Gordon 'F-word' Ramsay, but I wish I did.


	46. Chip Shops & Fairy Lights

 

And there it was. I should have known this would happen. Emmett practically  _warned_ me.

Directly in front of me was a double decker bus, stopped at the traffic light, but that wasn't what had Crystal so animated. It so happened that on the side of this particular bus was a very large, very prominent Calvin Klein underwear ad. And who should be starring in this ad? None other than my beloved brother and perpetual source of embarrassment, Emmett Swan.

Yes, there he was wearing a pair of white boxers, a transparent red 'X' superimposed over his chest.

_X marked the spot indeed._

Crystal was practically drooling. "He is  _fine_. If I wasn't a happily engaged woman, I'd be tempted to find out where Mr. Sexy lives and become his personal stalker." Crystal giggled.

I sighed. "Oh I know exactly where he lives." I stated flatly.

"You do? Bella, you know that guy?" She asked, surprised.

"He lives across the hall from me." I answered simply.

"That guy is your neighbor?" She squealed. "You lucky girl. Tell me, have you ever gotten to see him in his underwear?" Crystal was enjoying this way too much.

"Unfortunately, too many times." I answered as I shook my head in disgust.

"Bella, that dude is sex on legs, how could seeing him in his underwear be unfortunate?" She was amused by my reaction.

"Ew, just ew Crystal. That  _guy_  is my brother." I answered.

Crystal stared at me with her mouth hanging open, then we both burst into laughter.

At that precise moment, my phone rang.

.

_I'm bringing sexy back_

_Them other boys don't know how to act_

_I think you're special, what's behind your back?_

_So turn around and I'll pick up the slack._

_._

"Hello Emmett." I said happily. He was crazy and annoying, but I still missed him.

"Hey Bellaboo. How's England?" He boomed.

"It's good. The time is going by too quickly though." I admitted sadly.

Emmett was quiet for a minute. "Edward will be back in the states before you know it Sissy, then there's graduation, and don't forget my wedding. Lots of stuff to look forward to."

"That's true Emmett." My outlook brightened considerably when I thought about what my brother had said.

"So, anyway, there's a reason I called."

"And what would that be Emmett?" I asked with a smile.

"I found out that the ads are coming out today  _worldwide_." He announced happily.

"Oh I'm well aware of that fact Emmett." I chuckled.

"Bells! Did you see one?" He asked excitedly. "What was it a billboard?"

"Yes I did see one, but it wasn't a billboard." I laughed. "It was on the side of a double decker bus."

"Fucking awesome!" He boomed. "Bells, you've got to take a picture of that shit and send it to me."

"The bus is gone now Emmett, but if I see another one I promise I'll try."

"Outstanding!" He laughed. "Okay Sissy, I'll let you go. I'm leaving for my retreat this afternoon so I guess I'll talk to you later. Have fun."

"Thanks brother dear. I'll see you on Monday. Love you Emmett."

"Love you too Bells."

Crystal was laughing and shaking her head.

I looked at her incredulously "Crystal, your fiancé is gorgeous. Stop lusting after my brother."

We both laughed again.

Yves would be done filming at any moment so we headed over to the studio in order for Crystal to meet up with him. Edward wouldn't be finished for hours, so I planned to wait around.

"Let me drop these shopping bags in Yves' trailer, then we'll drop yours at Edwards'." Crystal chirped as she ran up the steps to the trailer. The next thing I knew, Crystal was screaming. She suddenly appeared in the doorway dragging a half-naked woman out,  _by her hair_.

_What the hell?_

She pulled the woman down the steps and let go of her, while pushing her away.

"I don't know what the hell you thought you were doing in there, but Yves' trailer is off-limits to you." Crystal shouted.

"I think we should let Yves decide that." Half-naked chick responded.

"What's going on Crystal?" I put my hand on her arm, trying to calm her down.

"That" she said while pointing at the chick wearing only her bra and panties "is Nicole, the nasty whore I told you about. Evidently she thought it would be a good idea to hide in Yves' trailer in hopes of seducing him."

_Nicole, the same witch that went after Tony and Edward?_

I looked at Nicole, and saw her smirk. "Maybe you should spend a little less time  _shopping_ ladies, and a little more time seeing after your men."

Crystal narrowed her eyes. "Maybe you should spend a little less time  _whoring_. You've now tried to 'get busy' with all three of the male stars. Get it through your head Nicole, they don't  _want_ you."

Nicole abruptly looked angry, and before I knew what had happened, she'd slapped Crystal across the cheek, hard.

That set Crystal off. I watched as she balled up her fist and let it fly, punching Nicole square in the face while knocking her on her ass.

I wanted to hug Crystal, and so I did. "That was fuckawesome Crystal!"

Crystal smiled and then winced at the pain in her hand, while Nicole struggled to her feet and ran away. Yves appeared about a minute later. When Crystal told him what had happened, he was livid. They decided to complain to the director about Nicole's behavior. I hugged Crystal goodbye, promising to see her before I left Monday, and headed over to Edward's trailer.

I turned the doorknob only to find it locked.

"Damn it." I then remembered Edward saying something about keeping the door locked.

_No doubt in order to keep out the skanks like Nicole. My Edward is so smart._

I decided that I needed to find Alec so he could let me in. On my way toward the set, I passed Tony. "Hi Bella, how are you today?"

"I'm good, I'm actually looking for Edward or his assistant Alec."

"Oh. I haven't seen Edward all day. Yves and I were with the second film crew, working on scenes that didn't include Edward. I think he's over in studio B." He said as he pointed toward a building on his right.

"Thanks Tony, and if I don't see you again good luck with the rest of the film."

"Thanks Bella."

I walked over to studio B, my shopping bag still in hand. The assistant manning the door recognized me immediately. "Hello Miss Swan. Did you want to sit in on the filming this evening?"

"I guess so." was my lame answer. I really just wanted to find Alec and the key to the trailer. The assistant led me to the door and allowed me inside. I noticed a placard as I passed with today's date and the words 'closed set' written on it.

_I wonder what that means?_

A couple of minutes later, I found Alec leaning against a wall looking bored. When he turned and saw me, he looked surprised. "Hi Bella" he whispered.

I smiled in answer.

Alec glanced back to where he had been looking when I walked in. "I have to say that you're pretty cool Bella."

"Thanks?" I was confused.

"I mean, a lot of people wouldn't be able to watch their boyfriend or girlfriend film this type of scene without being upset by it." He grinned.

_What is he talking about?_

I then glanced over to whatever it was that was holding his attention.

There, across the vast studio floor, a scene was playing out on a set that had been made to look like a 1940's bedroom. It appeared that the man and woman in the scene were about to consummate their relationship.

As I glanced at them, the man was just peeling the woman's wedding gown off of her body. Then he removed his shirt. I took a closer look at the man who had his back to me.

_I'd know that head of bronze hair anywhere. Edward._

Just as I thought this, Edward removed his trousers, to reveal the boxers underneath. After some words from the director, the couple proceeded to kiss and kiss and kiss again.

_It's a wonder he even wants to kiss me at the end of the day. Must seem an awful lot like work._

My stomach began to hurt a little, and I fought the urge to pout like a child.

_Grow the hell up Bella._

The director yelled 'cut', and Alec proceeded to carry a robe and a bottle of water over to Edward.

_Well, if that's all that happens in Edward's 'sex scene' then it wasn't so bad._

Unfortunately as I was to find out a few minutes later, there was more to the scene. A lot more.

I watched from across the room as Edward disappeared behind a curtain. Rachel was nowhere to be seen. When Edward reappeared, he was wearing the robe. He walked over to the set, and stood talking with the director in hushed tones. Rachel soon joined them, also wearing a robe similar to Edward's.

I watched in horror as they both approached the bed and removed the robes, handing them to their assistants before crawling under the sheets  _together._ Naked.

_Not really naked Bella. Edward has his flap of material taped in place._

Rachel, well, she had an identical piece of material taped over her hoo ha, but she was naked everywhere else.

If I thought I'd felt sick before, it was nothing compared to what I was feeling now. Knowing that I needed to get out of there, I grabbed Alec's arm and demanded the trailer key. He handed it to me quietly.

Taking one last glance over my shoulder, my heart clenched as I watched Edward and Rachel kissing while he was lying on top of her. Even the fact that I got to see his naked tush in person did nothing to lift my spirits as I felt myself wanting to cry.

Once inside the trailer, I cried myself to sleep.

_-V &V-_

I was awoken by the feeling of soft warm kisses on my neck and shoulder as Edward softly called my name. "Bella"

Something was troubling me, but I couldn't quite remember what it was. I only knew I didn't want to wake up.

"Come on beautiful girl, let's go back to the hotel." Edward breathed in my ear.

I shook my head, still not opening my eyes. "Bella, I'm done filming, and I have the next two days off. Let's not waste the time here."

_Filming? Oh right, Edward was filming a movie._

The memory from earlier returned to my mind with a vengeance and I felt myself pull away from him as I sat up. He reached for me again, but instead of allowing him to hold my hand, I trapped both of my hands beneath my thighs.

Edward looked puzzled and a little hurt. I immediately felt bad for the way I had reacted, and grabbed his hand, allowing him to silently lead me to the car.

Alec was there waiting for us. "Hey Bella."

I forced a smile in response.

I was quiet all the way back to the hotel, and I could tell that Edward was genuinely concerned about me. Alec evidently grew tired of the silence and tried to get me to talk.

"I was surprised that you didn't stay longer on set today Bella." He remarked casually.

I felt Edward tense beside me.

"I had to hand it to Sean, he made it to the bitter end." Alec laughed.

I looked at him questioningly.

"Sean is Rachel's husband." He explained.

_Wow, Rachel's husband was able to watch that scene being filmed?_

I was now completely ashamed of my behavior. I looked at Edward and smiled tentatively.

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

Back in the suite I changed into jeans and a t-shirt. "Did you want to have dinner here?" Edward asked. He had followed my lead and was also clothed in jeans and a t-shirt.

I was starving, but I wanted to explore a little. "I think I'd rather go out. We can just pick something up."

As soon as we were a couple of blocks from the hotel, I knew exactly what I wanted. "Edward, let's get our food here." I said as I pointed to a chip shop.

He grinned. "Really?"

"Absolutely, this is my first trip to England. I think I should learn to live a little." I chuckled.

A short time later Edward was eating the traditional fish and chips while I was quite happy with my chips, peas and gravy, thank you very much.

We ate as we walked back in the direction of the hotel. It made sense to go back, Edward's filming had gone well into the evening, and it was now getting late.

Back in the suite, Edward decided to address the elephant which had taken up residence in the room. "Bella, I had no idea you would show up on the set during that scene. I'm really sorry if it bothered you baby." He rubbed my arm as he spoke.

I thought about it.

_Did it bother me?_

"I guess the fact that you were filming an intimate scene wasn't the thing that really bothered me Edward."

"What bothered you then?" He asked.

I let out a breath. "My basic insecurities run amok, as usual." I laughed without humor. "Seeing Rachel like that. Wondering if you thought she was sexy. You having to put your hands on her, and kiss her…" I trailed off, realizing how stupid I sounded.

Edward smiled reassuringly. "I wish you had stuck around Bella. Filming an intimate scene is the most un-sexy thing in the world." He grinned more now. "To begin with, the director stops every ten seconds to place hands in certain positions, to angle the bodies in different directions, to tilt your head a little more to the left or right. And, after all that, the actors are expected to pull off a beautiful realistic love scene. It's a wonder any of those scenes ever come across as believable in the final cut."

"As for Rachel being almost naked.. Even if I had never found you, I would never be attracted to Rachel in that way. She's a nice person, but that's it. You're the only woman I find sexy Bella."

"You've said that before, but it's always nice to hear." I said with a smile. "Just tell me one thing."

"What's that sweetheart?" He asked as he pulled me into his arms.

"Tell me that little piece of material you were wearing stayed in place during filming."

Edward barked out a laugh. "Have no fear Miss Swan. There was no slippage. And for your information, that material was not 'little' because what it had to cover isn't 'little'." He said with a smirk.

_Oh my God._

"Good to know." I squeaked out.

"Hey Edward" I whispered.

"Yes?" He said looking down at my face as he held me.

"Remember my bubble bath the other night?" I questioned.

A low growl emitted from Edward's throat. "How could I forget?"

"Well.." I smirked. "I think we're even now because I totally saw your bare butt today."

Edward started laughing loudly again while I giggled. "Bella, don't ever change." He smiled and then kissed me sweetly.

_-V &V-_

Edward said we should sleep in on Saturday because he had a late night planned for us. Unfortunately, when I woke up it was only seven o'clock, and I was alone in the bed.

"So much for sleeping in." I muttered. I sat up in bed and listened. No sounds from the bathroom. There were no sounds from the sitting room either. I padded over to the door, opened it and peeked out. Edward was nowhere to be found.

Instead of panicking, I decided to use this opportunity to phone Rose. I realized that it was after eleven at night back home, but I really wanted to talk to her. I snuck into the bathroom and shut the door just in case Edward returned.

"Hey Bells." Rose sounded wide awake.

"Hi Rose. Did Emmett leave for his retreat?"

"Yeah, he left this afternoon. Is everything okay?" She asked.

_Always worrying about me._

"Everything is great." I replied happily. "There  _is_  something I wanted to talk to you about though, and I'm glad Emmett's not around to hear."

"Hmm, this sounds like it's going to be good." Rose said as she chuckled.

"Don't get too excited." I giggled. "It's just that. What does it mean if , um" I took a breath. "if a guy steals your underwear?" I whispered.

Rose laughed. "First of all Bella, I hope you're talking about Edward, and not some random dude with a fetish for your panties." She laughed at her own joke.

"Of course it's Edward." I hissed. "I found them in his suitcase, so he's had them for some time."

"Which pair was it? Oh, don't tell me. I bet it was the lavender thong from La Perla. Those are hot."

"That's not important. I just want to know what I'm supposed to think about it."

"What do you mean it's not important? Of course it's important." She argued. "And as for what to think, the better question is how to  _feel_ about it."

"I don't understand."

"Bella, you should  _feel_ flattered. Now what the hell pair was it?" She snarked.

"Flattered?"

"That, and know that he's got it bad." she barked. "What pair?"

"I am so not telling you."

"Oh yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Bella, do I need to remind you that I have the key to your apartment?" She said in a low and menacing voice. "Maybe I should do some Spring cleaning while you're gone."

_Crap. I know what that means. Rose will throw away every piece of comfortable clothing I own._

I sighed in defeat. "Okay. I was thelittlemermaidunderwear." I mumbled.

There was dead silence for a full minute until Rose barked out a laugh. "You two fucking deserve each other." She said through her guffaws. "I mean that is  _so_  perfect."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Oh Bella." She sighed, still laughing a little. "That boy must adore you. For him to choose that pair to steal… it's just. It's.. so fucking  _sweet_." She said quietly.

"It  _was_  sweet wasn't it?" I said as I smiled.

"It most certainly was. Can you imagine how he probably argued with himself before he took them? But he just couldn't help himself." She chuckled. "And now that he has them, he probably feels guilty because, let's face it Edward is  _very_ uptight. He obviously has the hots for you, but at the same time he didn't take the  _designer_ panties. Edward wanted something that was more representative of the real you. He's one of a kind Bella."

"I couldn't agree more Rose." I smiled.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Rose asked.

"What do you mean?" I was confused.

"I take it that he doesn't know you found them?" She continued.

"No"

"So, if you wanted to torture him, I could help you with that." She giggled.

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my mouth when she said that. "What did you have in mind?" I asked.

"Well…." Rose began

_-V &V-_

Edward still hadn't returned to the suite when I ended my phone call, so I decided to take a shower. As I toweled off, I heard movement in the bedroom. "Sweetie, would you tell me what we're doing today so I know how to dress." I called out to him.

There was a muffled answer. I thought I could make out "Stratford upon Avon".

I threw my robe on excitedly and walked out of the bath. He was sorting clothing, and placing his newly laundered items in the dresser. I bounded over to him and threw my arms around his neck. "Stratford upon Avon? Really?" I asked excitedly.

"Now Bella, give me some credit. How could I let you go home without seeing Shakespeare's birthplace?" He said as he wrapped his arms around me. "There are so many places I want to take you. I wish we had more time."

"After graduation, I'll go anywhere you lead Mr. Movie Star." I said as I winked.

He smiled broadly. "Come on, let's go. We have over an hours' ride ahead of us."

Our first stop was Shakespeare's birthplace. We toured the house, and then moved on to New Place, which was Shakespeare's last residence, living there for almost twenty years, until his death.

The house was no longer standing, so Edward and I explored the gardens. As we walked along, Edward's arm around my shoulders and my arm around his waist, he would quote random passages from Shakespeare's plays to me.

"I didn't realize how big a fan you were Edward."

_He has no idea how sexy he sounds while quoting Romeo._

"The result of having a lot of time on my hands my love." He smiled as we walked along. "At least I used to have a lot of time on my hands. Before I was gobsmacked by a certain brunette beauty. I can understand exactly how Romeo felt the first time he saw Juliet."

' _O she doth teach the torches to burn bright_

 _It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night_.

_Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;_

_Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear'_

_._

_GAH…._

_I think Edward just melted my brain, along with my panties._

My mind could form no verbal response so, instead, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down into a chaste kiss.

We ate at one of the pubs in town, and I got to meet several of Edward's British fans. All the people that approached us were extremely polite when asking for a photo. My boyfriend was generous with his time, as always. If he ever got tired of the fans, he never let on.

After lunch, we ambled along the river Avon for a while. Again, we walked, each with an arm around the other, as I leaned into Edward's side. We both felt the need to be close, and holding hands wasn't enough today. We chatted about our favorite Shakespeare plays as we walked.

Eventually the conversation turned to other authors whose works we enjoyed. After our walk, we visited the last stop of our tour, Anne Hathaway's cottage. As soon as I saw the garden, I knew I'd never want to leave. It was the epitome of the perfect English garden, and I realized how fortunate I was to have visited during the springtime.

_I bet it's even more beautiful in summer._

Edward literally had to coax me to leave with promises of a surprise he had planned for later. My curiosity won out and I willingly took his hand and let him lead me to the car.

When we got back to the suite, I discovered that a dress and shoes from a London designer had been delivered, along with a suit of clothes for Edward. I was certain that Alice was behind it.

Maybe it was because we had spent the day in the land of Shakespeare, but for some reason, I got the impression that Edward was taking me out to see a stage show, or an opera tonight. Every time I asked, he wouldn't give me so much as a hint, so after a while I stopped asking.

For the second time this week, I was able to wear the necklace and earrings that Edward had given me. The champagne dress was strapless, and when I put it on I felt a bit like a character from a romantic novel.

When I stepped into the sitting room and saw Edward in his suit, I almost suggested we stay in. He greeted me with a crooked smile and a kiss.

_He is gorgeous, sexy, sweet, and all mine. Luckeee bitch._

I was surprised when Sidney drove us out of the city. "Edward, can you at least tell me how far away we're going?"

He grinned. "It will be about an hour until we reach our first stop."

As soon as I stepped from the car I clapped my hands excitedly. We were in Oxford, and were standing in front of  _The Eagle And Child_ pub.

"Oh Edward." I was so touched. This man knew me so well. He  _knew_  that spending time in the pub where Tolkien met often with colleagues, including one C. S. Lewis, would mean more to me than an opera or a stage show.

I wrinkled my nose as I looked down at my dress. "We may be just a tad overdressed though." I whispered.

He smiled. "We're still having dinner later Bella. I thought it would be nice to spend some time here, and maybe have a pint." He said as he winked.

I knew without a doubt that if, some day, Edward and I visited the Holy Land, and I got a chance to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and the Apostles, it would be one of those moments that would stay with me forever.

But, right here, right now, getting to see and spend time in the place where these literary giants met and conversed about God, the universe, and man's place in it, the place where they discussed all the great literary works of history and their own unfinished manuscripts, this was truly a religious experience for me.

Getting to share that experience with the man I loved, made it all the more meaningful.

This man that sat before me drinking his ale never ceased to amaze and delight me with his thoughtfulness. I found it humorous the way he always expressed his belief that he didn't deserve me, when exactly the opposite was true.

I didn't deserve him. I was childish, immature, and sometimes just plain stupid. My lack of relationship experience wreaked havoc on my already low self-esteem, but Edward endured my silliness with the patience of a Saint.

I looked across the table at the man I adored and reached for his hand, covering it with my own. "Thank you." I whispered. "I love you Edward."

"I love you too beautiful." He said with a smile as he squeezed my hand. "Are you ready to leave?" He asked.

I nodded. I wanted so badly to kiss the hell out of him, right there in the  _Bird And Baby_ , but I wasn't sure how the British felt about public displays of affection, and I had no desire to be thrown out on my ass in my fabulous dress.

"We have one more stop, before we eat." He said as Sidney pulled up to the curb.

The next stop was a beautiful old home on a quiet street. It seemed vaguely familiar, as if I'd seen a photo of it before, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Does someone you know live here Edward?"

"No one I know Bella. Actually the house is vacant. The new owner hasn't moved in yet."

_Huh?_

Then I saw it. A small blue sign hanging on the front of the house. It was almost too dark to make it out, but with the help of the streetlamp, I could read:  _'JRR Tolkien author of The Lord of the Rings lived here 1930-1947_ '. I gasped in amazement as I covered my mouth with my hand.

I looked at Edward who was smiling from ear to ear. "The owner has given permission for a tour." He said as he unlocked the door and led me inside.

The house was empty, but Edward seemed to know his way around. He led me through room after room before stopping in front of a closed door. "I have a feeling that this room will be your favorite my love." He smiled as he turned the knob.

I took a step into the room as my mouth fell open in amazement. It was as if I'd been transported to Middle Earth. "This was Tolkien's study." Edward murmured quietly.

_Oh my. This was the room in which Tolkien had written The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings._

I couldn't speak.

Edward, I assumed with help, had been able to transform this room from a simple study, to a chamber worthy of Elrond's home in Rivendell. It was so lovely, filled with old tapestries, and flowers. Like the rest of the house, it was empty of furniture, aside from the bookcases built into the walls.

The most spectacular element of the room had to be the bare trees lined in fairy lights which had been brought in to complete the magical feel. "The set decorator for the movie created this. Being herself a Tolkien fan, when I told her what I wanted, she was thrilled to help me out."

"Oh Edward, it's stunning. I can't believe you did this for me." I could feel my throat starting to close as I resisted the urge to cry.

"I wanted to do something special.." He said quietly.

I was suddenly drawn to the window. This window evidently looked out over a garden, which would have been impossible to see in the dark, except for the fact that every tree in the garden had also been lined in fairy lights.

_It looked like Christmas. Christmas in Middle Earth._

I knew I wouldn't be able to keep the tears at bay for long, and I knew I needed to kiss Edward right the hell now. I turned around in order to do just that. He was standing directly behind me, and as soon as I turned to face him, he dropped to one knee.

Suddenly, I was aware that he was holding a small velvet box in one hand as he reached for my hand with the other.

"Isabella…"

_Oh my….._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes I'm a huge Tolkien fan, and by default, so is Bella. 'The Bird and Baby' is a nickname for 'The Eagle And The Child' pub.


	47. Champagne & Diamonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song rec: 'Have I Told You Lately' by Van Morrison (No one other than Van, fuck you very much). Lol

 

As soon as I faced him, he dropped to one knee. He was holding a small velvet box in one hand as he reached for my hand with the other.

"Isabella…"

_Oh my_

Edward's beautiful green eyes had never been so intense as at that moment. I looked into those eyes and saw all the love I had for him reflected back. He cleared his throat. I almost giggled at his nervousness, but knew that my own nerves weren't faring any better.

"Bella, from the moment we met, I was drawn to you. You jolted my dead heart to life that day, and now it beats only for you my love. Each day since, I feel more alive than the day before. We've known one another for one hundred and thirty days. Believe me, I researched it." He grinned. "One hundred and thirty days that have changed my life forever."

"On day seven, you told me you loved me and we kissed for the first time. On day sixteen, you learned the last of my  _truths_ , and didn't run away." He said as he smirked. "On day seventeen, you agreed to go on our first  _official_  date. On day eighty-nine you took me back after my bout of sheer and utter stupidity." He said quietly.

"On day one hundred, one of my personal favorites, you gave me a lap dance in my Dad's Mercedes." He grinned, and I giggled.

On day one hundred and nine, you performed the sexiest belly dance of all time, just for me." He winked, and I palmed my face with my free hand.

His tone then turned sweet and sincere again. "On day one hundred twenty-seven, you arrived in England, surprising the hell out of me. I can't express just how much that meant to me sweetheart."

He took a deep breath, "And on day one-hundred thirty, the most important day of them all. Today. On day one-hundred thirty, I am hoping, that you will consent to be my wife."

"Isabella, please make me the happiest man on earth. Say you'll marry me."

All the ways I'd imagined being proposed to, and believe me since I'd met Edward I'd imagined quite a few, paled in comparison to the real thing. This was sweeter and more romantic than anything from an Austen novel, while at the same time it was just quirky enough to be perfect. Perfect for  _us._

I gazed at the man kneeling before me and studied his hopeful expression. Edward was everything I would ever want or need to survive in this world. With Edward, not only would I survive, I would thrive.

"Yes, Edward. I can't imagine my life without you. I can't imagine a single tomorrow without you."

"That's good baby, because I intend for us to spend all of our tomorrows blissfully together." He kissed my left hand, and then placed the ring on it before kissing the finger upon which it rested. "I love you Bella." He said as he stood and pulled me into his arms.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I love you too Edward, so much."

Edward leaned down and placed whisper soft kisses on my nose and cheeks before grazing my lips with his. "Thank you." He whispered. Then his lips were on mine. This kiss was different. He kissed me with something that almost felt like  _reverence_. I had never felt so cherished and loved in my life as I did at that moment, in Edward's arms. He was my soul mate, the person my heart had been searching for all my life without even knowing. From the beginning, we were meant to find each other and be together.

Edward began to kiss down my neck. "I want to marry you, and have babies with you." He kissed along my shoulder. "I want to take you all over the world, and make love to you on every continent."

_Damn. Even Antarctica? Fuck it, I don't care, let the stupid penguins watch._

"I want to argue with you…"

_What?_

I pulled away slightly and looked at him questioningly. "Why do you want to argue with me Edward?"

He smiled crookedly. "So we can make up afterward of course."

I giggled.

_Mmm. Makeup sex with Edward…_

_Any kind of sex with Edward…._

Because it was us, the kisses quickly turned passionate, with our lips molded together as our tongues explored. My body melted into Edward's warm embrace as each gasp of air was coupled with whispered 'I love yous'. Finally, but all too soon, we broke the kiss, while still holding tightly to each other.

"I can't believe you were able to pull all of this together." I smiled up in amazement at my  _fiancé_.

Only the thought of Edward Cullen as my  _fiancé,_ could make my heart skip a beat and my panties go up in flames at the same moment.

_Dear God Bella, wait until he's your husband…you may go into cardiac arrest._

"It's a long story love." He smiled.

"I think I've got time. Although my  _fiancé_  is supposed to be taking me to dinner." Edward's face broke into the biggest smile at those words.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, while still holding me close to his body. "Hold that thought." He said as he held up one finger, then turned his attention to his call. "Hello Gordon. We're ready." He said quietly. "Of course she said yes." He looked at me as he grinned. "Alright see you in a bit."

"Gordon? As in Gordon Ramsay?" I asked, intrigued.

"Yes, part of the long story." He smiled as he put his phone away.

"Spill it Cullen." I pressed with a smile.

"I've been planning to ask you for some time now, I just wanted the moment to be right. I assumed it wouldn't be until I returned home from England, but your surprise visit spurred me on to act sooner."

"On Easter Sunday, I asked your father's permission."

_Holy crap! Charlie knows?_

"What did he say?" I asked fearfully.

Edward laughed. "After a lengthy lecture about all the things he could do to me, and make it look like an accident if I were to hurt you, he gave us his blessing." Edward smiled.

_Wow, just wow._

"Things started to come together after that. The first week that I was here in London, I went out exploring when I had a free afternoon. I literally saw the jewelers and felt compelled to go inside. I chose the ring that day."

I'd been so wrapped up in the proposal, that I hadn't taken a moment to look at the ring until now. It was beautiful, of course, and I was certain it was expensive, but once again it reflected just how well Edward knew me. It was not gaudy or overstated. The band was platinum, I guessed, and on it was mounted a round solitaire diamond flanked on each side by small pear-shaped diamonds. It was perfect.

Edward continued. "Of course I had to phone Rose in order to get your ring size, and she almost burst my eardrum with her screaming."

_Rose knows too?_

"I swore her to secrecy, and obviously she kept her word because you genuinely seemed surprised." He continued to smiled like a kid on Christmas morning.

"But how did you pull all this together?" I asked as I pointed around the room.

"Ah, well. The weekend I went out with Alice and Jasper, we ended up here. I suspect that Alice must have known the house was on the market, although she swears she didn't. When I realized that this home was for sale, it felt as if fate had sent me here."

_What in Middle Earth is he talking about?_

"Edward are you saying that you bought this house?" I asked as I felt my eyes protruding from their sockets.

He took a breath. "I was hoping that  _we_ could buy this house. The paperwork is awaiting your signature."

_I am going to pass the fuck out._

This was a lot to take for one evening. He probably should have kept that little tidbit to himself for a few days, weeks, maybe years.

I was having a little difficulty catching my breath. "Bella, it's okay if you don't want it. I didn't know..."

I grabbed his jacket lapels in my hands and smiled at him. "Are you fucking kidding me Edward? I love this house. I  _love_ that you thought to buy it for me. And I  _love you_ most of all." I said as I threw my arms around his neck again.

Edward laughed and hugged me. "My intention was to bring you here after graduation, and propose then, but when you surprised me with your visit, I couldn't wait."

"I'm so glad you didn't." I grinned.

"I threatened Alec with bodily harm if he screwed this up." He smiled. "He and the set decorator were in charge of making sure this got finished by tonight. The other evening, when we met Gordon, I explained to him about the proposal while you were in the restroom. Originally, I had planned to take you out for dinner afterwards, and I was explaining to Gordon that I wanted it to be special. He came up with a different idea as we talked."

_Gordon Ramsay knows too? What the fuck?_

"Of course my idea was infinitely better than Edward's." came a voice from the doorway. I turned to see none other than Gordon Ramsay himself standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, a satisfied smile on his face. "Why in the hell would you want to go out and have a bunch of nosey bastards stare at you all night, when I could bring the dinner to you." Gordon signaled to someone behind him, and I watched as several people filed into the room.

Before I knew it, they had set up a small dining table, covered with a linen cloth and place settings for two, along with chairs for Edward and I. A few minutes later a small side table was set up with what I assumed to be our dinner. Gordon himself carried in a bucket containing a bottle of chilled champagne.

"I realize that there are a lot of family and friends with which you'd probably like to share this moment. But they are not  _here._ " Gordon said as he filled two champagne flutes and handed them to us. "So, let me be the  _first_ to congratulate you, because I  _fucking can._ " Gordon said as he grinned from ear to ear.

We laughed and accepted his congratulations, and thanked him profusely. "Don't mention it, but I  _do_ expect an invite to the wedding." He said with a smile as he left.

_Wedding. Oh my God. I'm getting married!_

Edward, seeing the frozen expression on my face, pulled me over to a chair, and had me sit down as he crouched beside me and rubbed my arm soothingly.

"Sweetheart, do you not feel like eating? We can get something else." He was concerned.

"No Edward, I'm actually starving, I'm just freaking out a little." I said as I bit my lip.

He smiled and walked over to one of the bookcases, reaching behind a tree branch. As he walked back over to me, soft music began to play.

I smiled at him and shook my head. "Mr. Movie Star, you truly thought of everything."

"Would it be too much to ask, before we eat, to have a first dance with my fiancée?" He smiled as he reached for my hand.

.

_Have I told you lately that I love you_

_Have I told you there's no one above you_

_Fill my heart with gladness_

_Take away my sadness_

_Ease my troubles, that's what you do_

_._

As usual, Edward leaned down to my ear, singing along with Van Morrison.

_._

_Oh the morning sun in all its glory_

_Greets the day with hope and comfort too_

_And you fill my life with laughter_

_You can make it better_

_Ease my troubles that's what you do_

_._

Edward was, without a doubt the sexiest and sweetest man alive. I defy anyone to argue that point.

.

_There's a love that's divine_

_And it's yours and it's mine_

_Like the sun at the end of the day_

_We should give thanks and pray to the One_

.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to seduce me Mr. Movie Star." I whispered.

Edward quirked an eyebrow as he looked down at me. " _Do_ you know better?"

 _Gah!_ _**Is** _ _he trying to seduce me?_

Edward continued to sing softly.

_._

_Have I told you lately that I love you_

_Have I told you there's no one above you_

_Fill my heart with gladness_

_Take away my sadness_

_Ease my troubles, that's what you do_

_._

Edward led me back to the table so that we could eat. By this time I was ravenous, and I could tell that Edward was hungry also. After our dinner, and the champagne, Edward led a very sleepy Bella out to where Sidney waited in the driveway.

This day had been wonderful from beginning to end. I knew that every day of our life together wouldn't be this perfect, but I knew also that, as long as we were willing to try, we could come pretty damn close.

I already had the perfect man.

By the time we reached the hotel, I was asleep. I vaguely remembered Edward carrying me upstairs and laying me in the bed. I heard him whisper "Sleep sweetheart, you had a big day."

I woke in the middle of the night, very uncomfortable and realized I was still wearing my dress. It was bunching and twisting around my legs, driving me crazy in my sleep.

I crawled out of the bed, still half asleep, discarded the dress, and crawled back in, snuggling against a sound asleep Edward.

Usually when I woke up, Edward's body would be pressed against my back, with Edward's prominent erection pressed against my backside. I remember months ago, the first time that it happened, he apologized for his morning 'issue'. After that, neither of us mentioned again. He knew that I knew, and I knew that he knew I knew.

_What the hell are you babbling about Bella?_

This morning, he wasn't there.

_He's probably disappointed that you fell asleep, and is now regretting his choice of fiancée._

_Shut the hell up._

Thinking he'd gotten up early again, I rolled over to find Edward, freshly showered, sitting in a comfortable chair near the foot of the bed, watching me.

I sat up immediately, and saw his eyebrows shoot up, almost to his hairline. "Good morning." I whispered while smiling sweetly.

"Good morning sweetheart." He answered, but his eyes weren't on my face. I glanced down and noticed I was in my strapless bra.

_Oh shit, I took my dress off during the night. Edward is so staring at my tits._

_If I want to have a serious conversation with him, I'd better cover that shit up._

I pulled the sheet up and cleared my throat. I watched as Edward's eyes shot up to my face, and he actually blushed. My self-esteem shot up several notches at that moment. Edward was always telling me that I was sexy, but I only half-believed him. His reaction this morning was to die for.

_Maybe I should tease him a little. After all I just agreed to marry this man, I think it's okay if he sees me in my bra and panties. Or naked._

"Edward, why don't you come back to bed. It's too early, and I'm lonely." I pouted.

Edward squirmed a little in his chair. "No baby, I'm good. You should probably get up soon if you want to go to Mass."

_That's right, it's Sunday._

"Okay" I announced cheerily as I threw back the covers and stood, on my way to the bathroom. I took a quick peek over my shoulder, and saw Edward's eyes burning with a green fire as he looked everywhere but at my face.

I purposefully left my clothes in the bedroom so that I could walk out there in nothing but a towel after the bath.

Edward actually looked in pain that time. Just before he blew past me on his way to the bathroom, he brought his lips low to my ear. "I'm on to you Miss Swan. Understand that two can play at that game."

I gasped, afraid to wonder what he meant by that.

I made sure to be completely dressed by the time Edward exited the bathroom. When he came out, he was wearing nothing but a towel slung low on his hips.

_Vengeance is a cold bitch._

He had a light breakfast of scones and tea delivered to the suite which we ate as we talked.

Edward was watching my hand as I ate. "Have you decided to wear that in public?"

I looked down at my hand, and realized he was talking about my ring. "Shouldn't I?" I asked, confused.

He smiled. "I just thought that maybe you wouldn't want the public to know yet. It will mean a lot of publicity.  _Again._ " He said while watching my face carefully.

"Do you not want me to wear it?" I was starting to feel insecure again.

_Maybe Edward wants to keep this under wraps._

Always in tune with my mood, he suddenly grabbed my hand. "Bella, I  _really_ want you to wear the ring. I was hoping against hope that you would. Nothing would please me more than for the world to know that you are mine." He smiled brilliantly.

And just like that, the insecurities vanished.

I smiled back. "It's kind of unfair that only the woman wears a symbol of the engagement don't you think?" I said. "I mean, you're officially 'off the market' too. You should wear something to symbolize that."

He grinned. "What did you have in mind?"

_Crap. What have I gotten myself into?_

"I don't know. Maybe I could buy you something to wear. I mean, it wouldn't mean anything to the general public, but it would mean something to us." I trailed off, assuming I sounded ridiculous.

Edward smiled and tilted his head at me. "I think that's a wonderful idea Bella. We'll stop by Tiffany's on the way home today."

I gasped.

_Tiffany's is so expensive._

Edward arched an eyebrow. "And Bella, I'm paying." He said it with such finality, that I didn't dare argue.

About thirty minutes before we had to leave for church, I excused myself to the bedroom, my phone in hand. Edward gave me a confused look. "I don't want my Dad to find out from someone else." I said quietly. Edward smiled and nodded.

I closed myself in the room and dialed my Dad's number.

_It's almost two o'clock in the morning at home, he's going to kill me._

I listened as a groggy Charlie answered the phone. "Bells, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Dad, everything's fine. I'm so sorry to call this late. Um, I have something to tell you, and I didn't want you to hear from someone else."

I suddenly started to feel very emotional, and was missing my father's awkward hugs. Truth be told, this conversation was bittersweet for me, because I should have to be making two phone calls instead of just one.

Because my mother's life had been stolen away, I wouldn't get to make that second call. I wouldn't get to hear her excited giggles as she asked the details of the proposal, and had me describe the ring. I wouldn't have to tell her that I wasn't inviting her Aunt Gladys to the wedding because she always made passes at the younger men, even if they were related to her. I wouldn't get to listen to her try to plan the entire event for me, during a ten minute phone conversation. I wouldn't have any of that, and it made me feel a little empty inside.

"What's that Bells?" Charlie's voice brought me back to the present.

"Dad, would it bother you if I changed my last name?" I asked quietly.

Charlie thought for a moment. "Not too much Bells, as long as you're changing it to  _Cullen._ " He said as he chuckled. "So the boy finally asked you huh?"

I sniffled, trying to hold back the tears. "Yes" I said, my voice breaking.

"Hey, hey baby." Charlie sounded concerned. "I hope those are happy tears, because I warned him of what I'd do. There are a hell of a lot of places I could hide the body where no one would ever find it."

"Dad" I laughed "Would you stop talking about murdering my fiancé."

Charlie harrumphed. "You think I'm kidding." He said quietly.

"No Dad, I actually don't." I said with a smile. "Listen, I'd better go. Edward and I are going to Mass, I don't want to be late."

"Okay Bella. Tell that boy congratulations, he's lucky to have you." Charlie said.

_That was sweet._

"Love you Bells."

"Love you too Dad. Goodbye."

Sidney dropped us at Westminster Cathedral. The Mass was beautiful, and uneventful, until we were leaving. As soon as we exited the Cathedral, we were greeted with a wall of photographers shouting at us, and blinding us with the flashes from their cameras.

' _ **Edward and Isabella, is it true that you are engaged?'**_

The next thing I knew, Sidney had a grip on my arm and was whisking me toward the car. Edward got in just behind me.

I turned to him with a smile as we pulled away. "Good news travels fast."

He smirked. "It would appear that way, soon to be Mrs. Cullen." He said as he pecked me on the lips.

_Soon? I wonder how soon exactly._

During the car ride, Edward called his parents. It was still the middle of the night there, so he woke them up, but Edward was taking no chances of someone notifying them of our engagement before we told them ourselves.

Esme burst into tears and insisted on speaking with me. She told me how much they loved me, and how she already thought of me as another daughter. By the time we hung up, I was also in tears.

Edward made good on his promise, and we stopped at Tiffany's after Mass. I fell in love with a man's link bracelet in white gold. It was very attractive, and similar enough to my ring while still being masculine. Edward really liked it too. I almost choked when I saw the price which I calculated in my head to be about five thousand American dollars.

Back at the hotel, we made the last two important calls of the day. Alice and Rose. Even though they were both aware of the proposal, they squealed in our ears like teenagers. Emmett was still on retreat, so I would have to speak with him later. They also both informed us that they'd already begun planning the engagement party.

I cringed.

This was my last full day in England, and as much as I'd love to have gone back to the house in Oxford, Edward and I decided that we would return there together as soon as our schedules would allow.

After much deliberation, it was decided that today we would visit the Tower of London. After what had happened at the Cathedral, Sidney and Edward realized that it would be a good idea to have a second bodyguard for whenever we ventured out in public. Sidney contacted a personal protection service and they sent someone over early that afternoon. Imagine my surprise when the new guard turned out to be a woman. Maureen was very good at her job, and by that evening I was very glad to have had her help navigating the crazy.

After Sidney parked the car, we headed away from the parking facility toward the Tower entrance. Only a handful of paps followed, but I was certain that the number would triple by the time we were ready to leave. I suddenly froze in my tracks when a double-decker bus pulled up to the light alongside where we were walking. I hurriedly pulled my camera from my purse, and snapped a photo for my brother. Edward laughed in amusement at the sight of the underwear ad. I immediately sent the coveted photo to Emmett. About five minutes later I received a response in the form of a text message.  _ **'FUCKING A'**_  was all it said.

The Tower of London was everything I'd imagined. Parts of it were creepy, other parts were cool. We oohed and aahed over the crown jewels, but my mind was distracted by the rock on my hand. All afternoon, little panicked thoughts invaded my conscious mind.

_I have to plan a wedding._

_I wonder what kind of wedding Edward will want?_

Unable to hold my questions in any longer, I decided to ask. As we stood in a room filled with implements of torture and execution, I turned to the man I loved. "Edward, how soon did you want to get married?"

He grinned crookedly. "Yesterday."

His answer made me smile. "Serious answer Edward."

"I am being serious. I wouldn't be averse to running away, but I get the impression that wouldn't be your first choice."

I thought for a moment. "No, I want to get married in church." I answered quietly, well aware that listening ears surrounded us.

"Holy crap Edward, would you look at that." I stopped my wedding talk to stare at something called a 'Scold's Bridle'.

It was a metal mask, but it looked more like a helmet made of metal straps, which fit over the head. There was a metal piece that fit in a person's mouth. As I read, it was often used as a punishment for the 'nagging' or 'scolding' wife, and the husband could attach a leash to the mask in order to lead the transgressor through the town square as a form of humiliation.

Here I was standing in a room filled with swords used to execute people, and other devices designed to cut a human being to shreds, and I was appalled by the 'cure for the nagging wife'.

_I'm such a chick._

There was a modicum of satisfaction when I realized that my  _fiancé_ looked just as appalled as I felt.

"That's disgusting." He muttered.

Just like the day before, Edward and I walked around with one each of our arms wrapped around the other person. Our need for closeness had intensified as the day of my departure loomed closer.

_In less than 24hours, we'll have to say goodbye again._

At least I have tangible proof that I belong to Edward, in the form of a rock residing on my left hand.

_I never imagined myself to be a girl that cared about that stuff. Who knew?_

After touring The Tower, Edward and I had a late lunch before heading back to the hotel. While at the restaurant, I took a photo of my hand resting on Edward's, showing off our 'bling', and sent it to everyone in my address book. A total of about eight people.

_Apart from having Edward, my social life is pretty dismal._

I received several texts back in response.

_**Our boy's got good taste-not just in rings. xoxo Chris** _

_**We are so happy for you both. Love Esme and Carlisle** _

_**OMG is that what I think it is? Joanna just fainted. miss you. Tara** _

Upon our arrival at the hotel, we were greeted by a large crowd of paps as we made our way from the car to the doors.

' _ **Edward, were you aware of another former date speaking out about your relationship?'**_

' _ **Bella, can we see the ring?'**_

Edward and I just rolled our eyes at one another as we disappeared into the hotel. It turned out that another former date had indeed decided to 'reveal' that Edward had been a perfect gentleman.

I took a shower and changed into comfortable clothing knowing that we intended to stay in for the rest of the night. While Edward showered, I decided to throw caution to the wind and lie down on the sofa to watch a movie. Of course I made sure to cover said sofa with an extra blanket from the closet first.

When Edward walked into the sitting room, he laughed at my sofa cover. "Hey don't laugh. If I caught Alec doing the nasty in here, can you imagine how many other people may have done that?" I snarked. Which made Edward laugh harder.

"Okay, Mr. Movie Star, you have your choice of movies tonight.  _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ or _Sweeney Todd_." I announced.

"So in other words, it's either Audrey Hepburn, or you get to watch me drool over Johnny for a couple of hours." I grinned.

"Bella, he's so creepy in that film." Edward said, while showing just a twinge of jealousy.

"Creepy or not Mr. Movie Star. He's still Johnny freakin Depp." I poked his chest while pronouncing the last three words.

Edward sighed and sat on the sofa, pulling me down with him. " _Tiffany's_ it is then." He answered with a smile.

"Hold on, maybe I can find  _September Ends_ somewhere in the listing." I giggled.

"Forget about it." Edward said as he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Oh, so I don't get to see your butt again?" I grinned.

Edward pulled me close and breathed into my ear. "I'll show it to you in person later baby."

I swallowed. "Really?"

He nodded.

_Breathe Bella, just breathe._

'Later' just became my favorite part of this day.

_-V &V-_

'Later' arrived after we had dozed on the sofa, and eaten the sandwiches we'd ordered from room service. Edward also ordered a bottle of champagne, because he determined that we weren't done celebrating our engagement.

"Bella, I want to celebrate the fact that you said yes, every night from now until our wedding."

Edward carried the champagne and flute glasses in one arm as he took my hand in his and led me to the bedroom. We sat side by side on the bed as we toasted our future.

I confessed to him that I couldn't wait to be married to him, but I was a bit apprehensive about the wedding becoming some large overblown affair like Emmett and Rose's was going to be.

"Bella, don't worry, my Mother and Alice will be more than happy to help plan it. If you tell them 'simple', they will abide by your wishes."

"But Alice is already helping Rose." I argued.

"Bella, this is for her little brother." He grinned. "Besides, Alice thrives on keeping busy."

I took another sip. "Well, I should probably get ready for bed." I said as I stood to walk to the bathroom. Edward gently touched my arm, signaling me to stay.

He pulled me down to sit beside him on the bed again while taking my flute glass and setting it beside his on the nightstand. "May I help you?" Edward breathed.

I was scared to death, but when I looked into Edward's eyes I felt calmer. "Yes" I whispered.

Edward reached for my shirt and undid the top button as he kissed my lips sweetly. With the second button, he kissed my cheek. The third, my chin. The fourth, my neck. The last, my collarbone.

Edward grasped the sides of my now unbuttoned shirt in his hands while silently seeking permission with his eyes.

I nodded, and he gently removed the shirt from my shoulders, kissing each one, and then removed it from my arms, before kissing each hand and my ring finger.

I reached for his shirt, and he immediately understood, as he slipped the shirt over his head without hesitation and pulled me to his chest.

I was so nervous that I was certain Edward could feel me trembling. "Hey" He pulled away slightly in order to look in my eyes. "No expectations tonight Bella. It is not my intention to take your virtue the night before I have to say goodbye again."

This calmed my breathing somewhat, and I nodded.

Edward nudged me to lie back on the bed, and I complied. He proceeded to kiss my lips and every bit of skin accessible to him. What I did next surprised even me, but I couldn't stop myself. I loved this man with every fiber of my being, and I wanted to show him that I would be only his forever.

I sat up and pulled first one bra strap down and then the other before struggling to reach the clasp. "Allow me" Edward said in a low voice.

He reached behind me and unclasped the bra before pulling it away from my body. I felt his gaze on me, but I couldn't look at his eyes. I was mortified and went to cover myself with my hands.

"Don't" Edward whispered. "Don't Bella. You are so beautiful. Please don't hide from me."

I melted.

"Edward, I don't think I can" I swallowed "make love, not yet, but I want to feel close to you."

He nodded.

I reached for the button on his jeans. His intense gaze was fixed on my fingers as I fumbled with the button. He finally had to assist me with it. I pulled the zipper down myself, slowly. I noticed Edward's rapid breathing matched my own.

As soon as the zipper was all the way down, Edward stood, and in one fluid movement, he was out of the jeans. This left him standing before me in nothing but his boxer briefs.

_GAAAAAAH_

Through the muddled haze in my head, it registered with my brain that I had entirely too many clothes on. As I reached for the button of my own jeans, Edward's hands here there first, as he deftly unbuttoned and unzipped them.

_Why's he so freaking smooth? He's never done this before either._

_Face it Bella, you are just uncoordinated._

I knew I'd never be able to whisk my jeans off the way Edward had without landing on my ass, so he eventually helped me as I inched them down my legs. I was left standing in only my midnight blue panties and a nervous smile.

Edward stood, drinking me in with his eyes. "Exquisite." He whispered before kissing me passionately.

We crawled under the covers together, and Edward kissed every inch of newly exposed skin, paying particular attention, I noticed, to my breasts. I never imagined feeling this way. Edward's kisses and reverent touches awoke feelings that I'd never had. If just his kisses and touches made me feel this good, I could only imagine how wonderful it would be when we finally had sex.

_I'm pretty sure I'll never want to stop._

I fell asleep wrapped in Edward's arms, more in love than ever before.


	48. Bite Marks & Sweet /Revenge

 

_He promised to show me his ass. His spectacular hiney. His magnificent gluteus maximus._

But he never did.

_I totally showed him my boobies, I think he owes me a peek at his butt._

At least that was how I justified what I was about to do. Edward was sprawled out, flat on his stomach next to me, sound asleep. I, on the other hand, had been awake for ages, staring at the ceiling in the grey light of dawn, thinking about Edward's naked tush. I rolled to my side and gazed at his perfect male form, his back moved slightly with each breath he took. The lower half of his body was obscured by the sheet. I should have been satisfied with that view. Even his back was beautiful, although I'd have preferred a view of his chest just then.

_Bella, if you had a view of his chest right now, that would mean he'd be lying on his back which would render your plan impossible._

Which brought me back to thinking about his tush.

_He said 'later'. This is technically 'later'._

I couldn't argue with myself. I was making perfect sense. It was time to place my plan into action. I sat up and silently fake-stretched.

_Just in case the eyes in the back of Edward's head were watching me._

As I stretched, I let the sheet fall from my chest.

_This would distract 'the eyes'._

I stretched out my legs and caught the sheet with my toes in order to inch it down, little by little. My plan was working perfectly, and in a matter of half a minute, I'd worked the sheet until it was below the waistband of Edward's grey boxer briefs.

_I have very talented toes. I could kiss them right now._

But I wasn't sure I was that flexible.

_Damn, I need to take a yoga class or something. Increase my flexibility._

I laid down until my body was almost parallel with Edward's, at the same time, I reached one hand over until it hovered above his posterior. I began to lower the hand ever so slowly.

_Lower._

_Lower._

Until my fingertips rested gently on the waistband of his underwear. I very gingerly slipped my thumb under the waistband, and with the help of two fingers began to lift.

To ensure the best view, I closed one eye while focusing with the other.

"Are you peeking Miss Swan?" said a groggy voice next to me, which sounded eerily like Edward. Needles to say, I was startled and immediately let go of the elastic waistband, popping it against Edward's ass in the process.

"Ow," He moaned in a sleepy voice, before rolling over to face me with a knowing grin.

And then I realized my boobs were still uncovered.

_Crap. And I didn't even get a good look at his bum. I officially suck._

I blushed as I pulled the sheet back up to my shoulders, and didn't miss the twinkle in Edward's eye as he smirked at me.

"Good morning beautiful." He breathed.

"Good morning." I smiled back.

"Are you ready for today?" He asked quietly.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I whispered.

He sat up slightly, and pecked my lips. "I'm going to jump in the shower, I've got to meet with Alec in a few minutes. I don't have to go to the studio until after you leave this afternoon."

This reminded me of a question of vital importance I needed to ask.

I cleared my throat. "Edward, do you have any more  _sex_ scenes to film?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

Edward barked out a laugh. "Bella, you are so unexpected." He continued to smile. "No, Miss Swan, I am done filming those scenes that offend you so." He leaned up again and kissed my nose, before standing and going into the bathroom.

Feeling too naked, I pulled one of his t-shirts over my head, and started the sad task of packing my suitcase. As I stood there folding my clothes, Edward walked back into the bedroom, wearing only a smirk and a towel, wrapped low around his hips.

My mouth went dry and my girly bits began to tingle at the arrival of Sexward.

"I forgot something." He announced innocently, while quirking an eyebrow. He walked over next to me and grabbed a pair of boxer briefs from his dresser drawer. He walked back to the bathroom, pausing in the doorway. I watched as he turned his head to smirk at me over his shoulder, probably making sure I was looking, and then  _ **he**_ _ **dropped the towel**_ before disappearing into the steamy bathroom.

'Steamy' being the operative word.

I stood frozen in place. My eyes still fixed on the spot where, but a moment before, I'd seen Edward's naked ass.

_I saw Edward's bum. It was a beautiful thing. So much better than in the movies. A much better view than the other day, across the length of the soundstage._

I'd only seen a few naked male butts before, always in movies, so I didn't have a lot to compare it with, but I was pretty sure that Edward's was perfect.

_I think I want to bite it._

_I am thankful that he didn't turn around to face me though. There's only so much my poor heart can take in one day. There's a distinct possibility that I wouldn't survive long in a room with Edward's naked peen._

With these thoughts racing through my head, the bedroom started to get pretty steamy too.

_I should go in there and see if he needs any help with his shower. A good girlfriend would do that. He probably needs help washing his back._

_I'm glad he doesn't have any more sex scenes, because he's look pretty funny with my teeth marks on his ass._

_It would be easy, just walk over there and turn the knob…_

_Argh._

I shook my head to clear it, and once again sanity unfortunately prevailed, as I was able to talk myself out of getting us both 'worked up' mere hours before my flight was to leave.

_Stupid sensible Bella._

So, instead of attacking my fuckhot boyfriend in the shower, I went to the fridge for a bottle of water. Just as I contemplated pouring it over my head or possibly down my underpants so I could cool the fuck down, there was a knock at the door.

I looked through the peephole to find Crystal standing there.

"Hi Crystal" I said as I opened the door. "Sorry, I just woke up." I said as I pointed to my attire.

"Don't worry about that, it's just me. After all, I've already seen your brother in hisunderwear, and I've never even met him." She smiled and winked.

I laughed.

"I'm sorry to intrude, but I wanted to see you one last time before you flew home." She explained.

"I'm so glad you did." I said as I patted her arm. "Come on in." I gestured to the sitting room. We chatted for a few minutes. When she noticed my ring, she squealed with excitement. A couple minutes later, Edward walked into the room, looking like the front cover of Gentleman's Quarterly.

 _How in the hell am I expected to board a plane, leaving_ _**that** _ _behind?_

"Sweetheart, I'm going next door to speak with Alec about my schedule. I'll be back in less than fifteen minutes." He leaned down and pecked my lips before heading out the door.

I suddenly had a brainstorm. Rose had come up with a plan to exact revenge on Edward for thieving my Little Mermaid underwear. With Crystal's help, I had just thought of a way to make the punishment much more memorable, and  _visual_  for Edward.

"Crystal" I grinned. "I need your assistance with something. Would you be up to helping me torture my boyfriend, oh excuse me, my fiancé?" I giggled.

She smiled "What did you have in mind?"

_-V &V-_

Edward had another surprise planned before I had to depart this afternoon. I didn't have a clue what it was, but I knew that I needed to dress the part of his fiancée if we were going to be seen together in public. If I knew Edward, and I did, the surprise would be romantic, and perfect for us.

My bag was packed and ready to go. I was dressed, but was struggling with the fact that we'd be saying goodbye, yet again, today.

_Didn't I just arrive? Where did the time go?_

His surprise was beautiful and romantic. He'd reserved a private capsule aboard the London Eye. We boarded it exactly at noon, leaving Sidney and Maureen waiting for us on the ground.

Edward had arranged for us to have a light lunch on board, provided by our favorite chip shop, along with, of course, a bottle of champagne.

The only thing he hadn't taken into consideration was my extreme fear of heights. I spent the entire ride clinging onto Edward for dear life. He didn't seem to mind.

 _Hmm maybe he_ _**did** _ _take my fear of heights into consideration._

As long as I held onto him, I was able to peer out over the city of London, while making a mental list of all the sights I would visit on my next trip.

_Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, Houses of Parliament, a cruise along the River Thames._

Edward was standing with his front to my back and his arms wrapped around me, as we both looked out over the city. "Oh Edward, it's wonderful, thank you." I rubbed my hands on his arms. "Now I can truly say that I saw all of London."

He leaned down and kissed my neck, lingering there as he spoke. "Next time we'll see everything. We'll explore London. I'll take you to Wales, Bath, and Scotland. We've got to come back soon, we have a house to furnish."

I smiled.

_Our house._

_Just wait until I tell my Dad about the house, he'll flip._

I had eaten as much as the butterflies in my stomach would allow before we had to exit our bubble in the sky.

The ride to the airport was quiet as I leaned into Edward's side, our arms around each other. All too soon, we were at the security gate beyond which Edward couldn't follow.

"Skype tonight baby." He reminded.

I simply nodded, afraid to speak until I was able to swallow the lump in my throat.

I wrapped my arms around his neck for one last goodbye. "I love you Edward."

"I love you too Bella, and I can't wait to marry you." We didn't care that we were in full view of the paps as Edward pulled me into his arms for our last kiss before I'd have to board my plane.

This was it. This kiss would have to last me weeks. Weeks of only being able to communicate with my fiancé through electronic devices. Edward lightly brushed his lips against mine before pressing them against me forcefully. The electric current that always existed between us intensified and the only thing I could hear aside from our labored breathing was the frantic pounding of my heart. I pulled my lips away from his slightly in order to lightly trace first his bottom lip and then the top lightly with the tip of my tongue before taking his bottom lip gently between my teeth. I heard him groan and I released his lip just in time for his lips to crash into mine again. Edward's hands, which were grasping my hips, pulled my body flush against his as I ran my fingers frantically through his hair.

This kiss was passionate, too passionate for a public place. I resisted the urge to grasp his ass cheek as soon as I became aware of the constant click of the cameras a few feet away. We broke the kiss, but stayed close enough for our lips to almost touch. "I'm going to miss you so much." I whispered.

"I know baby. The time will fly, you'll see." He breathed.

I nodded. "I guess I'd better go. Oh Edward, I don't want to leave." I really tried not to cry, but a couple of tears escaped and ran down my cheeks. Edward wiped them away with his thumbs as he cradled my face in his hands.

"Tonight Bella. We'll talk tonight." He leaned down and kissed me briefly one last time, and then I pulled away. I knew I would miss him terribly, but part of me was happy almost to the point of feeling giddy.

_I left home as Edward's girlfriend, and was returning as his fiancée._

I wanted to hug myself.

I turned and started the slow trek toward security. Suddenly, I remembered there was something I needed to tell him.

_Thank God I didn't board that plane. This is too important._

I turned and raced back over to him. As soon as I was close enough, I placed my hands on his shoulders and pulled him down in order to whisper in his ear.

"By the way, Edward, I know you stole my panties." I felt him stiffen under my hands. "It's okay, but I figured that turnabout is fair play so…." I hesitated and brought my lips very close to his ear as I whispered "I want you to know.." I said slowly "I'm wearing your underwear." Then I kissed him on the cheek, turned and bolted for security, a very large satisfied smile on my face.

I turned to take one last look at the love of my life, only to find him frozen in place, a stunned look on his face. I waved and blew him a kiss which seemed to wake him from his trance. He took a breath and then smiled his panty dropping smile, which almost kept me from leaving, but I behaved and continued on slowly, until we lost sight of each other.

That had been Rose's part of the plan, now it was time to implement phase two, the part that I'd been able to complete this morning with Crystal's help.

After going through security, I settled myself into a seat in the waiting area at my gate. I felt eyes on me, but was becoming surprisingly used to it. After all, if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Edward, I would have to accept the attention, both good and bad, that came along with it.

I pulled out my phone and sent two photos to Edward, along with a text message. The photos, taken by Crystal this morning, were both of me. In the first one I wore nothing but my Little Mermaid underpants and a smile, in the second I wore only a pair of Edward's black boxer briefs and had my lips puckered into a kiss. I made sure to cover my ta-tas with my hands in both photos just in case they were to fall into the wrong hands.

_You never know what can happen in cyberspace._

_**E-** _

_**Don't worry, I put the Little Mermaid panties back in your suitcase after taking the photos.** _

_**I love you.** _

_**P.S. I'm keeping your boxer briefs.** _

_**-B** _

I chuckled to myself as I thought of Edward's reaction.

I didn't have to wait long. My phone rang a couple minutes later.

"Hello" I answered innocently.

I heard Edward take a breath before he spoke. "Baby, what are you trying to do to me?" He asked in a strained voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about sweetie" still playing coy.

Edward chuckled. "You know, I can't decide which of these is going to be my new screensaver, so I think I'll alternate between them."

_He is so sexy and sweet._

"I don't have a problem with that Edward, as long as your computer is password protected." I responded. "Those were for your eyes only." I whispered.

_All I need is for stupid Alec to get an eyeful of half naked Bella._

I cringed at the thought.

"Trust me Bella, no one will ever see these but me." He chuckled again. "You always find ways to surprise me."

"I try Mr. Movie Star." I smiled.

He sighed. "I'd better let you go." He said reluctantly. "I'm sure you'll be boarding soon."

"And you have to go to work." I added.

"I actually just arrived at the studio." He answered.

I sighed. "I'll talk to you tonight. I love you Edward, and I can't wait to marry you either."

"Love you too Bella, so much. Goodbye."

_-V &V-_

My arrival at SeaTac airport was something I would remember for the rest of my life. Someone in London must have alerted the media to my departure, because when I exited the gate area of the airport, on my way to baggage claim, I was confronted by a wall of photographers shouting questions at me.

I saw Lou push his way through them to me, and realized that my brother was with him. They positioned me between them, Emmett's protective arm around my shoulders, as we navigated our way the hell out of there.

"Holy shit Bella." Emmett remarked when we reached the car "That was intense. Was it like that in London?"

"No, nothing like that. It must be because of the engagement." I said, bewildered. "We never actually told anyone. Edward and I assumed someone that saw us on Sunday leaked it to the press."

Lou turned his head from the front and glanced at me. "By the way, congratulations Bella." He grinned. "Although, Edward's the one I should be congratulating."

_That was really sweet._

"No, Lou, I'm the lucky one. I'm so very happy, and I get to spend forever with my Edward." I spoke aloud exactly what I was thinking.

Emmett quirked an eyebrow at me and shook his head, chuckling.

"What?" I asked.

"I can't get used to how sappy you've gotten. Where's my snarky little sister?" He asked with a grin.

"Sitting right here next to you asswipe. Allow me a moment of silliness once in a while, I'm in love you big stupid mouth breather."

Emmett and Lou both barked out laughs at that.

_Jerks_

"Where's Rose?" I asked, although I was surprised that even Emmett came with Lou.

Emmett got a pained expression. "She's going straight to her parents' after work. Her Mom insisted on helping with wedding plans tonight _._ "

_I wonder why he has that funny look on his face?_

_-V &V-_

When I entered my apartment, I was perplexed. Someone had been there. I looked around. There were magazines on my coffee table that weren't mine. A dirty coffee cup in the sink.

Someone had even been sleeping in my bed.

_My life has felt a bit like a fairy tale lately, just not this particular one._

I pulled out my cell and called Rose.

"Hello Bells." She said in a tired voice.

"What's going on Rose? Are you mad at Emmett or something, or is there another explanation for why you've been staying in my apartment?"

She sighed. "I only stayed there last night because your brother came back from that retreat acting like some kind of freak."

"In what way? He seemed his usual self on the ride from the airport."

Rose harrumphed. "That's only because you don't have to live with him." She explained. "Hold on, I'm going to another room."

I could hear Rose moving into what I assumed was a more private place in her parent's house, then I heard the soft closing of a door.

"My mother is so damned nosey. She has the wedding planner and two of her friends inflicting their opinions on me, and they don't need to overhear this conversation ." She sighed. "I'm exhausted."

"I'm sorry Rose. I should be helping you more." I told her quietly.

"No, Bells, that's fine. As long as you don't mind being my sounding board once in a while. The thing is, I know exactly what I want, and my mother is frustrated because she can't sway me." She said. "She doesn't even like my choice of flowers. I told her she was a pain in the ass." Rose laughed.

I laughed too.

"So, what were you saying about Emmett acting like a freak?"

_Emmett always acts like a freak, I wonder what's different about now._

"He's determined to stick with the abstinence thing until the wedding, so he decided it would be safest to sleep in the guest bedroom. That should have been the end of it, but when I walked to the kitchen dressed for bed, he got really upset."

"He even called me  _Jezebel_  for trying to tempt him." She laughed. "Bells, honestly I was wearing sweats and one of his baggy shirts, precisely because I didn't want to make this harder for him. I looked hideous."

_More proof that Rose truly loves my brother. She never willingly looks hideous for anyone or anything._

"I called him a dick and spent the night at your place."

We both chuckled. "To his credit, he did apologize. If I wanted to be a complete bitch, I'd parade around in lingerie. The thing is, I love him so much that I'll do whatever I can to make this easier, so, can I stay with you until the wedding?" She blurted out in a rush.

"Of course you can Rose. Even if Emmett wasn't the one paying the rent on my apartment, I'd want you there. Maybe this way I can be of more help with the wedding preparations."

_And maybe you can help me with mine._

Rose breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief. "I appreciate that Bells. Okay, I'd better get back to the circle of hens. I need a fucking beer." She muttered as I laughed.

"Bye Rose, see you later tonight."

After hanging up with Rose, I immediately went on to skype. Edward was in his bedroom, waiting for me.

"Hello my love, did you have a pleasant flight?" He asked.

"It was uneventful. I wish I could have stayed longer." I admitted sadly.

He took a deep breath. "Me too Bella. I missed you as soon as you rounded the corner in the airport."

I nodded in agreement. "Edward, it's really late there, you need to get some sleep."

"Will you lay down with me?" He asked.

"Certainly." I crawled into my bed, and soon was fast asleep.

_-V &V-_

It was really late by the time Rose arrived, and I overslept the next morning, so I had to bolt out the door to make my classes. Rose and I didn't get a chance to catch up until I arrived for work that afternoon.

I walked into Rose's office and she dropped the latest issue of People magazine down in front of me. There was a small photo of Edward and me on the cover with the caption  _ **Edward and Bella want respect**_.

_What a stupid caption._

Once I'd read the article, I realized that out of everything Edward had talked about in the interview, the magazine had taken one line in which he'd stated his desire for everyone to  _respect our privacy,_ and sensationalized it a bit.

_Get used to it Bella. This is mild. From now on, everything you or Edward say will be taken out of context._

After I'd finished reading the article, Rose wanted to talk. "So, needless to say, I was a little freaked out when I entered your bedroom last night to find a sleeping Edward on your computer screen." Rose grinned.

"I'm sorry Bells, I had to turn that shit off." She giggled. "I couldn't sleep with Edward in the room."

I smiled.

"How often do you two go to sleep still connected to skype?"

"Almost every night." I whispered.

"I think you may need to get married sooner than Emmett and I." She laughed. "I've never seen a more hopeless case."

_That is something Edward and I need to decide. A wedding date._

I made a promise to myself that we would settle that matter as soon as he returned from England.

Rose cracked up when I told her about the way Crystal and I were able to embellish Edward's punishment for being a panty thief.

"I have no doubts that you will be able to handle the press and anything else that's thrown at you Bells." She smiled as she looked at the photos on my phone that I'd sent to Edward. "I bet he was whimpering when he saw these."

I laughed too. "He sounded a little uncomfortable." I admitted.

"One thing is certain Bells, whether they're fifteen or fifty, boys are basically predictable when it comes to sex." She grinned.

I grabbed some paperwork from Rose and headed over to my desk, just in time to see another vase of yellow carnations delivered to my cubicle. Once again the card was unsigned. This time it contained a single word:

_**Soon** _

That one word caused my hands to start shaking and I was overcome with a feeling of dizziness. I could feel the beginning of a panic attack coming on, and I sat down so I wouldn't fall down.

A thousand different thoughts swirled through my head. Once I'd calmed a little, I pulled out my phone and called the one person who could help me at that moment.

"Hello."

"Hello Daddy" I said in a broken voice, "I need your help."


	49. Edible Art & First Steps

 

"Bella" Charlie spoke urgently. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"I'm okay Dad." I said as I tried to calm down. "I'm just freaking out a little."

"Why? Tell me what's going on Bella." Charlie said in a demanding tone.

I took a deep breath and began quietly. "I got another flower delivery, and I know it shouldn't scare me like this, but it does. I can't help how I feel. It's just that everything had been going along so well and I'd put the first delivery out of my mind because I've been so happy and…"

"Bells, stop." My Dad cut off my rambling. "First of all. You're not over-reacting to this. It's perfectly normal, given what you went through."

It was unusual for Charlie to refer to my mother's death. The subject was taboo for him. It was the only indication I had that he was truly upset about this.

"I need to ask you a few questions. You need to be calm. Can you do that?" He ordered.

"Yes."

He sighed. "Okay. Where are you right now?"

"I'm at work."

"Good, so Rose is there with you?"

"She's here, but I didn't tell her about the flowers." I said quietly.

"As soon as we're finished, I want you to go to Rose's office and tell her. You are not to go anywhere without someone accompanying you. It can be Rose or Emmett or Lou, as long as one of them is with you. Do you understand?"

_He's even bossier than Edward._

"Yes Dad." I didn't even consider arguing with him.

"I'm going to get in touch with the Seattle P.D. and have someone call to question you." He said in a gentler tone. "I take it that the flowers were delivered to the station?"

"Yes, both times."

"Was there a card with this one?"

"Yes. It was unsigned and only contained the word "Soon"."

"Okay Bella. I don't think you need to panic about this. Just continue to be careful. It doesn't sound like this guy knows where you live. He hasn't called or sent you any text messages has he?"

"No." I started to relax a little at my father's words.

"So, it's probably safe to say that he doesn't have your phone number." Charlie sounded a little relieved. "Feel a little better now?" He asked.

I released a breath. "I guess so."

"Promise me you won't go anywhere alone." He insisted.

"I promise."

"Good. Listen, I'm going to let you go so I can make that call. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah Dad. I'll go tell Rose." I answered.

"Okay. I'll call you later. I love you Bells."

"Love you too Dad."

I sucked up my courage and carried the vase of flowers with me into Rose's office. She was on the phone, but I noticed how her brow furrowed as soon as it mentally registered what I was carrying.

She quickly ended the call. "When did those arrive?" She asked with an edge of anger in her voice.

"A few minutes ago." I answered quietly. "I already called Dad."

Rose's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Good Bella. That was the right thing to do."

I went on to tell Rose about Charlie's instructions, and she agreed wholeheartedly.

"Bells, no one wants you to worry unnecessarily, but there's no point being stupid about this. Better safe than sorry." She reminded.

About an hour later, I received a call from Officer Burton. I remembered her from my park ranger ordeal. She questioned me for about fifteen minutes before advising that there really wasn't anything they could do. Unfortunately two flower deliveries weren't considered any kind of threat.

When I got home, I knew I'd have to tell Edward about the flowers, and I also knew that he's flip his shit.

Rose went straight to her apartment, while I was met at my door by Emmett. "Bells, I spoke with Pops. He questioned the florist and said that the orders both times were paid in cash, but no one can give a description of who placed them. They couldn't even remember if the customer was male or female. Not a lot of help there I'm afraid."

"I know you feel uncomfortable, but it's nothing to panic about. You may just have a secret admirer." He tried to play this off, but I knew my brother. Inside he was seething.

"Thanks Emmett."

"Are you going to be okay for a couple of hours, I promised to take Rose out to dinner." He looked a little sheepish. "I want to make up for being a jerk."

I laughed. "I'll be fine. Have a good time."

"I already checked your apartment for assholes. Make sure to lock yourself in." He instructed.

I smiled at that. "Thanks brother." I said before turning and disappearing into my apartment.

"Hey baby." Edward said as soon as I connected to skype.

"Hi." I answered with a smile. "I have to tell you something."

_There was no sense in dragging this out._

His eyebrows shot up with curiosity. "Oh yeah?"

I swallowed. "I got another vase of yellow carnations today."

Edward looked down and muttered a low "fuck" before raising his eyes to look at me again. He was angry. "Was there a card?"

"Yes. It just said the word 'soon', and was unsigned." I answered. "But I've already spoken with my Dad, he's investigating it, and has involved the Seattle police. Everything's fine, no need to worry."

He seemed pleasantly surprised that I'd acted so quickly. "I'm glad to hear that you're taking this seriously Bella, but I'm always going to worry about you." He blew out a breath. "What did Charlie say?"

I told him what my Dad had found out, but didn't share what Officer Burton told me. If Edward found out that the police could do nothing until an actual crime had been committed, I would imagine he'd find a way to be on the next flight home. As much as I'd love to have him back here, I was not going to allow the fact that I may or may not have a stalker, interfere with his career.

After I forced Edward to go to sleep, I stayed up working on homework until I heard Rose come through the door.

She walked back to my bedroom and stood in my doorway with a pissed-off expression on her face.

_What now?_

Rose didn't wait for me to ask before she started speaking. "Your brother is driving me crazy."

"What happened?" I asked in a weary tone.

"Well, let's see. First of all, before we even left the apartment, he apologized again for accusing me of dressing like a floozy, just before he pointed out that the dress I was wearing was showing too much cleavage."

"And how did you respond to that?" I asked.

"I gave him a titty twister, and threatened to give his balls the same treatment if he didn't shut up about my wardrobe."

I couldn't help the laugh that exploded from me. Rose just grinned.

"So, everything was fine for a while after that, until he confided in me that his biggest fear was that he'd forget what I looked like  _naked_."

_What a deep thinker my brother is._

"He's such a jackass." Rose admitted. "I reminded him that it was only a couple of months, and that I was certain he'd survive."

"After that he got really quiet for a long time. What really concerned me was that he wasn't eating, instead he just seemed to be playing with his food." She said seriously.

_Wow, Emmett never misses a meal. He must be really upset._

"I started to worry. I mean, my poor monkey man must be really sad not to eat his dinner. He was hanging his head, and wouldn't look up at me."

Rose sighed. "Then I happened to look down at his plate, and realized that he was arranging his food into the shapes of female body parts" She said in a disgusted tone. "He had even sculpted a pair of breasts with his mashed potatoes for crying out loud."

_Ew._

"I asked him what the hell he was doing. He responded that those were  _my_ body parts, and he was doing a 'memory exercise'. It was like having dinner with a horny thirteen year old boy." She muttered.

_My brother is a freak._

"What did you do?" I asked, thoroughly disgusted.

"I smacked him in the head of course. He made my tits look lopsided."

This time I bit my lip to keep the laugh from escaping.

Rose sighed again and sat down on the bed beside me. "Then I offered to blow him in the car." She grinned mischievously. "…aaand then he called me Jezebel again." She blurted out a laugh.

"Okay, first of all I  _never_ needed to know that." I said as I cringed. "but second, I don't think he's going to make it two months." I chuckled.

"I don't know about that." Rose replied. "I only know that if he keeps tweaking my nerves, being horny will be the least of his problems." She responded with a smirk.

_-V &V-_

The next day, I was busily working at my desk when the receptionist informed me that I had a 'visitor'. I had freaked myself out to the point that I was almost afraid to walk out there. Images of a creepy guy with a vase of yellow carnations were running through my head.

Imagine my surprise when I rounded the corner and was greeted by the brilliant smile of my future mother-in-law.

The reminder of my upcoming nuptials, woke the butterflies in my stomach.

As I approached, Esme's smile grew even wider. When she held her arms open to me, I didn't think twice about walking straight into her embrace.

"Oh Bella. I tried to behave. I left you alone for two whole days, but I find that I must kidnap you for lunch today." She said as she hugged me.

This felt nice. I had missed this. Hugs from a Mom. She was Edward and Alice's Mom, but somehow I knew that she was mine now too.

In a way.

She smelled nice. Not the same as my Mom, but nice. Really expensive perfume kind of nice.

I tried to push thoughts of my own mother away, or I knew I would end up blubbering right there in the reception area.

Rose had already left to have lunch with her mother, no doubt to discuss wedding plans. So Esme had saved me from having a sandwich at my desk.

I returned her smile. "Let me get my purse."

We ate at a very stylish restaurant in downtown Seattle. I was really glad I hadn't dressed down for work today. As we waited for our drinks she began.

"So." Her eyes twinkled as she looked at me, then suddenly, she grabbed my hand to look at the ring. "It's lovely." She whispered. "I'm so glad you didn't decide to hide this from the public. Alice and I are terrible at keeping secrets." I noticed a serious look cross her face for a moment. "Well,  _happy_ secrets anyway." Her smile returned.

I smiled back. I had been so excited about marrying Edward, I hadn't thought about all the attachments that came with it. This wonderful woman would not only be a second mother to me, some day she would be our children's grandmother.

_Crap. I'm back to almost blubbering again._

Esme patted my hand. "It's a little overwhelming isn't it sweetie." She said quietly. "Look, soon enough I will want to talk wedding plans with you, but not today. Edward needs to be included, and I can't in good conscience bring up the subject with him so far away. Alice, on the other hand, will probably start pestering you. She has no qualms about excluding Edward." Esme laughed.

Knowing Alice as I did, I laughed too. "Luckily for you both, she's a little busy with Rosalie and Emmett's wedding." Then her voice dropped to a whisper. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Lunch was wonderful, and the conversation with Esme even better. I'd spent time with her before, but we always seemed to talk about Edward and Alice's childhood. This time, she told me about her parents and siblings. Her father was a widower, living in Chicago. She had two sisters and a brother all living in the Chicago area. Carlisle had only one sister. She lived in Montreal with her family.

_I suppose I'll meet them all at our wedding. If we have a big wedding._

The thought made me a little nervous, so I pushed it away.

Too soon, it was time to go back to work. Esme and I decided we would meet for lunch every Wednesday until graduation. I knew that soon the luncheon conversations would turn into wedding planning.

_I can't wait to 'be' married to Edward. I just have to 'suck it up' and deal with the 'getting' married first._

That evening, during my skype time with Edward, we discussed the days events.

"Guess who I had lunch with today?" I asked.

"Hmm, I don't think I can guess." He grinned. "Possibly my mother?"

"How did you know?" I asked.

"I try to call her every few days as I'm leaving the studio, just to touch base. She told me she wanted to have lunch with you some time this week. She didn't pressure you about wedding plans did she?"

"Oh no Edward, nothing of the kind. We had a really nice visit. She told me all about her family."

He smiled.

"She mentioned that her father lives in Chicago, and that got me thinking."

"Yes?"

"Well, do you suppose I could meet him, you know, when we go on the Route 66 trip. We're starting in Chicago." I said in a quiet voice.

"Bella, that's a wonderful idea. I've had such tunnel vision about finishing this film, I'd completely forgotten about the road trip. That would be great. He'll like you very much." Edward said as he winked.

I smiled, relieved that maybe I could meet the members of Edward's family a little at a time instead of being overwhelmed at a wedding.

"I was also thinking about our wedding." I said as I swallowed.

Edward's head perked up at those words. "Yes?" I had his full attention.

"Well, at the very least, we should start thinking about the  _when._ Don't you think?" I asked timidly.

_I can't believe I'm actually bringing this up without being forced._

Now he was smiling from ear to ear. "Of course Bella. I told you if it were up to me, I'd have married you yesterday. I'll be happy with any date you choose sweetheart."

I cleared my throat. I had actually been giving this a lot of thought. "Well, at first I thought  _December_ would be a good time. You know, after you finish filming with Clint. Alice had mentioned how she 'saw us' having a winter wedding."

Edward continued to smile, but I registered a slight disappointment in his eyes.

"But" I took a deep breath because once I said this out loud, there was no going back "the more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn't want to wait that long."

Edward was watching me intently now.

"So," I blew out another breath "how would you feel about August? Maybe around August 14th? It would be after Emmett and Rose return from their honeymoon, but before you start filming. If you don't want to do it then I'll totally understand…" I had been staring down at my hands the entire time, and finally ventured a peek at Edward.

The look of sheer happiness, adoration and love I saw on his face literally took my breath away.

"Say something Edward." I whispered.

He cleared his throat. "I really wish you were here with me right now, because I desperately need to kiss you Bella."

I smiled, relieved.

"I love you so much." He continued to smile as he sat contemplatively. After a few minutes he spoke. "So three months huh?"

I bit my lip. "I know. It's not a lot of time to plan a big wedding. Alice is probably going to kill me." I said with a guilty shrug.

Edward barked out a laugh. "Bella, I don't care about a big, lavish wedding. Three months is plenty of time to plan what we  _want_."

I nodded in agreement.

_-V &V-_

The next afternoon was very busy. Rose had a lot of projects with which she needed my help. I went to the break room to get her a coffee refill and practically ran right into Victor James.

_Ugh._

_Please don't talk to me. Please don't talk to me._

"Well if it isn't the lovely Isabella." He murmured in a voice as smooth as glass.

_Almost as smooth as Edward's._

I could understand how the women fell for him left and right. I'm sure he could be quite charming when he wanted to be. Unfortunately for Mr. James, the only effect that voice had on me was to turn my stomach.

"I've been meaning to speak with you Isabella. I'd hoped in a more  _formal_ setting, but this" He gestured to the break room "I suppose, will have to do." Every time he spoke, he moved slightly closer to me.

I began to feel cornered.

"I'm aware that Miss Whitlock is leaving the station sometime in June for another position."

I nodded. This was well known. What I didn't understand was why he was wasting my time with this.

He moved a little closer. "Well, you see, I find myself in need of a  _personal assistant._ "

_How does he manage to make those words sound dirty?_

"I wanted to offer the  _position_  to you first. I've always felt we had, hmm, for lack of a better word, I guess you could call it  _chemistry._ "

_Eww. The only chemical reaction I have to Mr. Nasty would be the strong urge to vomit whenever he comes near._

He moved impossibly closer with those words. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. When he reached toward me to touch a wayward lock of my hair, I took a step back.

I noticed his eyebrows quirk as he studied me. "Hmm. No one allowed to touch you? Does that rule also apply to the  _boyfriend?"_ He remarked with disdain. "Because I distinctly remember seeing photos of you  _all over_ him." He said in a snide tone of voice.

"To answer your first question. I'm not interested in staying at WIRI without Rose, but even if I were, I'd  _never_  be interested in working for, or with,  _you_." I answered him back with just enough venom in my voice to get my point across. "As for  _Edward._  You're right. He  _is_ and will  _always be_ the only man allowed to touch me. And for your information, he's not my  _boyfriend_ , he's my  _fiancé._ "

I turned my back to him as I fixed the coffee.

He stood there for a moment. I rolled my eyes when he started to speak again.

"You know, I find it amusing how delusional most women can be. Do you really think that your relationship will culminate in  _marriage_ Isabella?" He chuckled darkly as I turned to glare at him. "A lot of men are fascinated with the thought of a girl that is, shall we say  _untouched._ " He had the nerve to smirk at me. "The infatuation tends to fade once that issue is  _resolved._ "

_How dare he?_

He must have confused my shock at his statement with embarrassment, "Oh, I see, maybe it's a little late for that, maybe the issue has already been resolved?" He looked closely at my face. "No?"

_Why did his eyes light up at that?_

"Well, no matter. I still stand by what I said." With those words, he turned his back to me and breezed out of the room.

In the not too distant past, words like those would have cut me deeply. They would have tapped into my old insecurities and sent my self-confidence into a tailspin.

Not any more.

Armed with the knowledge that Edward was just as hopelessly in love with me as I was with him, and knowing that we were building a future together, and that no matter what hardships or difficulties we faced, we would survive as long as we were together, I turned and followed that fuckwit Victor James down the hall.

_He was not going to belittle what I had with Edward because it was beyond his comprehension._

"Excuse me,  _Mister_ James." I said when I stood directly behind him. He turned to face me with a sneer. "I would prefer it, if from now on you didn't speak to me."

He looked amused.

"It's obvious what you were hoping to achieve with your asinine remarks." I stated in a calm voice. "You seem to suffer from the delusion that every woman you meet is dying for the opportunity to drop their panties for you." I barked out a laugh. "Let me be clear. No matter what you say or do, I will never, let me repeat  _never,_  allow you to touch me. I really resent the fact that you tried to cheapen what Edward and I have because you are incapable of understanding something that isn't tawdry or indecent _._ "

I stared straight into his eyes. "I've been called every name in the book by people that make a living out of destroying lives, and it only managed to make my relationship with Edward stronger. You, Mr. James, are an amateur."

With that, I turned on my heel and headed to Rose's office, coffee cup in hand, and a smile on my face.

_-V &V-_

It was Friday morning. I was busily doing homework, because Edward hadn't logged onto skype. We had planned another movie night. After that, I would leave Edward sleeping while I went to visit my new therapist for the first time.

I'd promised Edward over a month ago that I would make an appointment. After discussing things with Carlisle, I'd decided to start seeing someone here in Seattle, rather than make the trek all the way to Port Angeles for my visits.

He made a recommendation, and I scheduled the appointment.

As I sat there, finishing up my homework, Edward connected to skype. As soon as his eyes registered me on the screen, my favorite crooked smile appeared on his handsome face.

"Hey baby. How are you this morning?" He murmured.

"I'm good Edward. Have you eaten dinner?" I asked.

"Not yet, I'm having something delivered. Today was grueling." He practically moaned as he removed his shirt.

_Fuck me, I should be the one moaning._

"Have you eaten breakfast Bella?"

"Not yet." I admitted.

He approached the screen again, still shirtless.

_Gah._

He smirked when he read my face. "Tell you what. Why don't you go grab your breakfast and bring it back with you. I'll take a quick shower. Hopefully by the time I'm finished, my food will be here and we'll eat together before we watch the movie."

I smiled. A week ago, we could lie down next to each other and watch a movie. Today however, we'd have to settle for skype.

The movie choice for this Friday was  _Young Victoria._ Approximately five minutes into the film, Edward declared it a 'chick flick', but I noticed he stayed interested in it all the way until the end.

It was a beautiful story. She and her Albert were very much in love.

"It would seem that Queen Victoria had to suffer through her fair share of negative public opinion."

Edward grinned and nodded.

"Did you see the most recent story about Tanya?" I asked, side-stepping into this subject.

He shook his head, frowning. "No, what's going on now?"

"It would appear that someone took photos of her leaving her doctor's office, her very prominent baby bump showing. Now the photos are all over the internet." I smiled, shaking my head. "Suddenly, everyone is in love with the thought of her as a mother."

Edward shook his head and chuckled. "I'm not surprised Bella. Remember, we discussed how fickle people can be."

"Yeah." I said, silently hoping that I didn't lose their 'good opinion' any time soon.

Edward smiled at me and yawned. "Okay, that's my cue." I said with a wink.

"No, don't go." Edward pleaded with a grin.

"I have to Edward. You need to sleep, and I have an appointment, remember?"

His face became serious. "Oh, yes, I forgot. Are you going to be okay?" He asked quietly.

I hated doing this. But I needed to do it for him, for  _us._  I faked an unaffected smile.

"I will be fine. This is necessary." I paused. "I can't wait until you're home though, I'm better when you're with me."

"I feel the same way baby." He was quiet for a moment. "We'll skype first thing in the morning, and you can tell me everything. I love you Bella."

"I love you too."

_-V &V-_

Lou drove me to Dr. Miller's office, and even walked me to the door. It was annoying, but I didn't want Edward to worry, so I was following his instructions to the letter.

By the time I arrived, I was a nervous wreck, which was ironic, seeing that the main reason for my being there was to help deal with my anxiety.

I took a deep breath, and walked through the door. My first real steps on the road to a full recovery.

After a few minutes, I was called back to Dr. Miller's office. She was middle-aged, with her dark hair cut in a short bob, framing her face. A face which seemed friendly and kind, immediately putting me at ease.

"Good afternoon Isabella." She said cheerily as she stood from her chair to shake my hand.

"Hello Dr. Miller" I said as I returned her smile. "and, it's Bella, actually."

"Have a seat Bella" Her grin widened. "I'm Kim, by the way."

"Now Bella" She started as she settled into her chair. "I've read your history, but I hate getting my information that way. It's too clinical. How about you tell me something about yourself, whatever you're comfortable with to start?"

 _Oh my. Where_ _**do** _ _I start?_


	50. Cake Tasting & Mama Bears

I thought for a minute before I answered Dr. Miller's question. The reason for my visit would probably be a good place to start this conversation.

I cleared my throat. "I guess maybe I'd like to talk about why I'm here."

Dr. Miller smiled and nodded encouragingly.

"Well, you see, I'm getting married, and I know that a few appointments with a therapist won't be a 'magic fix', but I need to do something. Edward worries about me so much. I want to do this for him. To show him how much our relationship means to me. I want to be the best person I can be, for him." I trailed off.

I watched as Dr. Miller bit her lip while she thought. "Bella, those are all good reasons, but, I would also hope that Edward loves you enough to want you to do this for  _you._ "

"A very large part of getting well is learning to love yourself, and in order to get there, the first step is learning to  _like_ yourself."

"Do you like yourself Bella?"

I was a little taken aback. I thought about the question.

Unfortunately, I didn't have to think long. For years, I'd never understood why people chose to spend time with me. Rose, Emmett, even my Dad. How could I like myself? I was a freak, afraid of my own shadow most days.

I wasn't witty, or fun to be around, I was also the most accident-prone person I knew. And last but certainly not least, I didn't consider myself to be very attractive. Even the months with Edward, hadn't changed my opinion in that regard.

_Edward._

Try as I might, I would never understand what Edward saw in me.

I looked down at my lap, and answered Dr. Miller's question with a shake of my head.

"Okay" Dr. Miller said quietly. "Bella, I have a feeling that when you really get to know Isabella Swan, you're going to discover that you do like her. There are a number of people who think that she's quite a lovely girl, and I don't believe they can all be wrong. Wouldn't you agree?"

This time I nodded as I smiled softly at Dr. Miller.

 _Kim,_ as I was instructed to address her, went on to ask a few questions about what in my life made me the happiest. All my answers revolved around Edward, my family and my writing.

She wanted to know what I expected to get out of these sessions.

She never asked about my mother, or mentioned the most horrific day of my life. I assumed that would be a topic for a later date.

Before I left, she asked that I write down ten things that I like about myself, and then write ten things that other people like about me, before attending my next appointment.

I realized that it would be a struggle to fulfill the first half of that assignment.

_-V &V-_

After leaving Dr. Miller's office, I had Lou take me to the grocery store. I hadn't been there since returning from England, and my cupboards had gotten quite bare. I decided that if I didn't want to eat oatmeal three times a day, I needed to stock up.

_Mother's Day, Sunday May 9th_

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the sign.

_Why didn't I realize this was coming up?_

I knew the answer. Partly because England had already celebrated Mother's Day before I visited, so there were no advertisements to warn me. The other reason would be that I'd been absorbed in school and Edward, pretty much excluding all intrusions from the outside world.

I suddenly wished I had waited until Monday to do my shopping. This holiday was difficult for me. Not only because I had to witness the collective happiness of everyone that still had a mother to share it with. But also, for the rest of my life I will remember this as being the last holiday I was able to celebrate with my mother before she was brutally murdered less than a week later.

Not paying attention to what I was buying, I started to toss things in the cart.

_Fuck buying cereal, because I refuse to go down the same aisle where the greeting cards are displayed._

When I got home, I realized what a piss poor shopping job I'd done. After my shower, I settled on my bed with pop tarts and a glass of milk for my dinner.

Bored with the standard line-up of television programs, I turned on an entertainment channel to pass the time.

Realizing that I didn't give a shit whether or not Lindsey Lohan went to jail, I was just about to change the channel when the simpering co-host announced:  _ **"Coming up right after the break, don't miss our interview with Hollywood heartthrob Edward Masen on location in London."**_

I sat impatiently through the commercials, swinging my leg along the side of the bed which caused me to bounce slightly as I waited.

_I'm such a thirteen year old fan girl._

My breath caught in my throat when the show came back on and my beautiful fiance's face filled the screen. There Edward sat in his hotel suite, looking all kinds of sexy.

Rose came floating into my bedroom just as Edward started talking. She grinned and sat down on the bed beside me. Most of the questions pertained to the film, but then, toward the end of the interview, Edward was asked a couple of personal questions.

We had discussed how to handle the news of our engagement before I left. I had convinced Edward that it would be better if we told the press the news ourselves rather than have them dig for details from a third party. We decided that the questions would no longer be taboo if asked in a formal interview setting.

In other words, the paparazzi can still eat shit and die.

" _ **So Edward, I hear that this past weekend was an exciting one?"**_

Edward smiled and nodded his head.  _ **"Would you care to share the details with your adoring fans?"**_

The camera stayed on Edward's smiling face.  _ **"Yes, I guess so. Um"**_ Edward blew out a breath. I watched as he pulled up his sleeves, and raked his hand through his hair.

He was making sure that if I saw this interview, I wouldn't miss the bracelet. I grasped Rose's arm. She looked at me and tilted her head in confusion.

"That bracelet, we bought that to go with my ring. It's  _his_ engagement symbol."

Her eyebrows shot up in awareness.

" _ **Last week, my girl, my beautiful Bella surprised me with a visit."**_ Edward started. It was obvious that he was not comfortable with sharing personal information.

" _ **You had no idea she was coming?"**_ The interviewer questioned.

Edward shook his head.  _ **"None. It was the perfect surprise."**_ He said quietly.  _ **"But the best part of the week was on Saturday when I proposed, and she said yes."**_

He smiled that same beautiful smile he had that night. I could feel the lump forming in my throat. Rose reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it.

" _ **Congratulations Edward. Although I'm sure that more than one young woman will be crying herself to sleep tonight."**_

Edward laughed.  _ **"I don't know what to say except that I am very happily 'off the market'."**_ He answered with a smile.

The interview was over, and the show went on to cover more important topics such as  _The Situation_ 's love life. I shut off the TV.

Rose beamed at me. "My God Bella. That boy is sexy and sweet and just so adorable." She laughed, and I laughed with her.

It was moments like this that made me want to hug myself.

After a minute her demeanor changed.

"I came over to check on you. How did your appointment go today?" She asked seriously.

"It went well. Dr. Miller is really laid back. I felt comfortable from the moment I sat down. I think this will be good for me." I sighed. "The last therapist immediately wanted to talk about Mom's death. I dreaded every visit. Mind you, I was in a very bad place mentally when I started going there."

Rose nodded in agreement. She rubbed my arm. "You say that it went well, and yet I find you here eating pop tarts in bed, looking exhausted."

I blew out a breath. "Mother's Day kind of took me by surprise, that's all."

Rose winced as I said this, and I saw her eyes fill with tears.

_As a rule, Rose never cries._

"I'm so sorry honey. I wish I could make everything better for you and my monkey man, I really do." She said through her tears. "Would you look at me. I'm what my Mama would call a 'hot mess'" She blurted out a laugh.

I smiled and hugged her.

"I'm so damned emotional lately. I really hope I'm not losing my edge." She said with a grin.

"I don't think so Rose." I smiled again. "Thank you."

"Any time sweetie." She said as she winked. "Well, I'm going to keep Emmett company tonight. We're having a Mark Wahlberg movie marathon."

"Which movies?" I was curious.

"Well, let's see,  _Invincible_ of course, that was your brother's choice. Next will probably be  _Four Brothers._ Then  _The Italian Job_.  _Boogie Nights_ is officially banned, for obvious reasons." She smirked. "If I get sleepy, I'm staying in our guest room, so don't worry if you don't see me."

I chuckled. "Goodnight Rose."

"Goodnight Bells."

I checked the time. It was only about four in the morning in England. After I brushed my teeth, I logged on to skype, knowing that Edward would join me as soon as he woke up.

Giving myself the night off from homework, I started to channel surf. I almost watched  _Chocolat_ , but Johnny Depp lost out to  _Mrs. Miniver._

_World War II is just the thing to take my mind off my troubles._

Of course, by the time it reached the final scene in which the town vicar made his famous speech from the pulpit, I was a blubbering mess.

_What the hell is wrong with me today?_

One glance at the calendar, and I had my answer. There was never a convenient time to have PMS, but already being screwed up because of Mother's Day was going to make this one miserable weekend.

Because of my inept attempt at shopping, I'd not remembered to buy pads or tampons, so I knew I'd be borrowing from Rose.

_I'd rather do that, than have to go shopping again before Monday._

I shut off the TV and pulled out a notebook and pen, deciding I'd start listing things I liked about myself, per Dr. Miller's instructions.

Number 1. I think I'm a pretty good cook.

 _That was easy. Maybe there_ _**are** _ _ten things I like about myself._

Which immediately made me want to watch  _Ten Things I Hate About You._  Unfortunately, that movie was over in Rose's apartment, and besides, it would just make me sad to see Heath Ledger. I sighed and continued my list.

Number 2. …..

_Ugh, I'll think about that tomorrow._

I threw the notebook aside. "Hello beautiful, what are you up to?" I heard the only voice which could rescue me from my silly, emotional self. I turned to see Edward's smiling face watching me from the computer screen.

"Just a little homework." I said with a sigh. I smiled as I took him in. "I saw your interview tonight."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Already? Sorry, I would have warned you about that, but it wasn't supposed to air until next week."

"I guess they had a slow news night."

"I suppose. Although, now that I think about it, they probably wanted to be the first to 'officially' announce our engagement." He said with a smirk.

I was certain that Edward was right.

"It made me happy." I admitted.

He smiled. "I felt weird giving away personal information like that, but maybe they'll be satisfied now."

I blurted out a laugh. "They'll always want more Edward, but I still think it was necessary." I was quiet for a minute. "You wore your bracelet."

He grinned. "I don't take it off, unless I have to, while filming."

 _Yeah, my day just get_ _**so** _ _much better._

"I wanted to check with you about something Bella."

I looked at him. "What?"

"I thought it would be a good idea to hire someone to care for the house in Oxford, seeing as we're not planning to live there full time."

"I agree Edward. Did you have someone in mind already?"

"I'm going to interview a couple of people today. After that I've got to film for a few hours this evening. We can talk about it afterwards, it will be late but I still want to see you before I sleep."

I smiled and nodded. He was so sweet. "Me too." I thought about what he'd told me. "So you're going to Oxford today?"

"Yes. Sidney and I are leaving in a bit."

"Do me a favor?" I asked sweetly.

"Anything sweetheart."

"Will you have a pint at the  _Eagle and Child_  and think of me."

"Absolutely." He said with a small smile.

_I really wish I was there with him._

"So what's your schedule after today?" I asked, needing to change the subject.

"Unfortunately, I've got to film tomorrow and Monday because I'm scheduled to go to Cannes on Tuesday and Wednesday."

I was stunned. Edward in Cannes. He's already so beautiful, he'd be even more beautiful in that setting.

_Damn it I wish I could go._

"Will I get to see you in Cannes?" I asked.

"I think I'll be able to skype, although I don't know how busy my schedule will be. Jasper's set me up for several interviews and even a photo shoot."

_Yummy. Photos of Edward in Cannes._

I'm pretty sure my eyes glazed over at that point.

"Bella?" I looked at him and he was smirking. "I think you should probably get some sleep baby." He murmured.

I yawned as if to reinforce his theory. "Okay" I said with a sigh. "I miss you Edward."

"Me too sweetheart. I love you. We'll speak again tonight."

"I love you too." I said just before falling asleep.

_-V &V-_

Emmett came over the next morning. "Hey Bells, do you have plans for this afternoon?"

"No, probably just doing homework, why?" I asked.

He sat down on my sofa as I handed him a cup of coffee. "Rose has us scheduled to taste wedding cakes this afternoon, but now she doesn't want to go."

"Why not?" I was surprised.

"She says the thought of wedding cake turns her stomach. She's a nervous wreck Bells, I've never seen her like this. Anyway, she's sending you and me instead, while she meets with the wedding planner." He grinned.

I smiled back at him. "I can do that."

"Great. Be ready by three."

_-V &V-_

A little while later, my phone chirped with a text.

_**B-** _

_**As per your request Miss Swan, soon to be Mrs Cullen, I am enjoying a pint at the Eagle And Child.** _

_**Miss you terribly.** _

_**-E** _

A minute later, I received photographic proof of his text. There was my gorgeous fiance, smiling as he sat in the pub with his pint.

_-V &V-_

"Dude, how am I supposed to make a decision when they only give these tiny samples?" Emmett complained.

"Shhh, Emmett did you eat lunch today?" I asked, knowing that wouldn't make a difference with my brother.

"Yeah, and your point is?" He asks me with a quirked eyebrow.

"Oh, whatever." I sigh.

After a few samples, he decided on one tier of chocolate cake and one tier of white cake with the top layer to me a marble. No matter how much the baker tried to sway him into considering the different exotic choices, I knew my brother would not change his mind.

_If Rose wanted something for the gourmet palate, she should have come instead of sending me._

We were debating over the frosting when Emmett turned to the baker and asked. "So, do you bake really big cakes?"

"Well, Mr. Swan, I've baked four tier wedding cakes before, but most people choose the three-tier as you and Miss Whitlock have done." The baker replied in a friendly tone.

"I'm not talking about wedding cakes. I'm talking about those really big cakes, you know, the kind strippers jump out of."

_Why did I agree to this?_

The baker, looking thoroughly insulted, gave a terse reply. "I would not know anything about that Mr. Swan. I doubt there is any  _baking_ involved with something like that. My guess would be _cardboard_  is the main ingredient."

"No shit?" Emmett asked as he pondered this. "It looks so real in the movies."

I not so subtly kicked Emmett's shin under the table.

"What?" He asked in an irritated tone.

"Do you have brain damage?" I asked snarkily. "Would you please stop embarrassing me. I may want to use this bakery for  _my_  wedding you big doofus."

Emmett just shrugged. He was still thinking.

He turned back to the baker. "So where do you think I can get something like that? You know, the stripper cake?"

I kicked him again. He leaned toward me. "Cut it out Bells, this is important. I've got to plan my bachelor party." He stage whispered.

_Argh._

"I really couldn't say Mr. Swan. You may want to try an  _escort service._ " He answered haughtily.

I really couldn't blame him.

"Jesus, are you trying to get me killed Chef Boyardee?" Emmett asked in alarm.

I had to force myself not to chuckle because he was right, this guy  _did_  look like the Chef from the can.

"If I were to ever even  _think_ about doing that, Rose would kill me. She'd torture me first, then she'd kill me. And if I know her, it would be exceptionally gruesome." Emmett shuddered as he thought about it.

"All I wanted was a little 4-1-1 on a chick jumping out of a cake, not for me, just for fun, for the other guys." He blurted. "I don't want the chick to be naked, because that would be unsanitary, and no one could compare to my Rosie anyway." He rambled. "But now you're telling me the cake's not real, so never mind, I'll figure that shit out on my own. You know, if you didn't want my business, you could have just said so. You didn't have to be a dick."

"No, no, Mr. Swan, of course we want your business." The guy answered apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry if I offended you." His face was red as he cleared his throat. "Did you decide on an icing preference?"

"Yeah, let's go with that white whipped shit." Emmett said as he stood and grabbed my hand. "Later Chef." He bellowed before pulling me out the door.

"Let's go get some real food." He muttered to me.

_What the hell just happened?_

_-V &V-_

"So I have to list ten things that I like about myself" I told Emmett.

We were sitting in a sports bar trying to masquerade as a restaurant, because Emmett wanted some 'real food'.

"That should be easy." Emmett remarked.

I looked at him incredulously. "Easy? Emmett, I've only been able to come up with one thing I like about myself." I told him.

He gave me a skeptical look. "Bella, I wish you could see yourself the way the rest of us do."

I took a breath. "You can help me with the other part of my assignment." I said quietly.

He raised his eyebrows in question.

"I have to list ten things other people like about me. I was going to ask you, Rose and Edward to help."

"Easy. You're smart. You're a fantastic cook. You are kind. You're a great writer. You're.."

"Okay, okay. That's enough. I've got to leave room for Rose and Edward's comments." I grinned at him, then I reached for his hand, laying mine on top. "Thanks Emmett."

He just shook his head and grinned. Suddenly, where a moment before a baseball game had been blaring from the nearest wide-screen, there was now a commercial reminding everyone to do something special for Mom tomorrow.

Emmett and I sighed at the same time. He moved his hand until it was covering mine and gave it a little squeeze. "If someone had told me seven years later this shit would still hurt this bad, I'd have called them a fucking liar." He said without meeting my eyes.

I couldn't answer. A couple minutes later he got a determined look on his face. "Come on. I've got an idea."

As soon as Emmett parked the hummer, I started to shake my head in disbelief. "Emmett do you think this is a good idea."

He grinned. "I think it's a great idea."

After Emmett practically single-handedly kicked all the other teams' asses at laser tag we went out for a beer. Our last stop of the night.

By this time, we were both in a much better mood. The game of laser tag reminded us of our last real Mother's Day, seven years before.

"Did we have the coolest Mom or what Bells?" Emmett asked.

"She was definitely unusual." I smiled. "Remember how excited she was when you flew in on Mother's Day weekend to surprise her?"

He smiled. "Yep. The look on her face was worth all the airport hassles and lost sleep when I had to return to class on Monday."

"And then, instead of wanting to do the usual Mother's Day thing of going out to dinner, our Mom wanted to go play laser tag." I laughed at the memory. I usually avoided thinking about the days leading up to my mother's death, but this was actually making me feel better.

"She was so funny. She kept saying ' _Oh Emmett, I thought this was_ _ **tag**_ _. I didn't know people had to shoot each other. I can't shoot anyone. These are just a bunch of young kids.'_ " Emmett laughed. "That was until they started shooting at you and me, then she turned into the fucking Terminator." We were both really laughing by this time.

"Yeah, here you were this big intimidating guy and she was all protective of you. I was laughing so hard at her that I could barely shoot. My score was terrible." I said as I cracked up.

"She kept yelling at the kids ' _Does your mother know what you're doing?'._ " Emmett gasped through his laughter.

After a while the laughs died down until we both sat quietly, lost in our memories of Mom.

Emmett lifted his glass for a toast. "To Mom." He whispered.

I clinked my glass against his.

"To Mom."

After we drank, Emmett looked down while shaking his head. "Fucking Mother's Day." He muttered.

 

_-V &V-_

The next morning I awoke with terrible cramps.

_Shit. I forgot to borrow anything from Rose._

I picked up my cell and phoned her. Emmett was still behaving himself, so she had stayed in their guest room again last night.

"Hey Bells." She answered in a groggy voice.

"Hi Rose. I'm sorry to bother you this early. I need to borrow some tampons, I'm all out." I practically whispered.

"Sure, I'll unlock the door. You can come get what you need." She said with a yawn.

I brushed my teeth to get rid of my morning breath and threw a robe on over my sweats before trotting across the hall. I found Rose sitting in the living room, a box of tampons in her hand, staring off into space.

I walked over to retrieve the box, but she held it tightly. When she raised her eyes to meet mine, there were tears in them.

"Rose!" I immediately dropped down beside her and put my arm around her shoulders. "What's happened? What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm late. I'm really, really late." She said as she turned to look at me.

"Oh shit." I muttered in my surprise.

She still had tears in her eyes, but she smirked as she spoke in a whisper, "Happy Mother's Day to me."


	51. Waterworks & Heartfelt Sentiments

I sat there stunned, not knowing what to say. "Are you okay Rose?"

Rose blinked, releasing the tears that had been pooling in her eyes so that they ran down her cheeks. "I feel weird. It's hard to explain. On the one hand, it's like I'm watching this happen to someone else." She took a deep breath. "On the other hand, I want to lay down and cry because the thought of what this could mean is overwhelming."

"Well, you don't know anything for sure yet. Your cycle may just be messed up because of all the stress, you know, from planning the wedding." I suggested, hoping Rose wasn't on the verge of freaking out.

She looked at me with a smirk. "Bells, I'll admit that I've been under a lot of stress. Since we returned from California, I've been busting my ass to finish up everything at WIRI in time for my departure in June, while at the same time preparing for the new job. And last, but certainly not least, the wedding. Every spare minute has been taken up with the wedding." She said as she played with the hem of her t-shirt. "I did the math. I'm four weeks late, I have no idea how I didn't realize this. What the hell is wrong with me?" She was close to tears again.

"As you just said, it has been a crazy few weeks." I smiled.

Rose smiled back, and as we looked at each other we both started to chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. Soon the chuckles turned into outright laughter.

We were so loud that, after a couple of minutes, my brother stumbled in, still half asleep, to see what was going on.

Rose signaled with her eyes that she didn't want to tell him anything yet. "What are you two up to? I could hear your cackling all the way back in the bedroom. I'll have you know you interrupted an awesome dream starring me and three Victoria's Secret's models." Emmett said as he yawned and scratched his chest.

Rose tossed a throw pillow, hitting him squarely in the head.

"Hey Rosie! The best part was they all looked like you." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She laughed. "Go back to bed monkey man. I'll wake you in time for church." She said sweetly.

Emmett eyed her strangely. "O…kay." He turned and headed back to bed. As soon as he was gone, I jumped up and grabbed Rose's hand.

"We need to get you a test. Come on, let's go." I said in an urgent whisper.

Rose didn't budge. "No Bells. I'm doing this alone."

My buoyant mood immediately deflated. Had I done something to push Rose away? "Rose, I'm sorry I haven't been helping as much as I promised. It's just that your Mom intimidates me, and I've been so busy with school." I willed the tears back that were trying to escape. "I'll do better, just please don't shut me out."

Rose stood and threw her arms around me. "Bella, calm down. I want you to go with me honey. I completely understand about my mother, believe me." She sighed. "You're my best friend. But.."

"But?" I asked her sadly.

"But it would be entirely selfish of me to let you do this. Bella, think about it. Someone will see you with me, buying a pregnancy test." She whispered the last part.

"The paparazzi would have a field day. By tonight, it would be all over the internet that you were pregnant with Edward's baby. By the end of the week they'd probably claim it wasn't Edward's. You need to open your eyes Bella. Every move you make in public is being scrutinized. It's like being part of the fucking royal family."

I hung my head sadly. Rose was right. This was precisely the kind of thing I would have to avoid in order to be with Edward. Moments such as buying a pregnancy test with my best friend wouldn't be possible.

I really didn't care what the paps said about me any more, I was getting used to it. But, I felt compelled to spare Edward. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I would give up anything for him. I loved him that much. I smiled to myself, thinking how much he loved me in return.

_I guess I could add 'unselfish' to my list of ten things._

The thought of being able to add to that damned list lifted my spirits a bit.

"You're right Rose." I said as I hugged her back.

Just then, there was a loud knock at the door. Rose looked at me, she was a little startled. "Who the hell could that be this early in the morning?" She questioned, as if I'd know the answer. I grimaced, not knowing how to respond. We approached the door slowly, hand in hand. Just before Rose looked through the peephole, we heard a muffled voice on the other side.

"Would you please open this door? I feel very conspicuous lurking out here in the hallway."

_Alice._

Rose and I both grinned as she hastily pulled the door open. "Alice!" We exclaimed together. Within two seconds, Alice was engulfed in our arms. All three of us giggling like teenagers.

When we finally released her, Alice held up a bag containing several pregnancy tests. "Thank heavens for Walgreens' 24 hour service." She giggled before turning to Rose. "Let's go to Bella's apartment for this." She whispered conspiratorially.

Rose nodded, and followed us through my door. I grabbed the tampon box from her. " _You_ may not need these, but I still do." I chuckled.

Alice and I sat on my bed while Rose was in the bathroom, peeing on several sticks. When she came out, she sat between us, Alice holding one hand and me holding the other. We passed the next few minutes in silence.

"It's time." Alice announced after looking at her watch.

Rose turned to us. "Come with me?" She said timidly. I'd never known Rose to be timid about anything.

As expected, all three tests had positive results. Alice squealed in delight. "Oh! I'm so excited! Bella, we're going to be aunts!". She said as she clapped. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face at that thought.

The expression on Rose's face was difficult to read.

Eventually, she shook her head. "I don't know how to be a mother. Suppose I'm terrible at it?" She rasped out as she sat down on the bed again. "I mean, I've never been around kids before. Emmett and I talked about wanting children, but I always imagined it as something in the distant future. I'm scared to death of this."

I patted her arm reassuringly. "Rose, you always succeed at everything you put your mind to. I've never met anyone as tenacious as you. You're going to be great."

"That's right Rose. You'll be a wonderful mother. You also have a fantastic extended family, if I do say so myself." Alice said with a giggle. "This child will be so loved and well cared for."

Rose looked unconvinced. "I literally don't know what I'm doing though. Suppose I were to drop the baby on its head?" She blurted, a horrified look on her face.

"Well… I guess then the baby will act like its father." I said with a smirk.

Rose and Alice guffawed. "So, you take a parenting class." Alice suggested. "You know Rose, you already take care of Emmett, an infant should be a piece of cake." She added.

We all laughed again.

Suddenly Rose looked at Alice questioningly. "Alice, what are you doing here?"

Alice grinned. "We flew in last night for Mother's Day. I knew I'd see both of you later today, but this morning I woke up and was compelled to get my tushy over here immediately. Well, after stopping at the drug store of course. I didn't even take the time to dress properly."

I hadn't noticed what Alice was wearing until that moment. When I looked down at her, I could see a pair of frilly satin pajamas peeking out from under a chartreuse trench coat. The piece de resistance were the fuzzy pink high heeled slippers.

_I haven't seen shoes like that since I stopped playing with Barbie dolls._

Rose and I both started to giggle.

"Just understand that I must really love you Rosalie to leave the house looking like this." Alice said with a smile.

And with those words, Rose began to cry again. "Damn hormones." She muttered. Alice sat there rubbing her back until she regained control.

Alice left soon after, reminding us that we'd see her later that day. I wasn't sure when or how, but knew better than to bet against her.

Rose decided that she was going to wait until after church to tell Emmett the news. She hugged me goodbye before heading back to her apartment.

I sat on my bed and took a few minutes to absorb what had happened. In my mind's eye, I could see Emmett and Rose with their beautiful little baby. It would be the perfect mix of them both. I imagined Charlie bursting with pride over his first grandchild. The Whitlocks too would most likely be beside themselves with happiness.

And me, I would be  _Aunt_ Bella. The thought sent a thrill through me that I'd never felt before. This was my brother's child, and Rosalie's who was dearer to me than any sister could be. And, although I would probably never be as cool as Aunt Alice, it didn't matter, because this child would love me despite all my flaws. Love  _me_ as, at that moment, I realized I already loved him or her.

_-V &V-_

My biggest challenge this morning would be to keep my poker face around Emmett. He was very good at wresting secrets from me.

This Mother's Day weekend had been a mixture of both heartbreak and happiness. My emotions were all over the place, and my nerves were frayed.

I needed Edward and his quiet calming influence. Unfortunately, he was filming and I wouldn't be able to speak with him until later. Last night our skype time had been very brief. He was filming until very late, so he didn't wake up as early as he usually did. We only spoke for a few minutes before he had to leave for the studio.

He let me know that he'd interviewed an older couple to be caretakers for the Oxford house. As Edward described them, I knew they would be perfect. He didn't want to hire them until he'd spoken with me, so I gave him the verbal go-ahead.

I also told him a little about my therapist appointment, deciding to go into greater detail when we had more time.

After dressing for church, I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to find my brother standing there smiling. "Come on Bellaboo, Rose needs to run some errands, so it's just you and me this morning."

"Oh, okay." I stuttered as I turned to grab my purse.

_Shoot. I was counting on Rose as a buffer between Emmett and me._

All the way down to the car Emmett studied my face, while I in turn, wouldn't look him in the eye. The Archbishop's sermon was about mothers in general, and the Virgin Mary in particular. It didn't make me sad though, because every time he mentioned motherhood, I thought of my best friend, and how much joy this little baby would bring to our lives.

I still couldn't look my brother in the eye. Eventually I realized that he thought I was acting weird because it was Mother's Day, and not because I was hiding something.

_I'm okay with that._

On the way home, he tried to get me to talk a couple of times. I said very little, and tried to smile. He seemed reluctant to let me go to my own apartment, but there was no way I was going to intrude on their special moment.

"Go spend some time with Rose." I instructed, before hugging him and closing the door behind me.

I was anxious, I was excited, I was nervous, and I was bursting at the seams to tell someone. But I realized I had to behave and wait. So, I changed into a more comfortable dress and exchanged my heels for flats. If I was really going to see Alice later today, it wouldn't do to be dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

After changing, I straightened up the apartment and checked skype to see if by some miracle Edward had gotten back to the suite. No luck.

I was thumbing through a magazine when Rose slipped quietly into my apartment. I looked up to see a strange expression on her face.

"Rose?" I questioned "Where's Emmett? Did you tell him?"

Rose smiled a little. "Yes. While you were at church, I went out and purchased a tiny Seahawks jersey. I placed it and one of the pregnancy tests in a gift bag. He was stunned when he opened it." She said with a quivering lip. "Then he kissed me and told me how happy he was. After that, you know Emmett, he got excited, talking about all the cool cartoons they would watch together." She giggled. "He was also very sweet, saying that if the baby was a girl, he hoped she looked just like me." Rose smiled.

She walked over and sat next to me on the couch. "Then he got quiet for a long time. He looked at me strangely, muttered 'It's Mother's Day', before jumping up, and heading for the door while explaining that he needed to 'take care of something.' I won't lie, I'm very confused." She said, shaking her head.

"Maybe he just needs a little time alone." I suggested quietly.

"I don't know." She said as she nervously bit her lip. "I know how hard this day is for him, I probably should have waited to tell him."

I offered her a cup of coffee or tea. She got a worried look on her face. "Bells, I know nothing about being pregnant. I have no idea if I'm supposed to avoid caffeine."

"Well then, let's check. I said as I went to get my laptop."

We found out that caffeine intake during pregnancy was discouraged. Most obstetricians asked expectant mothers to limit their intake to one cup of coffee per day.

We were both engrossed in all the rules and suggestions that came with expecting, when my door suddenly burst open. I looked up and couldn't see who was standing there behind the large vase of pink roses, but I recognized the voice well enough.

"Babe are you in here?" Emmett boomed.

Rose jumped from the sofa rushing over to Emmett. He handed her the flowers. "Oh monkey man, they're beautiful." She announced with tears in her eyes. She sniffed at them, and then tried to reach around them to kiss him. I took the flowers and placed them on the coffee table.

"That was so thoughtful Emmett." Rose said with her arms around his neck. "I was afraid that you were upset over Mother's Day, and that's why you left." She said with a sniffle.

"No babe, of course not, I'm really happy. From now on this day won't remind me of something bad." He took a breath and let it out as he cupped her face with his hand. "I'm always going to miss my Mom, don't get me wrong, but from now on this day is going to be about you." He smiled as he wiped her tears away. "I realized that this is technically your first Mother's Day, and I needed to make it special, that's why I ran out."

"The florist was all too pleased to help me after threw a bunch of cash at him." He chuckled.

"They're perfect Emmett." Rose whispered. "I love you so much."

_Wow, I never realized how thoughtful and sweet Emmett could be._

"Rosie, you've given me the best gift of all. You're the mother of my child. I can't tell you how much that means to me babe. After you said yes to my proposal, I thought I couldn't possibly love you more, but I was wrong." He said before kissing her sweetly.

_My gosh, all these years I've underestimated him. He's almost as sweet as Edward._

Rose was a blubbering mess.

"Oh!" Emmett's face lit up as he remembered something. "I almost forgot. I bought you something else."

He reached into a bag hanging from his wrist and pulled something out, handing it to Rose. I could tell from where I stood that it was a t-shirt. As soon as I heard Rose chuckle, I knew I'd given my brother too much credit for being sensitive and mature.

Rose held up the shirt so I could see. There printed on the front in bold letters was one word: MILF

Emmett wiggled his eyebrows at me, while Rose blurted, "I am so wearing this shit today!" I cringed as I thought about her having to explain the acronym to her parents.

"Rosie, you know I'll be expecting the DILF shirt for Father's Day." Emmett announced with a laugh.

Emmett then led Rose over to my sofa and pulled out his cell phone. "Babe, we need to call Pops."

We all sat on my sofa as Emmett dialed Charlie's number. "Hey son." came my father's gruff voice.

"Hey Pops" Emmett answered "I'm sitting here with Rose and Bella, and I've got you on speakerphone."

"Emmett, you know I hate that shit." was Charlie's response.

"I know, I know, but I've got to tell you something important."

"What is it?" Charlie still wasn't happy.

"Well, old man, Rose and I found out today that we're making you a Grandpa."

There was dead silence for a long moment before we finally heard Charlie clear his throat.

"Well, that's really something." He said in a small voice.

Emmett grinned, it wasn't often that he was able to surprise Charlie.

Charlie cleared his throat again. "Rose?" He queried.

"Yeah Charlie?"

"Congratulations honey, I know you'll make a great mother."

"Thanks Charlie." Cue the Rosalie waterworks,  _again._

"Emmett?"

"Yeah Pops?"

"I just want you to know that a child is a big responsibility. My wish is that this child be as big a pain in the ass to you, as you are to me." Charlie guffawed. We all joined in.

After the laughter died down, my Dad spoke again, "Son?"

"Yeah Pops?" Emmett answered with a grin.

"Congratulations, I'm happy for you." Charlie said quietly.

We all smiled.

"I'll let you in on a little secret." Charlie continued.

"What's that Pops?"

"I'm pretty happy for me too." Charlie answered.

Cue Bella waterworks.

_-V &V-_

 

_   
_

_Never bet against Alice. Ever. Never ever._

I reminded myself of this fact as I rode in the hummer, on my way to the Cullen's house. It had all been arranged. The Cullens had invited Colonel and Mrs. Whitlock to Mother's Day dinner so that Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and I could celebrate together. If Rose and Emmett's news hadn't changed my outlook, this day might have been torture.

I loved spending time with Esme and Carlisle, and I was thrilled to see Jasper and Alice again, but Mrs. Whitlock could get on my nerves on my best day.

As soon as we arrived, I realized that my future in-laws had to be the coolest parents in the world. I based that opinion on the fact that as soon as they saw Rose's shirt, they both chuckled, and then congratulated her.

Esme stage whispered to Rose, "Carlisle gave me one of those for my last birthday" to which my brother proceeded to laugh his ass off.

Colonel Whitlock raised an eyebrow, but Mrs. Whitlock remained clueless. I took secret delight in the fact that she kept trying to figure out what MILF meant, and that Rose had no intention of telling her.

Before dinner, Esme led me away to the music room. "I want to show you something." She told me with a smile. "Edward loves this room." She announced softly as she drew my attention to a table in the center of the room upon which was a large flower arrangement of pink and red roses, accented by Calla lilies. It was so lovely, and something told me that it must have come from ...

"Edward?" I asked her questioningly.

Esme smiled. "You know his tastes well Bella." She said as she patted my hand. "Read the card."

I read the card, written in Edward's hand. The message to his mother was sweet and touching, and very Edward.

I looked up at Esme whose eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "He's always had quite a way with words." She whispered. "He phoned me earlier you know."

My ears perked up at this. Esme smiled again.

"He sent a message that, no matter how late you got home tonight, he wanted to 'skype'," Esme said while making little air quotes with her fingers.

I giggled.

"Bella, I want you to know how much I appreciate your coming here today. I'm aware of how difficult this day is for you and Emmett. Having my children around me today helps to keep my mind off of how much I miss my own mother." She said softly. "So thank you."

She was including Emmett, Rose and I with her own children and Jasper. I could feel my throat tighten at her words, and realized that Esme and Carlisle had already become very dear to me, a second mother and father. I hugged her in response, and we walked together back to the living room.

_-V &V-_

"I'd like to say something." Emmett declared as he stood, moments after dinner began.

I cringed a little, hoping that he wouldn't do anything embarrassing.

"Carlisle and Esme, I hope you don't mind if I take this time to make an announcement."

"By all means Emmett, please do." Carlisle replied in his most gracious tone.

"First of all, I'd like to thank you both for having us here today. Even though Rosie and I aren't related to you by blood, we consider you part of our family."

_So far so good._

"Thank you Emmett." Esme answered. "We feel the same way dear. Once Bella and Edward are married, our bond will be even stronger."

Emmett smiled at her meaningfully. "I also wanted to officially announce, for those of you who haven't already figured it out" he grinned "Rosie and I found out today that we're expecting."

There was silence for a few seconds before Mrs. Whitlock started. "Expecting what? Because if you say a baby, I will be very displeased with you Rosalie."

"Of course it's a baby, mother." Jasper sniped.

"Oh my Lord. How do you expect to fit into your gown? Have you thought of that?" Mrs. Whitlock exclaimed as we all sat there, stunned. "Why weren't you more careful?" She said as she started to fan herself with a napkin.

Alice glared at her. "Mother Whitlock, let me worry about Rose's wedding gown."

"That's all well and good Alice, but I am kind of at a loss for what to say. All these people coming in from out of town, and my daughter will be as big as the side of a house, flaunting her out of wedlock pregnancy. It's going to be very embarrassing to say the least."

"Now you hold on right there Lillian" Esme had reached her limit. "A baby is  _never_ an embarrassment. You should be supporting your daughter right now, showing her how much you love her. Instead, you choose to say hurtful things at a time when she needs you most." Esme huffed. "If you ask me,  _you're_ the source of embarrassment, not Rose and Emmett. Shame on you." Esme's flushed face showed her anger.

I was shocked, but pleased that someone stood up to Rose's crazy mother.

"Don't lecture me Esme. My daughter knows that I love her." Mrs. Whitlock shot back. "It's just that with the wedding, and Rose starting her new job, a baby is the last thing she needs right now."

_I couldn't believe this bitch._

I looked at Rose. Her head was down and her shoulders were shaking from her sobs. Emmett had his arm around her, speaking in her ear, comforting her.

I wanted to stab Mrs. Whitlock with my salad fork.

"You're out of line Mother." Jasper seethed. "I cannot believe that even you would stoop this low. Are you proud of yourself? You managed to reduce a pregnant woman to tears. Congratulations. Please excuse me Esme, Carlisle, but I find that I've lost my appetite." Jasper stood and left the table, Alice trailing after him.

"Francis Jasper Whitlock how dare you use that tone with me."

Mrs. Whitlock shouted after him. A moment later, Rose and Emmett followed Jasper and Alice out.

"Well I never." Mrs. Whitlock declared as she watched them leave.

What happened next left the rest of us in stunned silence. Colonel Whitlock slowly stood, placed his napkin on his plate and turned to his wife. Speaking is a low authoritative tone he said "Lillian, I have stood by long enough and allowed you to behave in this manner. You have managed to make a spectacle of yourself here today, and upset these fine people. You will immediately go out there, find our daughter and apologize."

"But…" Mrs. Whitlock stared at him with wide eyes.

"Did I stutter?" He asked.

"No, but…" She tried to speak again.

"Lillian, those are our children. The two people that we love most in this world. One of them is now expecting a child of her own. I refuse to let you drive her away from us. You will fix this now, or you will find yourself more alone than you ever imagined. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Frank." She whispered, still in shock.

He glared at her. She still hadn't moved. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

With those words Mrs. Whitlock was on her feet and through the door as fast as lighting.

Colonel Whitlock sat back down and continued eating as if nothing had happened.

_Wow._

Everyone returned to the table about ten minutes later. Mrs. Whitlock remained fairly quiet throughout the rest of the meal. Not surprisingly, Colonel and Mrs. Whitlock left as soon as dinner was over. Mrs. Whitlock went out to the car first, and I noticed that the Colonel lingered in the front hall for a few minutes with Rosalie. He spoke quietly to her before pulling her into a warm embrace. When Rose rejoined us in the living room, she was smiling.

"Well?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity any more.

"Well what?" Rose asked with a smirk. She knew exactly what I was asking. "I should probably ask you what happened after we left the dining room Bells. My mother  _never_ apologizes."

I briefly explained what her father had said to her mother as Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper sat there quietly listening. Jasper was the first to speak. "I'm not surprised. Our father is a quiet man, but no one should ever confuse that with weakness."

Rose shook her head sadly. "I don't know why I expected her to be nice today. I should have known better. Appearance is everything to her. It didn't used to be that way, but it is now."

Rose had told me the story once. Mrs. Whitlock came from a very respectable, well-off southern family, the Hales. When Rose and Jasper were small, Mrs. Whitlock's brother committed a crime, the details of which Rose never shared with me. The local community turned against the Hale family when their lawyers were able to reduce the penalty to what amounted to a slap on the wrist.

Mrs. Whitlock lost every single friend she'd had since childhood during that time. The main reason being that she wouldn't speak out publicly against the Hale family. Truth be told, Lillian Whitlock believed her brother should have been punished to the full extent of the law. She didn't make any statements or grant any interviews because she wanted to spare her children from being in the public eye. She was shielding Rose and Jasper.

It was a very difficult time for her, and she never fully recovered from the psychological damage caused by the whole ordeal. The family name being tarnished, the visits home to Georgia became fewer and fewer.

From that time on, appearance began to mean everything to her. She became obsessed with her children becoming successful, with no hint of scandal touching their lives.

"She acted exactly like this when Emmett and I moved in together. Do you remember Bells? I didn't speak to her for six months. She never apologized, she just phoned me one day and picked up our relationship as if nothing had ever happened."

"My father has stood by for years, patient and tolerant while mother became more and more out of control." Jasper added quietly. "He loves her very much and witnessed first hand how the ordeal with her brother broke her. When she goes too far, he steps in and reminds her of what's important, just like he did today."

Be that as it may, I still didn't like Mrs. Whitlock. She had managed to make Rose feel like shit on a day when she should have been happy.

"So what happened when she left the dining room?" I asked.

"Nosey." Rose said accusingly as she winked at me.

"I wouldn't let the old battle ax near Rose at first." Emmett butted in. "I met her in the hall and told her she had a choice to make. I said that Rose and I had our own family now, and it was up to her whether she would be allowed to be a part of it." Emmett was still upset. "I also told her that if she ever shows up at our place and speaks to Rose the way she did today, I'd toss her out on her ass."

I grinned at my brother. He gave me a small smile.

Rose spoke then. "She apologized to Emmett, Alice, Jasper and then to me." Rose took a deep breath. "Her biggest fear is for her children to suffer public ridicule. She explained that to me, and said how sorry she was, and how much she loves me. Of course I forgave her." Rose added softly.

My heart clenched as I realized that I wished I had my mother here in any capacity. Even if it was only to fight with her.

Carlisle spoke then. "I think sometimes you kids believe that just because we're parents, we are incapable of making mistakes. This incident today is proof that parents aren't infallible, we make errors in judgment all the time. The key is to learn from them, and move on." He smiled. "Something Emmett and Rose will become well acquainted with very soon." He added.

I watched as Esme and Alice disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later they reappeared with a tray of champagne flute glasses. "Because of Rose's condition, the glasses contain ginger ale." Esme said with a smile.

We each took one as Carlisle spoke. "Emmett and Rose, being parents can be frustrating, infuriating, and sometimes frightening, but for every hour of lost sleep and every frayed nerve, you will be rewarded a hundred fold with unconditional love. As soon as you hold your child in your arms that first time, you will wonder how you ever lived without them. So, congratulations, and welcome to the wonderful world of parenthood."

We sipped our drinks, Rose cried, Esme cried, Alice cried, and yes, I cried.

_Papa Cullen sure has a way with words. Now I know where his son gets it._

I was overwhelmed with feelings of love and gratitude toward Edward's family, and I wished more than ever before that he was here to share this day with us.

There was something I needed to do, so while everyone else chatted, I slipped away to the music room.

I approached the flower arrangement, picked up the card, and read Edward's note again.

_**Mother,** _

_**Thank you for never giving up on me.  
I am happier now than I have ever been, and owe it all to my family's continued love and encouragement,  
which was my guiding light through some very dark days.** _

_**I wish I could be there with you to celebrate.  
Please know that you're in my thoughts today.** _

_**I love you Mom,  
** _ _**Edward** _

There was enough space at the bottom in order for me to leave a note of my own. My handwriting wasn't as beautiful as Edward's, but my sentiments were just as heartfelt:

_**Thank you for accepting me into your family. I can't express in words how much that means to me.  
Thank you for raising Edward to be the wonderful man he is today.** _

_**I look forward to the day when I can call you 'Mother'.** _

_**I love you too,  
** _ _**Bella** _

 

_**   
** _


	52. Skypeward & Karmic Rewards

 

On the way back home from Mercer Island, Rosalie fell asleep in the car. Emmett smiled when he glanced at her.

"Crazy day huh Sissy?" He asked quietly. "At least now I understand why Rose has been so tired for the past week."

_Rose has been tired?_

I was hit with another wave of guilt for not spending more time with my best friend, and silently promised myself to amend that situation starting tomorrow.

"I'm really happy for you and Rose." I told him.

His smile grew wider.

As soon as I arrived home, I headed for my laptop, and connected to skype. It was almost six o'clock in the morning in England, and my fiancé was lying there waiting for me, fast asleep.

I melted at the sight. He needed a shave, and his hair was in mad disarray as usual. His lips were formed into a slight pout as he slept, and I hoped he was dreaming of me.

As I watched, he began to stir. He finally opened his eyes and blinked several times before flashing me his brilliant smile.

"Good morning beautiful, although I guess it's still Sunday at home." His smiled faded as he continued. "How was today sweetheart? I wish I could have been there with you."

Even if I'd never told him how Mother's Day affected me, I had a feeling that Edward would somehow know. He was that in tune to my moods.

"Oh Edward." I finally allowed a couple of tears to form. "It turned out to be a wonderful day." I blinked and the tears ran down my cheeks.

Edward looked a little alarmed. "Bella, if the day was wonderful, then why are you crying?"

"It was just a bit overwhelming." I said as the tears really started to flow.

Edward started to get distressed, and began to roughly run his hands through his hair. "Bella, please tell me what's going on before I lose my mind. You have no idea how difficult it is to watch you cry, and know that I can do nothing to help."

"Edward stop!" I didn't want him upset. "These are happy tears."

He immediately stopped tugging at his hair and waited for me to elaborate. "I was prepared for this day to be difficult, but it never happened. Early this morning, Rose found out she's  _pregnant._ " I said the last word with emphasis, and watched as his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

I then proceeded to tell him about Alice's early morning visit, and Emmett's reaction to the news. Before I finished, Edward's wide smiled matched my own.

"There was only one sour note to the entire day." I grimaced as I thought about Rose and Jasper's mother and her harsh words. "Mrs. Whitlock rode in on her broomstick and made Rose cry." I told him the horrible things she'd said. Edward shook his head in disbelief.

"Your mother got angry and said that a baby was never an embarrassment, and told her she should be ashamed for making her daughter cry."

Edward gave me a sad smile. "I'm not surprised. My mother considers every child to be a blessing. She would have been quite happy to have had a house full." He said wistfully. "I know that Mom and Dad wanted another child after I was born, but it never happened. Personally, I'm surprised she wanted any more after having me."

_What a cheeky boy._

"Why Edward? Because they'd already attained perfection?" I asked with a smirk.

Edward blurted out a laugh. "Yeah, right." He laughed again. "No, Bella, I wasn't being egotistical. Evidently Mom had a horribly long and painful labor with me. I was rather big."

_Edward was 'rather big'._

And because I'd had a very emotionally exhausting day, added to the fact that I was related to Emmett, my mind immediately descended into the gutter.

_Edward was rather 'big'. I would venture a guess that he was still big. Although there's no way I could know this for sure._

_Bella stop thinking about Edward's peen. You know very well that's not what he was referring to._

I told my subconscious to shut the fuck up as I sorted this out.

_Edward's peen._

_Edward's peen that I've never seen….._

_Hey I made a rhyme! I knew that poetry class I took during sophomore year would prove to be worthwhile._

I went back to my musings.

_It's completely my fault that I've never seen the peen. If I asked, I bet he'd show it to me. Am I brave enough to ask? Absolutely not._

_Oh fuck. Maybe I'm obsessed with Edward's hiney because I'm secretly afraid of his peen._

_Maybe I'm allergic to peen._

_Nah, that's stupid. That's as silly as saying Edward's allergic to vagina._

I started chuckling at my silliness, still thinking about Edward's privates, when his voice started me out of my internal debate.

"Bella, where did you go just now?" He asked. "You completely zoned out on me." He narrowed his eyes as he watched my reaction. "I'm dying to know what you were thinking about because your face just turned the loveliest shade of red." He smirked.

_Nope. Not gonna happen Cullen. We will not discuss the peen until you're back in America, if ever._

"I don't know what you're talking about Edward." I said as I smiled innocently.

He narrowed his eyes as he continued to smirk.

_-V &V-_

The next day being Monday meant that I didn't have school. After talking to Edward on the phone, I went in search of Emmett. I needed to get back into my exercise routine, I'd been a slacker since my trip to London.

Rose had already left for WIRI, and Emmett was thrilled I wanted to work out.

I was on the treadmill next to his when he stopped to answer his phone. "Hey Pops" He said in his always cheerful tone. "Oh really? Do you know why he was in Seattle?" He listened.

"Yeah, so that would fit the time period for the first one, but what about last week?" He stopped to listen again.

I noticed him eyeing me warily as he spoke. When he abruptly looked away and refused to make further eye contact, I knew that the conversation was about me.

"Maybe he has a friend in town. Well, it's good to know. Thanks Pops. Yeah we start our pre Cana classes this weekend with Father Pat. Talk to you later."

Emmett ended the call and switched the treadmill back on without so much as a glance in my direction.

I shut off my treadmill and reached over doing the same to his.

"Hey Bells, why'd you do that?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I want to know what Charlie told you Emmett. Don't try to deny it, you're a terrible liar."

He looked irritated. "Well, Pops didn't say that I couldn't tell you." He thought. "Damn it, I wish Rose was here."

"You can't hide behind Rose this time. Emmett, just tell me. If you don't, I'll probably invent something in my head which is ten times worse than the reality." I stated honestly.

He nodded as he bit his lip. "Yeah, that's true." He let out a breath. "Okay, Pops has been doing a little investigating, and found out that Jeff's brother" He watched me carefully for a reaction as he said the name, "that ass wipe Jason Dryden, flew into Seattle last month."

I thought about why this would be significant, then it came to me, "The flowers." I muttered.

"Yeah, that's what Pops thinks anyway. Dryden was here the week you received flowers the first time." He stated calmly, still watching for my reaction.

"But he wasn't here last week?" I continued.

"No, but that doesn't mean he didn't get someone else to do it." He said. "Look Pops is working on it. We just have to wait to see what else he finds out."

This bit of information actually calmed me. Thinking that the flowers may have just been a way for Jeff's family to taunt me, rather than being the work of some unknown stalker made me breathe a sigh of relief.

"You okay?" My brother asked.

"Yeah, I'm actually good." I smiled as I switched my machine back on.

_-V &V-_

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked.

"Always so inquisitive." I smiled.

We were talking on skype again. It was Monday night for me, Tuesday morning for Edward.

"If you must know, I was wishing for the millionth time that I was with  _you_." I answered honestly. He was leaving for Cannes today, and he had such a full schedule, that we weren't sure if we'd have a chance to skype while he was there.

"Next year baby." Then I saw his eyes light up with sudden realization. "We'll be married by then, and if I have to go to Cannes, you will be with me, as my wife." He grinned.

I returned his smile. "Speaking of getting married…" I hesitated, thinking that maybe I should wait until he was home to bring this up.

His smile faltered as he tried to read my expression. "Not having second thoughts are you?"

I noticed the absence of his smile. "Of course not Edward. Never." I stated firmly as I watched the smile return.

"What are your wishes for the wedding? I mean, I should probably start making some plans, instead of waiting until you get home to do everything."

"Bella, here's my honest answer." He sat up straight, looking right into the camera. "None of that matters to me. As soon as I see you in that white dress, your father walking you down the aisle to me, no one and nothing else will matter. I doubt I'll notice much else for the rest of the day."

_I think I just melted into a pile of goo._

When I was finally able to form a coherent sentence, I began. "That's sort of the way I feel every time you say something sweet like that. Edward, you were blessed with a silver tongue."

He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows before giving me a glimpse of that tongue as he slowly licked his lips.

_Damn you Sexward._

"Okay, I'm changing the subject now, because you are entirely too distracting." I blurted.

Edward barked out a laugh.

"How soon until you leave?" I asked.

"I have to start getting reading in fifteen minutes or so."

"Okay, maybe you have time to help me with my homework." He looked puzzled, I'd never spoken much about my school work with him.

He shrugged. "Of course Bella. What can I do?"

"Well, it's not actually for school. Dr. Miller wants me to make a list of things that I like about myself. That part of the assignment is proving difficult."

I ignored Edward's frown and continued. "The other part of the assignment is to list ten things that  _others_  like about me. Emmett already gave me a couple, I was hoping to get a couple from you."

Edward sighed. "I'm limited to ten?" He smiled gently.

I nodded. He held up his fingers as he counted.

"You're breathtakingly beautiful, extremely sexy, the most honest person I know, charming, witty, funny, smart, forgiving, compassionate, and thoughtful. That's ten, but I feel compelled to add that you're also a great kisser." He smirked as he wiggled his eyebrows yet again.

I laughed and then I watched him before asking quietly, "Do you really see me that way Edward?"

He nodded. "Bella, I thought maybe your self-esteem would be improving by now. Sometimes you act as if people want to spend time with you out of pity." He sighed. "I don't pity you Bella. I love you. My heart breaks when I think of the things you've had to endure, but my main concern is the future, not the past. We're going to have a wonderful future baby." He added gently.

His words rang true. "I've wasted a lot time haven't I?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Thinking myself unworthy of everyone's love. I'm working on it Edward. Dr. Miller said that I need to learn to love myself and the first step was learning to like myself. That's why she gave me this exercise."

"Bella, you honestly can't come up with ten things you like about yourself?"

_Should I be honest?_

"I've come up with two so far, but I'm still working on it."

Edward rested his chin on his hand as he thought. "I know this is a private matter, but will you keep me apprised of your progress?" He asked quietly.

"I can do that." I answered.

_-V &V-_

Edward called me twice on Tuesday as he dashed from point A to point B, granting interviews.

As I sat with Tara and Joanna having lunch, he sent a text.

_**B-** _

_**Finished my photo shoot earlier today. On my way to a premier now. Knowing how you loved the white dinner jacket, I'm sending you a photo that I had Sidney take just for you.** _

_**I love you. I miss you.** _

_**-E** _

I looked at the photo and my heart almost stopped. There was my boyfriend looking ten different kinds of sexy in a white dinner jacket, with the beautiful blue of the Mediterranean behind him. I may have squeaked a little in my excitement.

That immediately got the attention of my friends, and they were out of their seats to look at my phone.

"Whoa" was all Joanna could muster to say, while Tara just shook her head as she sat back down.

Joanna looked at me appraisingly. "Bella, this is a completely inappropriate question, but inquiring minds want to know. Are you still holding that v-card?"

Tara perked up at that as she leaned in closer to hear.

I started to chuckle. "You're right, it is inappropriate, but definitely something I'm used to."

_Especially with having Rose as a best friend._

I whispered "Yes".

"My God, even after the trip to London?" She said as her eyes bugged. "Let me see that again." I handed her the phone so she could look at the photo. She let out a breath. "You've got more will-power than I do, that's for damn sure." She grinned.

"Bella, what exactly are you waiting for?" Tara asked.

"I don't know. Maybe til we're married. Sometimes I want to just give in to my feelings and do it already. But something is holding me back. I don't know."

It was an honest answer, my feelings were conflicted about this.

"Hey, as long as he's okay with that, more power to you." Tara said as Joanna nodded. "I guess it helps that he's on a different continent too." She said as we all laughed.

I looked at the photo again.

_New screensaver for Bella._

_-V &V-_

When I went into work that afternoon, Rosalie called me excitedly into her office. "Alice just sent us preview copies of Vanity Fair." She announced as she plopped my issue down in front of me.

There on the cover was a photo of Alice, Chris, Rose and I in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle.

"The issue won't be on the stands for a couple of weeks yet. The article is really good Bella, and the photos are stunning." She said with a smile.

I opened my copy and began to scan the article. As promised, Alice revealed that she and Chris were the creators of  _Brandon Miles Fashions_ , and she also revealed her relationship to Edward.

"Hey Bells, this thing is literally  _hot off the press_ , because they are referring to you as  _Edward Masen's fiancée._  How do you like that?" She asked with a grin.

_Wow._

My favorite photo was the one in casual clothing on the carousel, but that was simply because I had felt the most comfortable in that clothing.

I looked at the photos again, and had to admit that even with me in them, they were beautiful.

I wouldn't go as far as to say I was  _beautiful_ , but I could certainly pull off  _pretty._ Knowing that Edward would argue the point made me happy inside. I made the decision at that moment to add 'I like my appearance' to my list.

Rose was looking through her copy, and glanced up at me. "It was a good day wasn't it Bells?"

I nodded. "One of my favorites."

_-V &V-_

It was Wednesday, which meant lunch with Esme.

As I feared, I hadn't been able to speak with Edward for more than a few minutes at a time. He was supposed to be back in England late tonight in order to start filming again tomorrow.

"Now dear, I don't mean to push, but you only have three months until the date you and Edward have chosen for the wedding." Esme put her hand on her chest as she said the last two words.

I looked at the beautiful face of my future mother-in-law, and saw tears welling up in her eyes.

Immediately moved by compassion, I patted her hand. "Esme, are you alright?"

"Oh Bella. I was so afraid that I would never see the day that Edward would find someone he'd love enough to marry. And to find in you a second daughter" She stopped to take a ragged breath. "I am beyond blessed." She said as a tear escaped and ran down her cheek.

"Oh Esme, I feel the same way about you and Carlisle." I said as stepped around the table to give her a little hug.

She smiled. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. You only have three months."

_Crap. Is three months enough time?_

"Dear, I didn't say that to scare you." Esme's voice pulled me from my worrying.

"I may be able to help you." She smiled. "Consider having your wedding and reception at our home. It would be private, and we could keep things as simple as you would like."

I bit my lip as I thought. The one thing I knew for sure was that I  _really_ wanted to be married from my church in Forks.

"Don't answer me right now. Talk it over with Edward. Just know that the house is available." She gently patted my hand.

_-V &V-_

Late that night I did just that. It was Thursday morning in London, and we were finally able to go on skype again.

"I had lunch with your mother today." I informed him.

"That's nice." He smiled. "I had lunch yesterday with Johnny Depp." He said with a smirk.

"You did!" I still cringed when I thought of our lunch with Johnny over a month ago. "How did that happen?"

Edward chuckled. "We were granting interviews for the same magazine, and he asked if I was busy for lunch. We had a nice time."

_I am so looking for photos of that on the internet._

"What did you talk about?"

_Please don't say me._

"You" Edward breathed.

_Shit._

Edward laughed. "My God Bella, you should see your face. You look so guilty."

"I am guilty." I muttered. "Guilty of ruining our lunch with Johnny because of my drunken behavior."

Edward continued to laugh. "You didn't ruin anything. I told you, Johnny likes you. A lot. He'd heard about the engagement, of course, and wanted to congratulate me."

I smiled. "That was nice."

"I told you he's a good guy. I'd like to invite him to the wedding if that's okay?"

"Absolutely Edward." I smiled and nodded. "Speaking of the wedding, your Mom mentioned that we could use their house for the wedding and reception."

"Is that what you want?" Edward asked.

I sighed. "Edward, I really want to be married from my church." I admitted.

"Then that's what we'll do Bella. Stop worrying, you won't hurt my mother's feelings." He was quiet for a moment. "We'll get married in Forks." He said decidedly. "Where would you like to hold the reception?"

This was a problem. "There's really no where that will work. I don't think we should have it at the fire hall if you're inviting Hollywood people." I chuckled.

I wracked my brain, trying to think of somewhere in Forks that was elegant and large enough to hold the reception.

_We could always have it outside._

But with Washington's unpredictable weather, that wouldn't work either.

He smiled. "I have an idea."

"What?"

"We get married in Forks, but hold the reception at my parent's home." Edward suggested quietly.

"But…it's so far away." I whispered.

"It would take a little planning, but I don't think the guest list is going to be massive Bella. After the wedding, we arrange to have all the guests shuttled to my parent's house."

_Wow, I really like that idea._

"Like, get married in the morning?" I asked.

"It's just a thought. We can discuss it later if you'd like."

I smiled brightly. "I would like that very much."

"Good. I'm glad I could help." He smiled. "Sweetheart, I have to get going. Call my Mom, she can get the ball rolling with preparations."

"I can't wait until you get home Edward." I said quietly.

"I'll be back before you know it." He smiled. "I love you beautiful."

"I love you too."

_-V &V-_

"All I know is that I refuse to go any place where there are male strippers." I announced.

I was riding in the hummer with Emmett and Rose. It was Ascension Thursday, and we were returning home after Mass at the Cathedral.

"There will be no strippers of any kind at either party." Rose announced with a pointed look at my brother.

"Maybe you'd better tell Emmett that he's not allowed to have a stripper jump out of a cake, because he was so trying to get the baker to set him up with that." I smiled as I ratted on my brother.

"What the hell Bells?" Emmett exclaimed.

"Emmett Swan don't you dare even think of doing that." Rose scolded him.

"Babe, it wasn't for me. I just didn't want the other guys thinking I was a pussy." He muttered with a pout.

"Yeah? Pussy is exactly what you won't get for the first year of our married life if you pull any of that shit again." Rose barked.

_Emmett deserved it. I knew that he'd force Edward to attend his bachelor party, and there was no way I was letting my sweet Edward within a hundred feet of some nasty skanky stripper._

As we rode up in the elevator, Emmett mouthed the word 'traitor' to me. I stuck out my tongue.

True to my promise of helping with their wedding preparations, I spent the evening addressing invitations at Rose and Emmett's apartment. Emmett had the television on one of the local channels, but we weren't really paying attention until a news bulletin came on.

_**Central Washington is reeling tonight over the death of former prosecutor Geri Chance.** _

_**Ms. Chance, as you no doubt remember, became quite a controversial figure last month when she had what can only be described as a meltdown during an interview on a local news and entertainment program.** _

_**After that, Ms. Chance was put on unpaid leave while she was the subject of an investigation by the Justice Department. Tonight, while crossing the street in downtown Seattle, Ms. Chance was struck by a city bus. She died at the scene. Witnesses said that Ms. Chance grew impatient while waiting, and crossed against the light.** _

The report switched to an interview with a witness.

' _ **A few of us were waiting at the corner for the light to change. The lady got a pissed off look on her face and started to walk into the street. A couple of us yelled at her to wait, because it wasn't safe. She just told us to shut the hell up. She must have been in a big hurry. She's dead now.'**_

I'd never wanted to laugh inappropriately so much in my life.

_I am a terrible person._

The reporter returned to the screen.

_**As you can see, the police are still on the scene. Over my shoulder is the bus which struck and killed Ms. Chance.** _

I heard Rose gasp while Emmett's eyes almost bugged out of his head. Prominently displayed on the side of the city bus was a Calvin Klein underwear ad, starring none other than my brother.

_**It is doubtful that the driver of the bus will be charged with any wrongful conduct in this case.** _

_**We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.** _

"Holy crap." I muttered. Not able to actually process what I'd just seen.

"Wow." Rose shook her head in disbelief.

"Fucking awesome." muttered Emmett.

"Ladies, this is almost as satisfying as getting to run her over myself. Think of it, through her own stupidity, she gets hit by a bus carrying an ad of my glorious half-naked bod on the side."

"I think we can carry two things away from what we've seen here tonight. One: life doesn't get much sweeter than this for Emmett Swan, and Two: Karma is a Bitch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously considered calling this chapter: 'Skypeward & The Peen', but it sounded too much like a cartoon. You know..like Pinky and The Brain. Hey maybe that would be a good cartoon fanfic: 'Skypeward & The Peen', conquering the world one vagina at a time.


	53. Iron Man & Safely Home

 

I stood, still riveted to the screen, even though the news report had ended moments before. It was true, I despised Geri Chance, but I also had secretly clung to the hope that some day she would see the light, and feel remorse for the terrible things she'd done.

One glance at Rose, and I knew she was still having difficulty processing the news.

Emmett saw our faces and frowned. "Ladies, you should both be smiling over this. That bitch got what was coming to her."

"That may be so Emmett, and I know she did a lot of horrible things, but part of me is actually sad." I muttered.

My brother looked bewildered. "What are you talking about Bells? She tried to send you to jail. She said awful things about you and to Rose. I hate her for that." My brother said between clenched teeth.

"What good does it do to hate her Emmett? Every day that she was alive was an opportunity for her to realize her mistakes, an opportunity to change. That will never happen now."

Rose patted my back. "Bella's right Emmett. We shouldn't revel in someone else's misery, even if they did bring it upon themselves. That makes us no better than they are."

We both looked at Rose with shocked expressions. Rose was the queen of 'getting even' and then gloating over it.

"What?" She asked, then she smiled. "Eh, I think it's the hormones talking."

I had to chuckle at that.

Emmett was quiet for a moment as he thought. "I guess you're right." He said softly. "I just hate those things she did…"

"She'll answer to God for all that Emmett. It's out of our hands now." I sighed. "Don't you remember what Charlie always taught us?"

Emmett looked at me questioningly.

"Dad always said 'Love the sinner, Hate the sin'." I reminded him.

Emmett nodded slowly, and then gave me a one armed hug. "Have I ever told you how proud I am that you're my sister?"

"Not often enough asstard." I snarked, wishing to lighten the mood.

He and Rose both chuckled. I went back to addressing invitations, while they went back to arguing about the bachelor and bachelorette parties. My mood had turned morose, maybe it was the news about Geri Chance, or maybe it was the fact that the anniversary of my Mom's death was a few short days away. No matter the cause, I no longer cared to participate in their discussion.

In the end, it was decided that the parties would be held in Las Vegas at the end of our Route 66 trip. They would both take place at the same time, but in separate locations.

_-V &V-_

"She's dead?" Edward questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah. Evidently she got impatient waiting to cross the street and was hit by a city bus a few hours ago." I answered. "The weirdest part was that the bus had one of Emmett's underwear ads on the side."

"Oh my God Bella. You are kidding." Edward said, shocked.

"Nope."

"Well, I guess I wouldn't have wished death on her, I mean she was already in a lot of trouble, I figured that would be enough of a payback. But Bella, you have to admit that the underwear ad makes this pretty fucking funny." He chuckled.

"I suppose it is funny." I half-smiled.

"Bella, what's bothering you?" He asked.

"Don't get me wrong, I despised Geri Chance with every fiber of my being, but when I heard this tonight, I didn't feel vindicated or satisfied in any way, I just felt a little empty." I admitted. "Somewhere out there, somebody, even if it's only one person, is mourning her death. I can't help but have compassion for them."

Edward looked at me with an awed expression, it was one I'd seen from him before. "Oh Bella, just one of the many reasons I love you, your forgiving nature." He sighed deeply. "You're a very good person Bella, even if you refuse to see it."

"Right back at ya, Mister Movie Star." I smiled.

Maybe I'd found another trait to add to my list of ten, my  _forgiving nature,_  as Edward so eloquently put it.

Although, I knew in my heart that there wasn't any forgiveness there for one person in particular. The man who had stolen so much from me, my mother's life and, in some ways my life along with it would find no forgiveness from me. Not now. Maybe not ever.

I needed to change the subject. "So how's the filming going?"

"Very well. At the rate we're progressing, my scenes could be completed in just a few days."

"You're kidding!" I practically squealed.

"I'm hoping to be back with you very soon baby." He grinned.

"Oh Edward, that news made my day." I admitted.

"Keep your fingers crossed." He said, smiling.

_-V &V-_

Friday would be a very busy day for Edward. He was going to be filming until late, therefore we would have to forgo our movie night this week. Instead of moping around my apartment, I made plans to have Lou drop me in Forks for the weekend. I had planned to go with Emmett and Rose on Saturday, but decided an extra day with my Dad was just what I needed. Especially this weekend.

I timed my arrival for when Charlie would be through with work for the day. He had taken off for the next three. When we pulled in front of his house, he was waiting on the front steps. I jumped from the car and bounded over to him. He pulled me into a tight hug. "Hi Daddy." I said as I breathed in his clean scent, soap and Mennen's aftershave. The scent of home. The scent that never failed to make me feel safe.

"Hey Bells." Usually Charlie wasn't big on displays of affection, but he always came through when I needed him most. He turned me and with one arm around me, guided me into the house, never losing contact. Lou followed with my bag.

Charlie had ordered pizza for dinner. I was able to coax Lou to stay and eat. We enjoyed our meal while Dad and Lou talked sports and law enforcement. Charlie's two favorite topics, aside from his children of course.

After we ate, Lou left in order to return to Seattle. I would see him again on Monday afternoon, when he came to drive me back.

I saw Charlie glance at his watch. "We'd better get going if we want to be on time."

I was puzzled. "On time for what Dad?"

He looked a little embarrassed. "Well, it's not often that I get you all to myself. I thought we could go to the movies."

I grinned and nodded before following him out to his truck, to begin our trek to Port Angeles, location of the closest movie theater. "So what movie did you have in mind?" I asked, knowing he would never agree to see  _Letters To Juliet,_ which had been released that day.

He pursed his lips as if giving the question a lot of consideration before he answered. "I hear that  _Iron Man 2_ is pretty good, but if you want to see something else we can do that."

_Yeah right._

_Good thing I adore Robert Downey Jr._

If any of Edward' s movies had been showing, Charlie may have been in for an argument.

_Unless the movie had a naked butt shot of Edward._

I was horrified even thinking of seeing that while Charlie sat beside me.

_Awkward._

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed spending time with my Dad. We ate popcorn and drank sodas big enough to swim in. It didn't hurt that the movie was great, and afterwards we stopped for ice cream before heading back to Forks.

"Sounds like that movie Edward's filming will be a big deal when it's finally released." Charlie said on the drive back to Forks.

_Since when does Charlie follow the news from Hollywood?_

"Yeah, it's an important one for the studio. The book was very well received." I answered.

Charlie cleared his throat. "Yeah, I've been reading it."

_Whoa. Charlie is reading something that isn't a who-done-it?_

I looked at him incredulously. "Seriously Dad, you're reading  _The Harvest Of_ Avarice?"

He nodded.

I blinked hard. "Who are you and what have you done with my father?" I said with a chuckle.

Charlie smirked. "Hey, I'm branching out."

By the time we got back to Charlie's it was late. Edward had been in England so long that every time I looked at a clock, I mentally calculated the current time in London. So, when we arrived at Charlie's it was almost seven Saturday morning where Edward was.

I phoned him to see if he'd left for the studio yet. "Hello sweetheart, did you have a nice evening with your Dad?" His voice was like velvet and honey.

"We went to the movies."

"Ah, and what did you see?" He asked.

" _Iron Man 2._ As usual, Robert Downey Jr. did not disappoint." I said, knowing I'd get a rise out of him.

"Is that a fact?" He responded. "Should I be worried about your admiration of Mr. Downey?"

I couldn't see him, but I knew he was smirking.

"Absolutely not." I giggled. "I'm afraid that you're the only man that will ever receive my admiration along with my undying devotion Mister Movie Star."

He sighed. "I already knew that, but it's always good to hear."

"Do you want to go on skype?" I asked.

"At Charlie's?"

"Yes, he broke down and purchased a wireless router and a laptop, so he could carry his computer around the house. He still has the old desktop dinosaur though. Between you and me, I think he's been taking the laptop in the kitchen to look up different fish recipes. Charlie getting experimental in the kitchen can only lead to disaster, I have to admit it has me worried." I grinned as I fired up my laptop.

"Maybe the Forks fire department should be put on alert." He said with a laugh.

"Good idea." I said in answer, just before his smiling face appeared on my screen. "Hello fiancé." I teased.

"Same to you my love." He said with a wink "When will Rose and Emmett arrive?"

"I would assume sometime around noon tomorrow. They have to start their Pre Cana classes at two o'clock."

"Will we have to do that also?" He asked.

"I was going to speak with Father Pat on Sunday, but I'm assuming that it's required. Are you okay with that?" I asked, suddenly unsure.

"Of course Bella. I want to marry you in your church. Whatever is required of me, I will do."

"Sometimes you are too good to be true." I smiled.

"Get used to it Miss Swan, you're going to have me around for a long time." He grinned.

"I'm counting on that." I whispered.

He paused as he studied my face. "Sweetheart, what are your plans for Monday."

This was the first time that he'd brought up that specific day, knowing what it was.

"Um, Rose has to work on Monday, so she and Emmett are returning home Sunday afternoon." I sighed. "Lou is coming to pick me up after my visit to the cemetery on Monday evening." I practically whispered the last part. "I want to spend as much time as possible there before I have to go home."

"Once again, I'm not with you on a day when you need me." He stated sadly.

"Don't worry about it Edward. Even when I'm through with school, you won't be able to be with me all the time. There are some days when your film schedule is not going to fit in with something I need to do, and that's okay."

He nodded sadly. "Does it get any easier now that seven years has gone by?"

"Not easier. I can't think about that day, it's too difficult. But I can think about my Mom without breaking down in tears. So, not easier, just different." I said calmly.

Unbelievably, talking about this was not making me distraught, and I didn't feel the slightest urge to cry. That alone was a big accomplishment for me.

We chatted a while longer about what we'd do when he got back. He was up for a couple of MTV movie awards, and made me agree to attend the show with him in L.A. on June 6.

_Another thing I'd have to get used to if I was marrying Edward. Feeling awkward at public events._

Soon after that, Edward had to leave for the studio. I didn't mind cutting our conversation short if it helped him finish filming sooner.

_-V &V-_

The next morning, I perused Charlie's cupboards and discovered we were a few ingredients shy of what I needed to make the dinner I'd planned.

"Dad, can I borrow the truck? I need to go to the Thriftway." I announced as he sat in his recliner, watching a baseball game.

Before I knew it, he was on his feet and headed toward me. "I'll take you Bells."

I narrowed my eyes. "Dad, I'm perfectly capable of driving to the Thriftway."

"I know that Bells, and I'm perfectly capable of making sure you don't go alone." He smirked as he grabbed his keys.

"You and Edward are conspiring against me aren't you?" I said as I laughed and shook my head.

"We both worry about you." He said seriously. "By the way, you've got a good guy there Bells. I suspected as much when I found out Clint liked him." He grinned.

I smiled. Charlie's good opinion was not easily bestowed. "Thanks Dad. I think he's pretty great myself." I said softly.

A few minutes after we returned from the store, Emmett and Rose arrived. They both seemed to be bursting with excitement. I hugged them and Charlie hugged Rose before slapping Emmett on the shoulder.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Well, as you know, we went to my first obstetrics visit yesterday afternoon."

While I was on my way to Forks, Emmett and Rose had attended Rose's first appointment with her obstetrician, Dr. Phuket.

"Did you like your doctor Rose?" I asked.

Rose smiled "She was great. She explained a lot of things before the exam, about what to expect and all. I also have a lot of literature to share with you Bells."

"Get to the best part Rose" Emmett butted in.

"And what part is that Emmett?" I asked.

"The ultrasound of course." He grinned from ear to ear as he pulled out a black and white photo, holding it out so that Charlie and I could see it. "Now do you see that light, almost white image, sort of in the shape of a peanut?"

Charlie and I nodded.

"That's Baby Swan" Emmett said with reverence.

I glanced at Rose, and she had tears in her eyes.

"This is your copy Pops." Emmett announced happily as he handed the photo to our Dad.

Charlie held it in his hand as he studied it. "Thanks" He muttered quietly, not taking his eyes from the grainy image.

"Doctor Fuck-it also told us when the baby was conceived." Emmett announced excitedly.

"Emmett, it's Dr.  _Phuket._  Would you stop mispronouncing it." Rose scolded.

"Hey, you say tomato, eh whatever." He shrugged, before he continued. "It's just like those stories you hear about people who have names that fit their jobs. Like the guy named  _Hammer_  who owns a hardware store, or the lawyer with the last name of  _Sues._  It makes sense that the obstetrician's name is  _Fuck-it._  Considering that babies are the result of  _fuck-ing._ " Emmett smiled, proud of his logic.

Charlie was looking at Emmett like he was insane. He'd obviously forgotten what it was like to be around Emmett on a day to day basis.

"Anyway, the doctor calculated the conception date to be around March 28th and the due date is December 20th." Rose announced happily.

Emmett interrupted again. "Yeah, the baby was conceived on March 28th. So that means the baby was conceived on the flight home from California!" Emmett was grinning from ear to ear after his announcement.

"You don't know for sure that's when it happened Emmett." Rose snapped.

"Hey, they came up with that date, so I'm going with it." He continued to smile. "You know babe, on order to top this one we're going to have to conceive the next one on the Space Shuttle." He wiggled his eyebrows at Rose, and she melted into giggles.

I saw my father's face the moment he realized that Emmett and Rose had sex on an airplane. He actually winced and his lips puckered like he'd just sucked a lemon. He quirked an eyebrow at Emmett "You do realize that what you did is against the law?"

"You gonna arrest me Pops?" Emmett asked with a cheeky grin.

Charlie threw his hands up in surrender. "Of course not Emmett." He sighed as he walked over to his recliner.

"Here Bells, we got a copy for you also." Rose said softly, as she gave me my own photo of 'Baby Swan'.

Later that afternoon, when he thought no one was looking, I watched as my father took his copy of the ultrasound photo, and proudly displayed it on the front of his refrigerator, fiddling with the magnets for a minute or two so that they wouldn't obscure any part of the image of 'Baby Swan'.

_-V &V-_

When Rose and Emmett returned from class, I pulled Rose aside.

"How was the class?" I asked her, knowing that I would need to ask Father Pat tomorrow what Edward and I needed to do.

"It was fine. We told Father Pat about the baby. I thought he'd yell at Emmett, but he surprised me by simply stating that a child is a gift. The baby was conceived before the abstinence started, so as long as Emmett is still keeping his promise, Father said he's satisfied."

"That's good." I smiled. "So what was the class like?"

Rose looked at me knowingly. "You're nervous about the classes?"

"I guess, a little." I said as I bit my lip.

"Well, Father gave us an overview today. He talked about a lot of things, most of it really doesn't apply to me and Emmett because we've already been living together for a long time." She stated. "The stuff about household finances won't apply to you either. We're all very fortunate that money isn't a worry."

"Oh." I hadn't even thought about that.

"The really important stuff is going to be about handling conflict as a couple. Also raising children. I'm actually looking forward to a little guidance in that regard. I  _never_ want to be like my mother." Rose stated icily.

I patted her arm reassuringly.

The rest of the day passed in relative familial happiness. I prepared dinner while Rose and I talked about wedding plans for both of us, and baby plans for her.

Emmett was thrilled when he heard Edward's idea of shuttling everyone from our wedding to the reception, and got very excited. "Oh fuck yes! Like you're going to hire luxury coaches?" He questioned with a grin.

"I don't know yet Emmett, we'll have to see how many people will be in attendance."

"Bells, everyone you invite will be there. Edward's a movie star for God's sake."

"Hey didn't you just go to confession?" I asked him teasingly.

"Why yes I did and you have no room to talk Miss potty-mouth."

_I couldn't argue with that._

"You're probably going to have a problem transporting those people though." My brother remarked.

_Oh shit. What has Emmett thought of that I didn't?_

"Why Emmett?" I asked, worried now.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Well, if there's more than one bus, everyone will want to ride with me. I'm sorry there's not two of me to go around for you Bells, because I intend to start the party long before we reach Seattle!" He bellowed.

_I'm so glad that Edward and I will be safe and secure in the privacy of our limo._

Charlie smiled. "Well, that helped me decide something anyway."

"What's that Pops?" Emmett asked.

"If there's only one bus, I'll be driving my damn truck to Seattle because there's no way I'm riding with you Emmett. I love you son, but you are out of your fucking mind." And with that, Charlie smiled and walked back into the living room.

Emmett just grinned happily. "That's alright old man. You tend to cramp my style anyway."

I heard Charlie bark out a laugh.

_-V &V-_

We all attended Mass the next morning. Emmett was on his best behavior. All weekend, I noticed how he would casually rub his hand across Rose's flat stomach, and smile gently at her.

After Mass, Emmett and Rose headed back to Seattle. They didn't say anything, but I knew they were stopping by the cemetery on their way.

Back at Charlie's house, I cooked and Charlie watched a game while we waited for Father Pat to arrive.

After we'd eaten, Charlie disappeared into the living room, leaving Father Pat and I to talk in the dining room.

"I hear you've set a date." Father said with a smile.

"Yes, August 14th" I answered, returning the smile. "What we'd like to do, if it's alright with you Father, is schedule the wedding for the morning, and then shuttle everyone to Seattle for the reception. Edward's parents have graciously offered their home."

Father looked a little surprised. "No big fancy hotel Isabella?"

I squirmed a little at the thought. "No Father. That's more Rose's style. You know how uncomfortable that would make me."

"Yes I do." He smiled.

"Besides, you haven't seen the Cullen's home. It's pretty spectacular." I giggled and then paused. "I also wanted to ask you about Pre Cana classes for Edward and myself."

"Well, as luck would have it, I was thinking about that too. Do you know when Edward will arrive back?" He asked.

"He said it would only be a few more days." I couldn't help the large smile that spread across my face.

Father patted my hand, chuckling at my reaction. "Well, I would like to meet with you both, similar to the meeting I had with Emmett and Rosalie yesterday." Father took a sip of his coffee. "These classes are usually done with groups, several couples meeting with the priest at the same time. But because of Emmett's and now Edward's  _notoriety,_ I suppose is the correct word, I thought it better to have private classes. That and the fact that Emmett is  _Emmett._ " He trailed off as he shook his head.

We both chuckled at that. "Just between you and me, I may never be invited back to another retreat after taking Emmett to the last one."

_Oh no._

Father saw my look of alarm. "I'm just kidding Isabella. Besides, it probably did those stuffed shirts some good to be exposed to Emmett. Our Lord doesn't expect us to spend our lives in misery. Unfortunately some people think that's the only way to get to heaven." Father said with a twinkle in his eye.

_I'm beginning to believe that Father relates to my brother more than I realized. I bet he was a hellion when he was a youngster back in Ireland._

"I think that it would be beneficial to all four of you if we were to combine your Pre Cana classes."

I was stunned, and a little terrified.

"Isabella, what's wrong?" Father asked.

"I, uh, I.."

_Pull your shit together Bella._

I took a deep breath. "I don't think that's a good idea Father." I muttered.

"Why is that Isabella?"

"Because, although I love my brother, not a day goes by that I don't think about kicking him in the…"

_Don't say 'balls' to the priest_

" …butt for something stupid he's done."

Father laughed. "I'm sorry, but I think this will be good for all of you."

"I can't change your mind?" I asked.

"No." He said with a smile. "If it helps, I'll require this as part of your penance." He nodded. "So that's settled. You phone me when Edward is back, and we'll go from there."

_Shit._

The really bad thing was that I knew Emmett would be thrilled with this turn of events. Now he would have maximum opportunity to fuck with Edward.

Father finished his coffee and joined Charlie in the living room.

_-V &V-_

I couldn't talk to Edward on skype that night. He sent me a text to let me know that he was going into the studio very early, and he would speak to me on Monday evening.

It disappointed me, but I also knew that he was trying to return to me sooner, so I tried to console myself with that fact.

Monday dawned grey and dreary. I rolled out of bed determined not to let myself be overtaken with memories from that day seven years before. Charlie and I attended morning Mass, and Father Pat stopped me outside afterwards.

"The Mass today was said in memory of you Mother, Isabella." Father Pat told me quietly.

I gave him a grateful smile.

"How are you coping?" He asked gently.

"Better than I usually do Father." I admitted.

"I want you to have this. I always find comfort in this poem when I'm missing my parents or other family members who have gone before me." He said as he placed a card into my hand. "I'll speak with you later darlin'."

"Thank you Father." I said quietly before he walked away.

I spent the day with Charlie. It was quiet and comfortable. We had a late lunch at the diner, and stopped by the florist to pick up something for Mom's grave.

Everywhere we went, people stopped to say hello and inquire about me and Edward or Emmett and Rosalie. I let Charlie field all the questions.

They always say that girls marry men who are like their fathers. After spending the weekend with Charlie, I realized how true that statement was. Many of the traits I admired most in my Dad such as his quiet strength, his loyalty, his sense of right and wrong were all traits he shared with Edward.

We arrived at Forks Cemetery in the late afternoon. My Dad walked to the grave with me, spending a few minutes, then went to wait by his truck so I could have some time alone. I carefully placed the assortment of wildflowers, Mom's favorite, on her grave and sat gingerly down on the grass.

The cherub on her gravestone gazed sadly back at me as I read the words I had long ago memorized.

_Renee Louise Swan  
_ _January 24, 1962 - May 17, 2003_

_Beloved daughter, sister, mother and wife  
_ _Rest in perfect peace, gentle soul_

I pulled Father Pat's poem from my purse, not having read it until now.

_I am home in Heaven dear ones, oh so happy and so bright  
_ _There is perfect joy and beauty in this everlasting light.  
_ _All the pain and grief is over. Every restless longing passed.  
_ _I am now at peace forever. Safely home in Heaven at last._

_Did you wonder I so calmly trod the valley of the shade?  
_ _Oh but Jesus' love illumined every dark and fearful glade.  
_ _And He came Himself to meet me in that way so hard to tread,  
_ _And with Jesus' arm to lean on, could I have one doubt or dread?_

_Then you must not grieve so sorely, for I love you dearly still,  
_ _Try to look beyond earth's shadows, pray to trust our Father's Will.  
_ _There is work still waiting for you, so you must not idly stand,  
_ _Do it now, while life remaineth. You shall rest in Jesus' land._

_When that work is all completed, He will gently call you Home,  
_ _Oh, the rapture of that meeting, oh, the joy to see you come!_

.

I found that the tears I'd been stoically holding back began to trickle as I read. Some were tears of sadness due to the fact that I missed my Mom desperately, but the quiet joy contained in the poem gave my heart hope. The hope that some day I would see her again, and I cried happy tears as I thought about that.

I remembered my dream in which she told me she knew about Emmett and Rose's wedding. I silently hoped that she knew about my wedding too. I hoped that somehow she could share in the happiness of the news of 'Baby Swan'. I smiled when I thought about it, and glanced at the ultrasound photo which Rose and Emmett had left by Mom's gravestone.

When the tears finally subsided, I traced the writing on the gravestone one more time with my fingers, and whispered an 'I love you Mom' before standing to leave.

I turned to begin the walk back to Charlie's truck. As I lifted my eyes and looked past the group of trees I would pass on my way, I noticed a figure walking toward me. There was something familiar about it. I took a closer look and froze in disbelief, my hand immediately coming up to clutch my throat when I realized who it was.

_How is this possible? How is he here?_

"Edward." I gasped.

_._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem is entitled 'Safely Home' I don't know the author, my copy was printed by the Priests of the Sacred Heart Monastery in Wisconsin. That part of the chapter may have been a little sappy and overdone, but please remember that we're seeing what Bella feels like on the inside. Those emotions, thoughts and feelings that aren't obvious to the outside world.


	54. Quiet Comfort & Perfect Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Just as the chapter title implies, this chapter is comfortable. E&B needed a little quiet comfort, and I hope this chapter delivers. Enjoy!
> 
> Warning: this chapter contains a spoiler for the novel 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens. If you're never read it (I suggest you do), there is a paragraph that spoils the ending…you've been warned.

I was frozen in place as I watched him get closer.

_He's here. He made it back in time._

My heart was filled to capacity with love for this man. I didn't know how he did it, but he found his way to me. Today. When I needed him most.

As soon as his eyes met mine, he smiled broadly and quickened his pace. I was finally able to force my legs to move, and made my way over to him. When I was close enough, I threw myself into his arms. Edward encircled me in his warm, protective embrace.

The tears were falling again, and I was unable to speak for a few minutes. He just held me and rubbed my back, not uttering a word. When I finally got my breathing under control, I looked up at his face with bleary eyes and spoke, "Oh Edward."

"I know." He murmured as he continued to hold me. I watched his face as he glanced around before looking down into my eyes. "Would it be alright, I mean" He cleared his throat. "Bella, may I meet your Mother?"

Even though we both knew that she wasn't really there, I was touched by the gesture. I took his hand, and led him to her grave. As soon as we reached it, I sat, and pulled him down with me, both of us sitting cross-legged on the grass. He looked a little uncomfortable until I crawled onto his lap and kissed him firmly on the lips.

I placed my hands on his shoulders as I spoke, "Now, if by any chance she was able to see _that_ , she knows how much you mean to me." I smiled. Edward gave me a sad smile in return before turning to look at the gravestone.

I rubbed his arm. "It's ironic that Forks became her final resting place. She never liked this town" I said wistfully. "She didn't want to stay, and Charlie didn't want to leave." I sighed. "Stupid reason to get divorced isn't it?"

He nodded sadly.

"I loved her with all my heart Edward, but I've discovered that I'll never be like her. Our time apart has taught me that. Once we're married, I don't want to spend a single night apart." I wrapped my arms around him as I laid my head on his shoulder. "I don't care if you're filming on the moon, I want to be with you." I whispered. "My home will be wherever you are."

He moved so that he could see my face. "I love you so much Bella" He murmured as his lips met mine. A few more tears fell as I thought about how happy I was on this most unhappy day. Edward's tongue gently brushed against first my top lip and then the bottom, begging for entrance. I parted my lips, allowing him in. I would not deny him, from this moment, I could deny him nothing.

As I lost myself in the kiss, my arms snaked under his jacket, and around him until I was clutching the back of his shirt in my fists. He released my lips, and kissed along my jaw and down my neck, eliciting a moan from me when he gently nipped my collar bone.

The low moan seemed to snap us out of our fog as we both registered at the same moment that we were in the cemetery, sitting on my mother's grave.

"Oh God Bella, I'm so sorry. What must you think of me?" He asked, looking remorseful. "Here I am, almost taking advantage of you on your mother's grave no less." He was looking down while shaking his head remorsefully.

I giggled lightly. "Edward, I guess this makes us even for the time I dry-humped you in the church parking lot."

He still wouldn't look at me, but his shoulders started to shake with silent laughter.

I pulled his chin up so that I could see his eyes. "My mother would have found both incidents to be highly amusing. Remember, I said she was a free spirit. She also had a wicked sense of humor. Emmett takes after her in many ways." I grinned.

He sighed in relief and smirked at me.

I stood and pulled him with me. "Let's go home."

_-V &V-_

Back at Charlie's I said an emotional but quick goodbye, before heading back to Seattle.

Edward was exhausted, but I was able to get a little information out of him before he fell asleep in the car. As soon as he discovered he'd be able to fly home today, Edward had contacted Lou to pick he and Sidney up at the airport. Sidney stayed in Seattle while Edward continued on to Forks with Lou.

"So Sidney is staying in Seattle?" I asked.

"For now. He needs to be in the same city with me, and Lou needs to be wherever you are." He answered. "Sidney and I discussed security measures after your visit Bella. Once the paps and the public find out that I've returned, there's a real possibility that things will get very intense whenever we venture out in public together."

"Oh" This was something I hadn't really thought about. But it was true that as soon as Edward and I had become engaged, there was a huge increase in stories about us, both on the internet and in the tabloids.

_And I thought it was bad before._

I could see that he was spent. He told me that he had filmed until the wee hours of the morning in order to be able to fly home today. I pulled his head down to rest it on my shoulder as I ran my fingers through his hair, and over the stubble on his cheek. Within minutes I heard his breathing even out. Edward was asleep.

Once back at my apartment, I found that Sidney and Edward's fears had panned out. Whereas before there were usually only a couple of photographers recording my comings and goings, now there appeared to be a crowd of about fifteen waiting in front of our building. Lou helped usher us inside before bringing up the luggage.

Edward managed to get a shower and stumble into bed before slipping into a deep sleep. Once I was ready for bed I crawled in beside him. In his sleep, Edward pulled me against him, draping his arm around my waist. As much as I would have liked him to stay awake so that we could talk, or even better, kiss, just having him with me was more than I could have ever hoped for tonight. Within minutes, I could feel myself drifting off.

_-V &V-_

"Bella" Someone was trying to wake me up. I didn't answer or move. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically.

"Five more minutes" I mumbled.

"Sweetheart, as much as I'd love for you to stay home with me, I know you'll be upset if you're late for class." Edwards velvet voice tried to coax me.

I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head. There was no way I was moving. I heard him chuckling. "What time is it?" I rasped out.

"It's after seven. Baby, I made tea." He tempted.

I rolled onto my back and yanked the covers down. Edward was sitting on the bed, dressed for the day, his eyes shining as he smiled down at me.

"Good morning." I whispered with a smile.

"Good morning." He returned the smile.

"Missed you." I added, still in a whisper.

"Me too."

I sat up and wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him in for a hug. Edward turned his head. I knew he was trying to kiss me. I placed a finger on his lips, stopping him.

"Edward, you know I love you don't you?"

He smirked and nodded, my finger still on his lips. "I need you to understand that I'm not kissing you until I've brushed my teeth." I said just before jumping up as I tried to make my way to the bathroom.

Edward was well-acquainted with my quirk about needing to brush my teeth before kissing him in the morning. Sometimes, like this morning, it became a game to see if I could escape to the bathroom before he caught me.

This time I wasn't fast enough and he caught me at the door, grabbing me and pinning me against the wall with his body.

"Got you." He said with a brilliant smile. "You know what that means Miss Swan."

I frowned at him and pecked his lips. He frowned back. "That wasn't a real kiss Bella."

"That's all you're getting and you know it." I smirked.

He sighed and smirked back. "Oh alright, brush your teeth and then kiss me properly."

Once I was dressed with teeth brushed, and Edward had gotten his kiss, I went to the kitchen for the promised cup of tea. To my surprise, Edward had also toasted bagels for us.

"I wish I could have fixed something more elaborate" He apologized "but I confess that I'm not very good in the kitchen." He grinned. "Maybe I should have sent out for something?"

"Only if you want more than this Edward. I'm fine with a bagel." I smirked. "Don't tell me you're already missing room service Mister Movie Star."

He laughed. "No my love. I'd gladly give up the room service and a good many other things in exchange for waking up next to you."

"Sweet talker." I accused with a smile. "Crap, I'm going to be late." I blurted when I noticed the time.

I kissed Edward goodbye and dashed away to class.

_-V &V-_

Mercifully, my classes passed quickly, as did work that afternoon. I had convinced Edward not to meet me for lunch because of the paps, so when it was approaching time to go home, I was beyond anxious to get out of there.

I was in my cubicle finishing up some paperwork for tomorrow's show while keeping one eye on the clock, when I was startled by a voice coming from behind me.

"Look at her working diligently. I wonder if she even gives a thought to her poor fiance quietly losing his mind at home as he waits for her return." The voice said with a chuckle.

_Edward._

I turned and threw myself at him. "Mister Movie Star, never doubt that you are the first thing I think of every morning, the last thing I think of every night, and the one thing on my mind every minute of every day." Then I proceeded to pepper his face with kisses as he laughed softly. "It's a wonder that I ever get any work done." I smiled.

"Good to know" Edward returned my smile as he held me against his body.

Turning to my right when I caught movement from the corner of my eye, I noticed Victor James casually leaning against the doorframe of his office as he leered at me.

_Creep._

Edward turned his head, following my gaze, and glared at _Mr._ James _._ He turned back to face me just as James disappeared into his office. "Is there something I need to know Bella?" He asked as he gestured a nod toward James' closed office door.

"I'll tell you at home." I sighed. "Let's get out of here."

Rose declined our offer for a ride, saying that Emmett was picking her up so they could go out to dinner with some friends.

Once back at the apartment, I had to explain about Victor James. Needless to say, Edward was livid. "Bella, I wish you had told me the vile things that man had said to you while we were still at the office." He said angrily as he dragged his hands through his hair and paced the floor of my living room.

"Why Edward?" I asked. "So you could fight with him?"

"Damn right. I would have given him a lesson in manners."

"That's precisely why I didn't say anything." I explained. "You needed to have a chance to calm down first."

He stopped pacing and flopped onto the sofa beside me. After a few minutes his breathing calmed, but he still wouldn't look at me. "He wants you." He muttered.

"Yeah, that's what Rose said." I answered quietly. "He's a terrible person Edward. He thinks he can have any woman. He uses them and then discards them." I scooted closer to him on the sofa. "It doesn't matter how much he _wants me_." I laughed without humor. "I'm afraid the only thing he'll ever _get_ from me will be a well-aimed knee to the balls."

Edward didn't laugh.

He turned to face me with a haunted expression. "Bella, I worry about you so much. I worry that someone will get close enough to hurt you and I won't be there to stop them."

Needing to feel his arms around me, I crawled onto his lap and placed my hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look in my eyes. "Hey, where is this coming from. I'm right here. We're together. Everything's perfect now."

He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my lips. Unfortunately, my stomach chose that exact moment to growl loudly. We broke the kiss as we both started to chuckle.

"Well, everything's perfect except for the fact that I seem to be starving."

Edward stood abruptly taking me with him, my feet not touching the floor. "Let's get you fed Miss Swan." He smiled. He was more himself again. "I promise not to put a damper on our evening with my worrying."

After eating takeout Chinese, we settled back on the sofa. Edward started kissing first my lips, then my neck. It was easy to get lost in his kisses, but I was determined that we would resolve a few things tonight. It took great effort, but I pulled away while keeping my hands on his shoulders.

"I hate to be the party pooper Edward, but if I'm meeting with your mother for lunch tomorrow, we need to make some decisions tonight."

He smirked while his eyebrows knit together. "What decisions?"

"In order for your Mom to plan the reception, we need to have an estimate of the number of guests. Therefore tonight we need to choose our invitations and write up a list of people to invite."

Any other man would have balked at the prospect of spending the evening doing such a thing, but not Edward. He was so anxious to be married, that he dove right in. We immediately set to work looking at invitation samples. Not surprisingly, we both had fairly traditional taste. Our choice ended up being simple yet elegant.

After talking to Father Pat, we realized that our wedding ceremony, including Father Pat's sermon, would only take about a half hour. Edward and I decided that the ceremony itself should be held at two p.m. instead of in the morning, which would allow the guests to arrive at the reception at around six p.m. After okaying these times with Father Pat and Esme, we were ready to work out the wording for the invitations.

Using samples as my guide, I kept scrawling different options, only to scratch them out and start over again. My frustration must have been evident because Edward reached his hand up and rubbed the back of my neck to calm me.

I looked at him "I don't like the way any of these look." I whined.

Edward studied what I'd written. He thought for a minute before keying a few things into his laptop. "Bella" He turned to face me. "I think I know what's troubling you about the wording."

I looked at him questioningly.

"Sweetheart, all these options mention your Dad and my parents, but not your Mother." With that, he turned the laptop to face me. After reading what Edward had found, I smiled broadly and immediately wrote out the perfect words as he looked on approvingly.

Once that task was done, I set everything aside. "Let's work on the guest list tomorrow night."

"Sounds like a plan." Edward grinned, more than pleased to get back to the kissing.

_-V &V-_

The next morning while at work, I got an e-mail from Dr. Stone.

.

_**Hello Bella,** _

_**I was just informed that the publisher friend of Dr. Baird's is interested in your work. He has asked that you submit another sample.  
** _ _**Just drop it by my office any time.** _

_**I'm gratified to know that others appreciate your talent as much as I do Bella, and I wish you the best of luck.** _

_**Talk to you soon,** _

_**Inez Stone** _

_**.** _

Deciding I would tell Edward about this tonight, I pushed it to the back of my mind as I went to the break room to fix Rose's tea.

At eleven-thirty I received a text from Esme telling me she'd meet me at the restaurant. After Lou parked, he walked me inside. The too-bubbly hostess greeted us.

"I'm meeting Mrs. Cullen." I said in a my best business-like tone.

"Oh yes Miss Swan, please follow me." She said brightly.

Lou stayed with me as I was escorted to a private dining room. Upon entering I was greeted by the smiling faces of not only Esme, but Edward as well.

"Edward" I gasped.

He smiled as he walked over to greet me. "Surprise sweetheart." He said before pulling me in for a searing kiss. I could feel Esme's eyes on us, and knew I was blushing furiously.

"Hello Bella" She chirped before hugging me. "Edward tells me that you are working on the guest list tonight." She said as we sat down.

_Wow, she doesn't waste any time._

"Yes, I'm using Emmett and Rose's list for the friends and relatives on my side."

Esme nodded and pulled some papers out of her purse. "I took the liberty of making up a list of all our friends and relatives that need to be invited."

"Thanks Esme, that will help." I said as I glanced down at the papers.

_This looks like a long list. And we still need to add all of Edward's Hollywood friends._

I glanced at Edward, and once again he seemed to be reading my mind. He grinned and winked at me.

_Stop trying to distract me you sweet sexy man._

I grinned back at him and shoved the list in my purse.

"Bella, I also took the liberty of contacting the wedding planner we used for Alice." Esme asked nervously. "Now, I won't be offended if you don't want to use her, I was just trying to be helpful dear."

"No, Esme." I patted her hand reassuringly. "I'd like to meet her, I really don't know what I'm doing, and I don't want to bother Rose right now."

Esme beamed at me, as did her son. "Wonderful. I'll set up a meeting and text you."

The rest of the lunch was uneventful. I realized that in the short time since Edward had returned, our relationship felt different. Whereas before, most of our conversations centered on events from our pasts, now almost every conversation was centered on our future.

Our future together.

We were so sure of each other and confident in our relationship that I had even started to feel more confident about myself in other areas of my life. My self-esteem was definitely improving.

That evening, I was working in Rose's office when Edward arrived again to take me home. I smiled and walked over to him. "Hello sweetheart. Ready to go?" He asked.

I pecked him on the lips. "Give me five minutes."

Once we were back at the apartment, I discovered that Edward had gone grocery shopping. "Wow, you're getting so domestic." I said with a smirk.

"I thought maybe we could cook dinner together."

And so we did. "I have something to tell you" I said while breading the pork chops.

"Oh?"

"About a month ago one of my professors told me that she'd shown some of my writing to another professor who is a published author."

I saw Edward's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Anyway, they had me submit some samples to a publisher friend of his, and today Dr. Stone e-mailed me to say they really liked my work and wanted me to submit another sample." I took a breath. "I, I really don't know what this all means, but it must be good news, right?"

"Bella, that's great news." He exclaimed as he walked over to me. "Baby, even if it turns out to be nothing, you should be happy." He rubbed my upper arms, avoiding the hands covered in breading. "But just think. If it turns into _something_ …." He smiled. "Bella, there's nothing better than getting paid for what you love to do, and you love to write."

I smiled and nodded in agreement.

_The one thing I knew I wouldn't do would be to accept a job that took me away from Edward._

We chatted a little about the significance of the publisher's interest before I changed the subject.

"So are you completely done with the film?" I asked while slicing mushrooms.

"I'll have to go to L.A. for a few days in June for re-shoots, but I'm finished filming in London. I won't have to return there for work until I begin filming _A Tale Of Two Cities_ in February."

I dropped the knife with a clatter.

_Why didn't I know about this?_

"You're starring in _A Tale Of Two Cities_?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes." He watched me warily, seemingly startled by my reaction.

"Which character?" I asked, still stunned.

"I'm to play Sydney Carton. Why?" He still looked concerned.

"Oh my God Edward. That's such a powerful story. And once again you'll die!" I was silly, but as usual, the thought upset me. "I don't know if I can watch that."

He grinned then. "Maybe I should turn it down after all?" I knew he was teasing.

"Don't you dare. That is my favorite Dickens novel. You'll be wonderful in it."

"I was told that they adapted the script with me in mind for the main part."

"Wow" was all I could say. Suddenly, I became aware of the other part of his revelation.

_He's filming in Europe next February._

"Um, so we'll be in Europe next winter?" I grinned.

Edward's answering smile was brilliant. "Yes, I can't wait until you travel with me my love." He said as he pulled me into his arms. "Truth be told, I can't wait until August Bella."

"That makes two of us." I smiled.

We kissed. What started out slow, soon turned passionate and we were in serious danger of forgetting all about the dinner. That was until there was a loud, obnoxious knock on my door.

Startled, we broke the kiss abruptly but Edward didn't release me from his embrace. I looked up at him. "There's only one asshole in this world who would knock on my door like that."

He chuckled as I went to open the door for my brother.

"Hello Emmett" I smiled, not finding it in my heart to be perturbed at his shitty timing. I was too happy.

"Hello Bellaboo." He said as he walked casually toward my kitchen. "Why hello there Eddie. I'm here to beg you to feed me Sissy" He said with a cheeky grin.

"Rose ditch you?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's meeting with that bitch wedding planner and her mother."

Rose's wedding planner was a friend of her mother's, precisely the reason I wanted to use Alice's.

My brother was his usually entertaining self during dinner. "Did you hear that Alice, Jasper and Chris are arriving tomorrow?"

This was news to me, and evidently to Edward also.

Emmett nodded. "Rose called to tell me a few minutes ago. Expect a call from Alice soon." He grinned.

Approximately ten minutes after we'd finished eating, my phone rang.

"Hello Alice."

"Bella! By now you probably know we're flying in tomorrow night. Don't make too many plans for Friday because you are mine and Christopher's for the morning."

"Huh?" was my brilliant response.

"Wedding dresses sweetie! We've got mock-ups of three designs, and I know you will have to love at least one of them."

"Oh, okay." I muttered. "The only plans we've made for Friday is a meeting with the priest that evening."

"Good. I'll see you Friday morning. Bye Bella. Would you mind handing the phone to Edward now?"

"Sure. Bye Alice." I did as she asked, and gave the phone to Edward.

"Hi Alice." He smiled and then listened. I exited the living room to give him some privacy and to clean up our dinner dishes.

That evening, Edward and I worked to put together a comprehensive list of wedding invitees.

"Edward" I gasped as I took in the names on Esme's list. "Every influential member of Washington society is on this list." I could feel myself getting nervous.

His arms were immediately around me then. "Bella, calm down. I'll speak with my parents, they would never want to upset you."

I took a calming breath. "I don't do well being the center of attention. I.."

"It's okay." He soothed.

I thought about how wonderful Esme and Carlisle were, and how much I owed them. And how much I loved them. "You know what?"

"What?" He asked.

"It's okay. We can invite these people. Your parents are so excited about this wedding, I don't want to disappoint them."

He smiled gently, but looked worried.

"I can do this. For them." I whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

He pulled me closer. "Bella, you never cease to amaze me." He sighed. "But, we still have some time. If you change your mind before we mail the invitations, it will be no problem to reduce this list."

I smiled and nodded.

I spent the next hour forcing him to give me the names of his actor friends. I knew he was holding back, not wanting to make things more difficult for me. Finally, when I felt I had gotten a thorough list from him, I was able to add the Swan portion to it.

I could feel butterflies forming in my stomach as I took in the final list. "Wow" I muttered.

Edward, looking over my shoulder agreed. "Yes, that's quite an impressive list, but Bella" He said as he clasped my hands in his. "Always remember, it doesn't matter who's on that list. When all is said and done, they are there to _share_ the day with us. The most important thing is that you and I are happy."

I let out a breath. "As long as you promise to not let go of me, I'll be fine Edward."

"I'm never letting go." He breathed.

_-V &V-_

When I asked Tara and Joanna if they would be bridesmaids, they were ecstatic. Including Rose and Alice, that brought my list of bridesmaids up to four. It was a considerably smaller number than Rose was having in her wedding, but more than I'd ever dreamt I'd have in mine.

On Friday morning, Alice and Christopher took my apartment by storm, with Jasper following in their wake. "Hello darlings" Christopher sang. "Edward, I wish you could stay you beautiful man, but you can't be present for what we have to do."

Edward frowned. "Why not?"

"Because we're talking wedding dresses brother dear" Alice exclaimed. "You are not allowed to be here." she said, poking his chest with her finger while pronouncing the last few words.

"Come on Edward, we're spending the morning with Emmett, God help us." Jasper muttered as he motioned toward the door.

Edward looked like someone had kicked his puppy. I walked over to him and hugged him before kissing him goodbye. "Go on. I'll see you this afternoon." Then I leaned up to whisper in his ear "I love you."

"I love you too baby." He whispered back. "And just so you know" He was speaking to Alice and Chris now, "This is really fucking unfair." He turned to leave with a pout.

"Sorry Edward, but we're just sticking with tradition." Alice laughed.

As soon as the door closed, Alice and Chris surrounded me. All the designs they'd brought were so beautiful, but as soon as I laid eyes on one of them in particular, I knew I'd found my dress.

Alice gave Chris a knowing smile. "Sweetie, that's the one we thought you'd choose." Chris said as he patted my hand. "You will be the loveliest of brides my dear girl."

I got choked up, which in turn made both of them choke up, and before I knew it we were a big blubbering mess. We pulled ourselves together over a pot of tea.

The next thing Alice and Chris showed me were the bridesmaids dress designs to go with the wedding gown I'd chosen. This time I had a very difficult time choosing. "I love them all" I admitted.

Alice thought for a minute. "Well" she pursed her lips. "How about this? Each bridesmaid can wear a different design."

Chris jumped in then. "It's ludicrous to expect one dress to look good on every body type Bella. A lot of brides have been deciding to dress their bridesmaids in what looks the most flattering for each individual." He smiled. "Alice did that at her wedding, and Rose is doing it at hers."

I had only seen my dress for Rose's wedding, and had no idea that each bridesmaid's dress was different.

"So, they're all the same color and material, but different designs?"

Alice and Chris nodded.

"I like that idea." I smiled.

 

"Great" Alice beamed.

My head was swimming with dress designs, colors and fabrics during the ride to Forks that afternoon. Edward had surprised me by arriving in the Vanquish for our weekend in Forks. He didn't seem to be terribly worried about security.

_Probably because Charlie remained armed the majority of the time._

"You're far away Bella, where are you?" Edward murmured as he reached over, placing a hand on my knee.

"Oh, sorry" I blinked and focused on him. "Just a little overwhelmed by Chris and Alice today." I chuckled.

He smiled and patted my leg.

Dad was working late, so Father Pat would be meeting with us at the house instead of the church. I was nervous as I pondered exactly what he would ask us. Edward also seemed a little on edge.

Rose had told me there was nothing to worry about. As it turned out, she was right. Father Pat didn't ask anything. He merely told us what to expect during the classes. It sounded like a large part of the lessons focused on communication between the husband and wife.

Other lessons would focus on raising children and how to handle interference from members of the extended family. As expected, for obvious reasons, he would only briefly touch on the subject of finances in the marriage.

The only topic mentioned that gave me pause was the lesson on 'sexual intimacy'. To be honest, the main reason it bothered me was that Emmett was guaranteed to make an already embarrassing subject infinitely worse.

As kind and understanding as Father Pat was, I still couldn't get him to yield and allow us to have our classes separately from Rose and Emmett. "Bella, these classes are designed for more than one couple in order that they may help with insight that the others may not have. I guarantee that by the end, you will be glad that you did this together."

_Not bloody likely._

Before we left, Father reminded us that we would meet at ten in the morning for our first 'class'.

I sighed in resignation, not looking forward to it one little bit. When I glanced at Edward, his unhappy expression mirrored mine.


	55. Joy Rides & Clown Masks

 

The next day, Emmett and Rose arrived early. I rushed to greet them as Edward brushed past me to help Emmett carry four garment bags inside.

Rose saw my curious expression as I watched Edward and Emmett carry them upstairs. "So, since it's my birthday on Monday, I decided that I just wanted a small dinner tonight to celebrate." She spoke quickly. "We're meeting Alice, Jazz and Christopher at Michael's Restaurant in Port Angeles at 6pm."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I would be too tired to travel all the way back to Seattle tonight." She said with a sigh. "And to explain the garment bags, Alice and Chris decided to dress all of us." She said with a sly wink.

I chuckled, but was also curious, so I went upstairs to take a peek in the bags.

I found two of them hanging in my room. One contained a black and white cocktail dress, very feminine and flirty. The other contained a black tux.

_Alice and Chris have gone overboard yet again._

Rose and I had a quick cup of tea, I'd switched completely from coffee to make things easier for my pregnant friend.

"Let's get going, Father Pat will chew my ass if we're late!" Emmett bellowed from the front door.

Determined not to ride with him, Edward and I climbed into the Vanquish. I saw Rose give us a longing look as they pulled away.

"Edward, you really need to give Rose a ride in this car. She will pee herself with excitement."

Edward barked out a laugh. "I hope you're exaggerating, because urine would ruin these fine leather seats Bella."

"Smart ass." I grinned as I chuckled. "Seriously though, she'd love a ride."

"Well, seeing as it's her birthday on Monday, I'll see what I can do." He smiled.

_Such a sweetheart._

Father Pat greeted us at the door and led us to one of the CCD classrooms. Edward and I took our seats next to Rose at a small table. Emmett walked around the table to Edward and me. "Hello there classmates. The name's Emmett Swan, this is my fiancée Rosalie Whitlock, damned glad to meet you." He said as he held his hand out for a shake.

"Sit down Emmett, and try not to be too embarrassing." I whisper-yelled.

He put his hands on his hips and looked at Edward sympathetically. "My condolences friend, your fiancée seems to have some anger issues, or is she possibly suffering from PMS?" He questioned while quirking his head in my direction. Just then there was a loud smacking sound as Rosalie's hand connected with the back of Emmett's head.

"Sit down and shut up Emmett." Rose snarked.

Emmett shrugged and took his seat. Unaffected, as usual.

Father Pat regarded the whole scene with amusement. "Rosalie, you may have just exempted yourself from the lesson on 'conflict resolution'." Father said with a chuckle before turning serious.

"Anyway, good morning my children. Let us start today's lesson with a prayer." Father directed.

Emmett, Father and I made the sign of the cross before all of us bowed our heads for a short prayer.

The first lesson, as expected, was all about communication. Father stressed that the key to any relationship, especially marital, was to always keep the lines of communication open.

"At this time, as I do with all my Pre-Cana classes, I am going to turn the lesson over to Mr. and Mrs. Combs. They have graciously volunteered to help, and have particular expertise in the area of 'how to have a successful marriage', having been happily married close to forty years." He said with a smile. "No doubt you already know them but, until they walk through that door, they will remain unaware of the identities of the couples they are assisting with today. I'll be right back." He said before exiting the room.

I looked around, Edward and Rose were sitting quietly, basically expressionless, just like me. Emmett, on the other hand, had a shit-eating grin on his face.

Soon after Mr. and Mrs. Combs walked through the door with Father, I understood why. They both smiled pleasantly as Father made the introductions, but when Mrs. Combs's gaze fell on Emmett, her face fell, losing the happy expression altogether.

"You" She muttered.

"Hi there Mrs. Combs." He said as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

We all looked at him questioningly.

Emmett cleared his throat, "We have _history_." He explained.

_Ew. What exactly does that mean?_

Everyone in the room, apart from Emmett and Mrs. Combs looked stunned, and a little freaked out.

Emmett, noting our expressions winced, "Not like that you pervs" He boomed "Mrs. Combs was my seventh grade teacher."

Everyone relaxed at that, except Mrs. Combs.

"Well now, unless you need me, I'll leave you in the capable hands of Mr. and Mrs. Combs." Father said with a wary expression as he surveyed the room. "I would like the four of you" He said to Emmett, Rose, Edward and I, "to stop by the Church to see me before you leave today."

We nodded our acquiescence before Father left.

Mrs. Combs cleared her throat nervously. "Yes, well, normally we give the engaged couples our insights on marriage" Mrs. Combs stated in a shaky voice.

Emmett grinned. "Mrs. Combs, I can tell that seeing me here today is bothering you. We should probably get that out in the open."

"It was a shock to see you" Mrs. Combs defended "Of course I've seen you a couple times in Church, and on television…." She added quietly.

Rosalie couldn't contain herself any longer "Emmett, were you an asshole in Mrs. Combs' class or something?" She barked as Edward and I sat there quietly.

Emmett looked a little sheepish. "I think that would be an apt description." He admitted.

"It was a memorable year" Mrs. Combs said with a sigh. "The first and only time in my teaching history that I've had to add a student's parents to my speed-dial."

Rose's eyebrows shot up. "What the hell did you do?" She demanded, oblivious to the fact that we were on Church grounds.

Emmett pursed his lips. "I _may_ have released a wild squirrel in the lunch room." He stated matter-of-factly. Everyone gave shocked looks. "What? I caught it again and released it back outside." He defended.

Rose still had him in her sights. "And?"

"I _may_ have set off some firecrackers in a trash can prompting the police and fire departments to investigate." He smirked.

Mrs. Combs sighed. "It was the trash can next to my desk." She shook her head.

Emmett grinned. "Yeah, I never knew Pops' face could turn that precise shade of purple until that day."

He shrugged guiltily. Rose was still watching him, waiting for more. "I _may_ have grabbed Amanda Dixon's boob during Math class."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him.

"And I _may_ have mooned my friends during field day."

Mrs. Combs spoke up again. "You might have been aiming for your friends Mr. Swan, but you ended up dropping your drawers in full view of a group of first graders who had just come outside to join in the festivities."

Unfortunately I, Bella Swan just happened to be one of those first graders.

_For good reason, my mind had suppressed that particular memory until just now._

_Thanks a lot Mrs. Combs._

I glanced around. Rose looked pissed, Edward looked amused, and Mr. Combs was looking longingly at the exit.

"I want to know about the boob grab." Rose interrupted.

Emmett sighed. "Amy Dixon 'developed', I mean really 'developed' in seventh grade." He said using air quotes. "I had to sit behind her all year, and I was a normal thirteen year old boy." He said with a grin.

"It was torture. Every day I watched her every move. Whenever she wore a white blouse, I could see the outline of her bra through it."

_This is way more information than any of us needs._

"Finally, one afternoon I just couldn't take it any more. When Mrs. Combs was called out into the hall to speak with another teacher, I just went for it." He shrugged. "I reached around and grabbed a handful of boob."

_Oh for cripes sakes_

"And…" Rose asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

"And, Amy jumped out of her seat, picked up her Math text book, and proceeded to beat me over the head with it." He smirked at Rose. "See babe, I've always been attracted to girls that want to kick my ass." He said with a grin. Rose tried, but failed to hide her amusement.

Emmett turned back to Mrs. Combs then, "The worst part was that when you walked back in the classroom and witnessed Amy beating the hell out of me, you sent _me_ to the principal's office instead of her."

"That's because Amy was a good student and a nice girl. I knew that if she was hitting you, she must have had a good reason." Mrs. Combs defended.

There was a moment of silence before the room erupted in laughter.

Once we'd all recovered, Emmett turned to Mrs. Combs once again, "Mrs. Combs, I'd like to apologize for all that sh.., um, I mean all the stupid things I did." Emmett rubbed his palms together as he spoke, a habit he'd picked up from Charlie. "I know it doesn't excuse anything, but if you think back, you'll remember that I didn't start acting out until the last three months of school. That was when my parents had informed me that they were splitting up, and Mom and Bella would be moving away that summer. I just couldn't handle it. I'm really sorry." He said sincerely.

Mrs. Combs looked at him sympathetically. "Thank you Emmett. You seem to have grown into a nice young man." She continued "I'm sure you've outgrown all of that crazy behavior by now."

_Yeah, right._

"Oh, I still have my moments." Emmett said with a cheeky grin.

At which we all laughed again.

Mrs. And Mrs. Combs turned out to be a wealth of information. As we sat there listening, they regaled us with stories from their nearly forty year marriage. They chalked their success up to the fact that they kept no secrets from each other.

They were amazing to watch, each one anticipating the other's needs without that need having to be voiced. Always moving in quiet synchronization with each other. As I watched them, I was reminded of the way that Edward and I were always so in tune with each other. I hoped that in forty years, we would still be like the Combs's, each of us living every day for the other.

Suddenly, I was hit with a wave of sadness as I realized that some day one of the Combs's would die and leave the other alone.

_How would either of these wonderful people survive without the other?_

My sorrow at that thought must have shown on my face, because suddenly Edward's hand was covering mine on top of the table. I looked up to see two beautiful green eyes, filled with love and concern, watching me.

I gave him a small smile, trying to reassure. Through the rest of the lesson, Edward and I never lost physical contact. Sometimes it was my leg leaning against his, while his hand rested on my knee under the table, other times we kept our hands clasped lightly together in full view of everyone. Anybody watching would have no doubt that we were very much in love.

The most important points I came away with after the lesson were: 'If you must criticize, do it lovingly', 'Neglect the whole world rather than each other', and 'Don't be afraid or ashamed to ask forgiveness'.

And probably the statement which resonated with me the most: 'Marriage is ninety percent giving, and ten percent taking'.

The last task we had to perform was to write a love letter to our 'intended'. It was to remain private, and was completely up to us whether we let the other person read it immediately, or on our wedding day, or ten years from now.

We all sat writing quietly for a few minutes. As soon as I began my letter, the words flowed easily:

.

_My dearest Edward,_

_To say that I would be lost without you is nothing short of the truth. I remember all too well what my life was like before we met. Was it only five short months ago? In many ways, those months feel like a lifetime. A lifetime in which you have provided encouragement, friendship, understanding, patience, a shoulder to cry on when needed, warm embraces, passionate kisses, and most of all undying love._

_I will spend the rest of my life striving to be the woman you see when you look at me. In return for your encouragement, I promise to strive for success in everything I attempt. In return for your friendship, I offer a hand to hold. In return for your patience and understanding, I promise not to dwell on past sorrows. In return for your shoulder, I offer you my heart, something you already have in your possession. In return for your embraces, I promise to never leave your side. In return for your kisses, I confess that you are and will always be the only man I could ever love. In return for your undying love, I offer the same, and a wish for us to remain together always, during this lifetime and the next._

_I love you Edward,_

_Your Bella_

_._

I folded the letter and put it away until later.

Before leaving, we thanked the Combs's for their time. Emmett and Rose stayed behind chatting with them, as Edward took my hand in his, and we walked over to the Church.

We found Father kneeling in the last pew, saying his rosary. Not wanting to disturb him, we slipped quietly into the pew across the aisle and waited.

As soon as Emmett and Rose arrived, Father blessed himself and put his rosary away. "Hello children" He said brightly. "I hope that the lesson was helpful."

We nodded and returned his smiled.

Before leaving, Father blessed our engagement rings. When Edward placed his bracelet on the tray with the rings, Father didn't question before blessing it too.

_-V &V-_

We had lunch with Charlie before Rose informed me that we were going to the salon that afternoon. I balked at first.

"Bella, we've got these fabulous dresses for tonight, and we both could use new do's to go with them."

I couldn't argue. It had been too long since I'd had my hair cut and styled.

After making sure the men would survive without us, Rose and I headed for the door. I was surprised when Edward followed us. "Rosalie" He said to my best friend.

"Yeah, Edward?" She turned with a smile.

"Happy birthday." He said with a grin before handing her the keys to the Vanquish.

Rosalie's eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up. "Oh my gosh" she whispered. Then she got a worried look on her face. "I gotta go pee." She announced before heading for the nearest bathroom.

Edward and I started to chuckle as I heard my brother's booming laughter from the living room.

_He doesn't miss a thing._

Rose thanked Edward profusely before we headed out.

I practically had to push her into the car in order to stop her rubbing her body up and down the shiny silver exterior. "Rose, I'm pretty certain that Edward doesn't need you to buff his car with your tits." She let out a laugh as she continued to slide against it. "Would you please stop dry humping the Vanquish."

She grinned as she opened the door and climbed in. "Sweeeet" was the only word she said as she checked out all the gauges.

Rose convinced me to get an 'updo', saying that we'd need to try some different hairstyles to see what would look good for our weddings. I had to admit that I felt a little like a princess with most of my hair swept up with curled tendrils hanging down.

As I expected, we didn't drive straight back to Charlie's after the salon. Rose felt the need to take several detours to, in her words: 'see what this baby can do'. Luckily when deputy Mark pulled us over, he just shook his head and let us go with a smile, promising not to mention the incident to Charlie.

Once Rose and I were dressed, I really did feel like a princess. The guys were dressed and waiting downstairs looking, once again, like the cover of GQ.

As soon as Edward saw me, his face lit up with an awed expression. "You are so beautiful my love." He whispered as he pulled me close and kissed my neck, no doubt enjoying the access that the new hairstyle provided.

I wrapped my arms around his neck before kissing his lips. As usual, we lost track of where we were until a gruff throat-clearing from a few feet away startled us.

We broke apart abruptly, both of us looking sheepish.

I glanced over at my Dad who merely looked amused.

I blinked several times, trying to focus. "Dad, are you sure you can't come with us?" I asked, needing to think about anything other than the fact that my fiancé was standing in front of me looking like sex on legs.

"Sorry gang, but I have to work tonight." He grinned as he answered.

_That was odd. Dad's not usually giddy about going to work._

"I have something for you." Edward stated in a quiet voice. We were sitting in the Vanquish, but hadn't pulled out of the driveway yet.

I chuckled. "You bought me a corsage?"

"It matches my buttoneer." He grinned. "Alice insisted."

"Your sister is one of a kind." I smiled as he pinned the flower to my dress.

"Thankfully" he answered with a smirk.

Alice, Jasper and Chris were already at the restaurant when we arrived. "Hello everyone" Chris exclaimed. "My, don't we all look smashing."

I had to agree. Everyone was so beautiful that the sight of them practically made my eyes burn.

_Entirely too beautiful._

"I wonder how the paps knew we'd be here?" Edward asked of no one in particular.

When we'd arrived, there had been several photographers already waiting outside the restaurant.

"They followed us." Jasper answered.

We all looked at him questioningly. "The Vanity Fair interview was leaked. Everyone now knows that Alice is your sister, and that she and Chris collectively are 'Brandon Miles'."

_Crap. Vanity Fair wasn't due to hit the newsstands for at least a week._

Alice just shrugged. "I'm glad everything's out in the open finally."

Edward looked worried, so she reached over and patted his hand, smiling gently. He sighed and smiled back at her.

"Excuse me for a moment sweetheart." He said before kissing my cheek and retreating to the back of the restaurant, cell phone in hand.

Less than five minutes later, Edward was back, seeming much more relaxed.

"So Chris, where's Gerry this weekend?" Rose asked.

"Oh honey, this is the busiest time of the year for him with finals just a few weeks away. It's okay though, he'll be with me for the weddings." He said with a wink.

Dinner was excellent. _Michael's_ has a very eclectic menu, therefore no one was disappointed.

As I sat eating my gnocchi, Emmett tried his best to freak me out.

"You know Bellaboo, this place is haunted." He said in a low creepy voice.

I was such a coward that it didn't take much to scare me. "I don't care Emmett" I answered while shifting minutely closer to Edward.

Edward smirked as he placed his hand on my knee.

"Yeah, they had a whole team of those ghost-hunters here recording ghost sounds and shit." Emmett continued.

"Shut up _now_." I said in warning, already feeling the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

"There's supposedly a bunch of ghosts here, but there's one in particular that they refer to as the _Shadow Man_ because all anyone ever sees is a dark shadow when he appears. Those ghost hunter dudes even saw him. He darted up the stairs while they were here."

_How am I supposed to go to the bathroom now? Fuck you Emmett._

When I couldn't hold it any longer, I forced Alice to go with me. "Come on Bella, you can't seriously be scared?" Alice asked as she waited outside my stall.

"Damn right I am. How can you not be?" I asked incredulously.

"I ain't 'fraid of no ghost" She sang before she started to cackle.

"Ha fucking ha." I snarked. "You would be singing a different tune if you'd grown up with Emmett. He lives to scare the shit out of me."

She laughed lightly again.

If I'd been thinking, really thinking about how my brother's brain worked, I would have pushed Alice through that bathroom door ahead of me. But no, I wasn't thinking.

That's why when I opened the door and was greeted with the sight of a six foot high figure clothed in black wearing the creepiest, scariest, most evil looking clown mask I'd ever seen in my entire life, I screamed my ever-loving ass off.

I hadn't screamed like that since Alec's underwear had landed on my head.

_It's a damned good thing I just emptied my bladder._

Once I finished screaming, I recovered enough to see Alice and Emmett, now without the mask, both doubled over in laughter, struggling to breathe. My scream had attracted quite a crowd, so I embarrassingly made my way through them to find a distraught looking Edward trying to make his way to me.

"Sweetheart are you okay?" He asked frantically.

"Emmett is the king of assholes." I said by way of explanation before grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the exit.

Edward refused to leave the parking lot until everyone else had exited the restaurant, and were seated in their vehicles. Evidently, we were all going 'clubbing' together.

_Yeah, I'd like to club Emmett._

If possible, Edward was even more upset over the incident in the restaurant than I was. He tore past Emmett on our way out of the parking lot and gave him a one-finger salute before I had a chance to.

I stifled a giggle at my brother's shocked expression.

When I realized that Edward had started driving back in the direction of Forks, I looked at him questioningly.

"Forgive me Bella" He said quietly "I may not have been totally truthful with you. The next stop is meant to be a surprise."

Try as I might, my brain could not conjure up any place in Forks where we wouldn't stick out like sore thumbs dressed the way we were. That was until Edward pulled the car into the high school parking lot and I read the sign out front.

_'Through The Looking Glass'  
_ _Forks High Senior Prom  
_ _Saturday May 22  
_ _8pm_

Edward parked the car as I stared at him in disbelief. He shrugged. "You'll need to ask Christopher and Alice."

That was exactly what I intended to do.

I approached Chris and Alice as they were exiting their vehicle. Edward followed until he stood beside me, his arm around my shoulders.

Chris noticed the look on my face, and held his hands in front of him, palms out in a calming gesture. "Bella dear, before you bite our heads off, I want you to know that this was my doing. Please don't be angry with Alice."

I looked at him, confused.

He sighed loudly and his shoulders sagged as he began to speak in almost a whisper. "Ever since our drunken afternoon on Alice's patio, the fact that you never got to enjoy things in high school, such as prom, has been troubling me."

I looked at him sadly. "Couple that with the fact that Edward never had a real prom either…" He shook his head and looked down at the pavement. "The things you both endured were, well, tragic is the only word that fits." I noticed his lip tremble as he spoke. I could feel my throat begin to tighten.

By this time, our entire group had gathered around Chris and I in a huddle.

"I had inquired and kept the date of the Forks prom in the back of my mind for weeks, just in case by some miracle Edward was able to make it back in time." I smiled at Chris then. "Then, lo and behold, to everyone's surprise, he flies back on Monday. I immediately sprang into action."

Alice interrupted. "It's true Bella. I've never seen Christopher like that before, he was like a man possessed." She smiled, tears glistening in her beautiful eyes. "He got in touch with Emmett and Charlie, and while they arranged things at this end, we arranged the clothing and hauling our tushys up here from Cali."

I took a deep breath. "I don't know what to say." I admitted as Edward squeezed my shoulder lightly and smiled down at me.

"Technically, we're all here tonight in a 'chaperone' capacity, but that doesn't matter." Chris said. "Bella, remember what we talked about that day?"

I nodded, the tears flowing now. I could hear Rosalie's quiet sniffles somewhere to my right.

"For you and for Edward, tonight is all about replacing those bad memories with something magical." Chris said as his voice cracked. "You both deserve this."

I lost it then. "Thank you Chris and Alice, and everyone." I was able to stutter out, through my tears. I reached for Chris and Alice and hugged them both to me. "I love you guys." I whispered.

"Love you too honey" Chris replied.

"Love you Bella." Alice whispered.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The legend about the shadow man is actually true. Michael's can lay claim to more than one ghost haunting the premises.


	56. Hallelujah & Zombie Dances

 

When I finally tore myself away from my little bubble of friends and family, I realized that we were still standing in the Forks High School parking lot. Also, I realized that we weren't alone.

From a distance I watched as my father and what looked to be about half of the police force of Forks, stood in front of the group of paps that had followed us from the restaurant.

"Sorry folks, unless you have permission to be on school property, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Charlie announced.

I heard a collective groan go up from the camera-wielding pains in the ass.

Charlie and the other cops stood firm as the paps slowly retreated to their vehicles and pulled out of the parking lot. I wasn't naïve enough to believe that they wouldn't be waiting for us just off of school grounds when we left later.

I continued to watch as my Dad posted a couple of officers near the entrances, before turning to walk over to us.

Charlie had dressed for the occasion. The only other times I'd had the pleasure of seeing him in his 'dress' uniform were when he'd attended funerals in an official capacity, or when he'd received citations for his 'exemplary performance' on the job.

Everyone except Edward and I had drifted toward the school entrance. "Aren't you kids going inside?" Charlie asked with a big smile.

"Yeah, in a minute" I answered as I returned his smile. "Thanks for helping with this Dad."

"That Chris is quite a character. I don't think I really had a choice." He chuckled. His eyes traveled between Edward and me, before clearing his throat. "Um, well, I'll see you both inside."

I looked at him questioningly.

"I volunteered to be a chaperone." He shrugged before disappearing into the building.

_This prom will have more chaperones than students tonight._

After my Dad was gone, Edward held out his arm for me to take. "Shall we?" He smiled down at me.

I took his arm happily, but I needed to speak with him before we entered the gym. As we passed a long row of lockers just inside the school doors, I slowed down, and looked up at his face.

"Edward, is this really okay with you?" I asked quietly, knowing that the only prom night he'd experienced before tonight had left permanent scars.

He smiled genuinely. "Bella, I'll admit that I wasn't sure about this when Alice phoned to ask the other day. She was worried then for the same reasons you are now." He stopped walking and took both my hands in his after turning to face me.

"I am so much in love with you Bella, that what happened on prom night all those years ago has become nothing more than a bad memory. I can say without a doubt that the shitstorm I suffered through no longer determines the way I live my life." He smiled again. "I live my life for you now." He said before kissing my hand.

I was speechless. I reached up and placed the palm of my hand on his cheek before leaning up to kiss his lips. "You make me so happy Edward." I admitted.

He smiled.

"So, how about you?" He questioned. "How do you feel about being back in your old alma mater?"

I drew in a deep breath. "It's a little strange, but not upsetting." I answered as I looked around. "I haven't set foot in here for so long that it now feels almost unfamiliar. It's hard to believe I spent four years of my life in this building."

Edward grinned at me before winking and offering his arm again. "Let's make some new memories Miss Swan."

_-V &V—_

The gymnasium that I remembered from high school was unrecognizable. The prom committee had done a wonderful job transforming the space into 'Alice's Wonderland'. Sheer, flowing material had been draped across the ceiling and walls, hundreds of fairy lights had been strung on the fake trees, they'd even taken the time to place mirrored panels along one wall. The most impressive display had to be that each table was set to resemble the Mad Hatter's tea party.

_It was magical._

Chris's words came back to me then, something about Edward and I deserving a little 'magic'.

I took in the scene for a moment, before Edward led me over to a table where the rest of our group was already seated. I noticed more than a few pairs of eyes following us, or should I say, following Edward, as we took our seats.

I'd barely had time to utter two words to anyone before Alice and Rose were pulling me onto the dance floor. Edward balked because he wanted to have the first dance with me, but somehow I couldn't see dancing to 'Single Ladies' with my fuckhot boyfriend.

_Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it  
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it_

Less than a minute into the song, Rose, in her blood red, skintight dress with a sexy slit up the side, had become the center of attention. She did her best 'Beyonce', while Alice and I danced on her flanks.

_I need no permission, did I mention  
Don't pay him any attention  
Cause you had your turn and now you gonna learn  
What it really feels like to miss me_

By this time almost every girl in attendance had crowded onto the dance floor. The few boys who attempted to stay eventually gave up, not wanting to look completely foolish.

_All the single ladies, all the single ladies  
All the single ladies, all the single ladies  
All the single ladies, all the single ladies  
All the single ladies  
Now put your hands up, oh, oh, oh_

I happened to glance toward our table to see Jasper and Edward standing and clapping with the music, very amused smiles on their faces, while Emmett and Chris were doing their own 'Beyonce' impression off to the side.

_Although their moves look a lot more like Justin Timberlake's and Andy Samberg's._

After an eyeful of that, Rose, Alice and I couldn't hold it together any longer and ambled off the dance floor, laughing hysterically.

Vowing that I wouldn't dance again until it was with Edward. I sat the next few out, being content to watch my brother and Rose dancing inappropriately to 'Good Girls Go Bad'. Edward sat close beside me, his arm around my waist, pulling me against his body. We both broke down in hysterical laughter when old Mrs. Withers, the science teacher who'd been teaching at the school for years, went up to Rose and Emmett, scolding them for their dance moves.

Emmett's response was to give her a big smile and wiggle his eyebrows while gently tugging on both her hands in an effort to coax  _her_  into dancing inappropriately with him. Mrs. Withers blushed and giggled. She shook her head, and proceeded to place one hand in his and the other on his shoulder.

We continued to laugh as we watched Emmett and Mrs. Withers slow dance to 'Low' by Flo Rida.

_Too freakin' funny._

.  
 _Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans (Jeans)  
Boots with the fur (With the fur)  
the whole club was lookin at her  
She hit the floor (She hit the floor)  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low_  
.

As we sat there, one of my former teachers stopped by. "Hello Bella."

I turned to face the bright smile that went with the soft voice.

"Hi Miss North, it's so good to see you." I said sincerely. "Let me introduce you to my fiancé" I said as I turned toward Edward. "Edward, this is Miss North, my eleventh grade English teacher. She's the reason I love to write."

Edward smiled and nodded in her direction.

Miss North wasn't much older than I was. I guessed her to probably be in her early thirties by now. She was beautiful and kind, and the time I'd spent with her had been some of the happier moments of my high school career.

"I merely helped you realize what was already there." Miss North smiled. "It's very nice to meet you Edward. I find that I don't really need to ask how you are Bella, because the news media seems to think it their mission to give us daily updates." She remarked with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes before laughing with her. "Promise me that you won't believe everything they say Miss North."

"Don't worry." She smiled and glanced around. "Well, I'll let you get back to your evening."

I smiled.

Miss North hesitated before walking away, and then suddenly leaned in close so only I could hear, while covering my hand with hers. "You know, I've kept tabs on you through your Dad over the last four years." She looked a little sheepish to be admitting it. "Bella, I can't tell you how much it means to me to finally see you happy." He voice cracked during the last few words.

I thought about how much she'd done for me in high school. Bella Swan, poor traumatized little girl, afraid of her own shadow. Miss North cared enough to see more than what was visible to others. Who knows how many times she'd wrung her hands or lost sleep worrying about me? I'd given her enough reason to, that's for sure. I thought back to the one of many times she'd helped me...

_*  
'Today we've been discussing the works of Poe, but do any of you know about his tragic life?' Miss North asked._

_Not getting a response, she continued. 'Poe was abandoned by his father, left orphaned by his mother's death, taken in by a family who never formally adopted him. He failed at virtually every occupation he attempted, other than writing. He lost his wife to tuberculosis. He gambled, suffered from alcoholism..'_

' _Sounds like he should have 'offed' himself.' Tim Carver said with a snicker. The only person to find his remark humorous was his evil girlfriend Michelle._

' _Well, for your information Tim, he was found dead. Although the true cause has remained a mystery, it is believed that his alcoholism was a major contributing factor.'_

' _It's a shame more freaks aren't found dead like that, huh Little Swan?' Tim and Michelle continued to snicker. 'Maybe some losers should have just done the world a favor and died along with their whore of a mother.'_

_I hung my head lower than usual at his comments. How much does everyone know about my mother's death? My hands began to shake and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I heard a strange noise, and then realized that it was me, I was sobbing._

_Before I knew what was happening, Miss North was there, crouching down beside me. She turned to shout at Tim and Michelle. 'You two, go to the office, NOW!'_

_I heard shuffling feet, then the classroom door opened and closed again. I became aware that Miss North was speaking to me. 'Bella, honey, take deep breaths. Oh you poor thing, you're trembling. Please don't think about what they said. They are heartless and cruel. I've been looking for a reason to have them removed from my class all year.'_

_As the sobbing finally slowed, I kept my eyes fixed on my desk, and wrapped my arms around myself, so ashamed of my behavior. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Maybe the Tim's of the world would be happy then. Miss North continued trying to soothe, but I didn't respond. I needed to disappear. Finally, she tentatively reached out and patted my hand. 'Come with me Bella, I think we should call your father.'_

_It wasn't the first or the last time that Charlie was called to pick me up from school.  
*_

The wave of emotion that came over me at the memory of Miss North's kindness, so many times when I'd needed it most, prompted me to my feet. I reached to pull her close, and threw my arms around her, giving her a fierce hug. "Thank you so much Miss North. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for everything."

I pulled back to look at her face, we both had tears in our eyes.

"Don't thank me Bella, just have a happy life." She said with a small smile, before giving me one last quick hug, "and please, you're an adult now, call me Suzanne", she smiled again before walking back to sit with the other teachers.

When I sat down again, Edward pulled me back against his side. I felt his warm breath on my temple as he kissed me there sweetly. We sat at our table continuing to watch everyone else dance as we waited for the first slow song to play. Edward was such a romantic; I knew he wanted to hold me close during our first dance.

I watched as Emmett, Rose and Mrs. Withers exited the dance floor, stopping to talk to a few people. Alice and Chris had disappeared, leaving Edward, Jasper and me alone at the table. Edward, ever the gentleman, decided that I needed a drink and headed in the direction of the refreshment table.

As I sat there waiting, I got caught up watching the students of Forks dancing to 'Yeah' by Usher.

_Damn, some of these kids can dance._

Surprised that Emmett wasn't out there showing off again, I looked around and spotted him across the room entertaining a group of high school jocks with his antics.

_Probably the entire Forks High football team._

Not far from Emmett, I noticed that Rose too was surrounded by her own group of admirers.

_No doubt her loyal viewers have heard about her show going nationwide soon._

Before long, Jasper moved around the table and slipped quietly into the chair beside mine. "I think you and I are the only ones without a fan club Bella." He stated with a chuckle.

I smiled before looking further around the large room. Chris and Alice, newly revealed to the public as 'Brandon Miles' fashions, were surrounded by a small group of young girls and a couple guys, snapping photos and getting their autographs.

"I also think our boy's not going to make it back here with that drink any time soon." He added nodding his head toward the refreshment table, an expression of amusement on his face.

I looked in that direction and saw my poor fiancé surrounded, but it wasn't by high school girls. He was standing there, my drink in his hand, being admired and chatted up by almost every female teacher from Forks High School.

I was secretly thankful that Suzanne North was not among them.

"Normally, Alice would be the one to rescue him from this type of situation, but I think the job now officially falls to you Miss Bella." He said in his southern drawl as he grinned.

I sat and deliberated for a minute or two on how to successfully extract Edward unscathed from his current predicament.

My answer came in the form of a song. As soon as I heard the opening strains of 'Hallelujah' by Jeff Buckley begin to play, I jumped from my seat and made a bee-line for Edward. When his eyes locked with mine, a blinding smile spread across his face.

.  
 _Well I heard there was a secret chord  
That David played, and it pleased the Lord  
But you don't really care for music, do ya?  
Well it goes like this  
The fourth, the fifth  
The minor fall and the major lift  
The baffled king composing Hallelujah  
._

I watched as he set down my drink and excused himself from the group of admirers. The next thing I knew, I was in his arms on the dance floor.

.  
 _Well Your faith was strong but you needed proof  
You saw her bathing on the roof  
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you  
._

"Sorry my love." He whispered as he pulled me close and we swayed to the music.

I smiled up at him. "It's alright Edward. I usually don't mind your adoring fans, but tonight I'll admit to being a little selfish."

. _  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah_  
.

"I like selfish Bella." He admitted with a wolfish grin. "The look on your face as you charged across the room to find me was very sexy." He said as he brushed his lips along the shell of my ear, "very sexy indeed."

_No Sexward. Please not here in front of …everyone…_

I drew in a surprised breath when he bit down gently on my ear lobe.

My girly bits, which I thought I'd successfully beaten into submission, were suddenly on fire.

_Please Bella, let us do naughty things. We want to play with Sexward's manly bits._

I couldn't stop myself, I whimpered out loud.

My gorgeous fiancé chuckled at my reaction, knowing full well the affect he had on me.

_Assward._

_.  
I've seen your flag on the marble arch  
Love is not a victory march  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah  
._

He held me tighter. "You're so beautiful Bella." He whispered. "For the rest of the night, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

_I could live with that._

"Edward, no one is going to bother me, it's you who's in serious danger of being molested. And the fact that the molester may be one of my former teachers is seriously creeping me out."

He blurted out a laugh.

.  
 _Well there was a time when you let me know  
What's really going on below  
But now you never show that to me do you?  
And remember when I moved in you?  
And the holy dove was moving too  
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
._

"You're so wrong Bella." He said.

I looked at him questioningly.

"Every guy in here can't keep his eyes off of you. I've had to glare down several already."

_He's got to be joking._

He looked at me and shook his head. "My beautiful, clueless girl."

I glanced around and noticed that the dance floor had gotten very full. People were staring, but I didn't care. For the moment, I was content to close my eyes and lay my head against Edward's chest.

_I'm pretty sure that there's not a soul on earth as happy as I am tonight…_

"What are you thinking about?" Edward murmured low in my ear.

I smiled up at him. "About how happy I am right now."

"Me too."

.  
 _Well maybe there's a God above  
But all I've ever learned from love  
Was how to shoot somebody who'd out drew ya  
And it's not a cry that you hear at night  
It's not somebody who's seen in the light  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah  
._

Edward bent his head down a little lower until our lips were almost touching. "Do you think we'll get thrown out if I kiss you?" He teased.

"Chief Swan may be tempted, but I think he'll behave." I grinned. "It's definitely worth the risk."

That was all it took for him to lean down just a bit more until his lips were on mine, and the rest of the world melted away.

We continued to kiss as the song played on. When it finally ended so did the kiss and we slowly walked back to our table.

Rose and Alice coaxed me back out during 'Bad Romance' and 'Pokerface', much to Edward's delight, and I was in his arms once more during 'Love Story'.

As Taylor sang her heart out, I glance around again and was surprised to see Charlie dancing with Miss, I mean Suzanne, North.

_I wonder what that means._

After Forks High had crowned the prom king and queen, the DJ began a musical tribute to Michael Jackson. Edward and I danced to a couple of the songs before retreating to our table for a break. While snapping photos with our friends, I heard the opening strains of my very favorite Michael Jackson song, 'Thriller'.

I let out a little squeal of excitement because this was a dance I knew better than even Rosalie. She excitedly grabbed my arm before pushing me toward the dance floor. I was so nervous that I almost chickened out. That was until I felt a warm hand grab mine and tug. I let Edward lead me to the floor, where we both started to 'zombie dance'.

Turns out he was also a closet 'Thriller' fan just like me, and had expertly memorized the dance moves. I grinned at him as we, along with about twenty other zombies took over the dance floor.

Rose laughed and shouted. "You two dorks so deserve each other."

Edward and I just laughed in response.

Before the night was over, we were able to get Alice and Chris alone again. "I can't thank you enough for this." I said with a motion toward the dance floor.

"Did it make you happy Bella?" Alice asked with a smile.

"So very happy Alice." I answered.

Chris beamed. "Edward?" He questioned.

"It has been a wonderful night Chris; I can't begin to think of how to repay you for this." Edward said in response.

Alice and Chris were both beaming then. "Edward, you and Bella are family. No thanks or repayment will ever be necessary." Chris told us sincerely.

Edward and I hugged them both.

_-V &V—_

"So, we're all meeting for breakfast after Mass tomorrow at the diner." Rose announced as we exited the gym. I was surprised to find both Sidney and Lou waiting for us outside.

_Edward must have phoned them._

"Which one of you gentlemen gets the keys to my baby?" Edward asked them.

Sidney answered by pointing to Lou. "Give them to him. I lost the bet."

Lou looked very pleased as he drove away behind the wheel of the Vanquish, Sidney watched after him with a scowl.

Edward's hope was that the paps would think that it was him driving the Vanquish, and would follow Lou all the way back to Seattle.

The plan seemed to work because there was no sign of a single pap when Sidney drove us to Charlie's, Rose and Emmett following in their vehicle.

Because Charlie's house was limited on space, Chris, Alice, Jasper and Sidney had rooms booked at a Bed and Breakfast on the outskirts of town.

I tried to abide by my Dad's wishes, and stay in my own room all night, but sometime around three a.m., I woke and couldn't go back to sleep. I slipped downstairs to get a drink and to, if I were being honest, check on Edward who was sleeping on the living room sofa for the second night in a row.

As I entered the darkened room, I heard him say my name.

_Was he awake?_

"Bella….Bella no.." He moaned and then mumbled something unintelligible after that. I rushed over to the sofa, and as soon as I could see his face, the look of distress I found there brought me to tears.

I squeezed in beside him on the sofa. I was pretty sure he was still asleep when he wound his arms tightly around me, making it difficult to breathe. I looked at his face and gently called his name. "Edward, please wake up."

"Bella…." He moaned, and I noticed that his face was covered in perspiration, his hair soaked with it.

"Edward, please you're scaring me." I whispered as I rubbed the side of his face with my hand. His eyes started to flutter open. When they finally opened all the way, his gaze focused on me.

"Bella" He rasped out. "Are you really here?"

"Yes Edward, you were having a nightmare." I soothed.

"I couldn't find you. I tried, but you slipped right through my fingers. I ran for hours through the woods. I couldn't find you." He scrubbed his face with his hand before pulling me close to him again.

"It was just a dream Edward. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. Please try to forget it."

"I would if this were the first time." He mumbled.

"This is a recurring dream?" I asked.

He nodded sheepishly. "They started while I was still in England. I've had the same dream a couple times since I've gotten back."

"Edward, you were exhausted. You were working fourteen hour days just before you came home, and we really haven't had a lot of 'down time' since your return."

He calmed down and took a deep breath. "You're right."

My curiosity got the better of me then. "What happened in the dream?"

He hesitated. "It was nothing. One minute you were there, and then you disappeared. I ran through the woods, but couldn't find you. Just a silly dream."

As usual, he didn't want me to worry, so he played it off as nothing. "Edward, I know it was more than that. Look at you, you're still pretty shaken."

He grimaced and shook his head. "All this over a dream" He muttered. "I'm such a pussy." He remarked with a chuckle.

I smiled, glad that he seemed to be returning to normal. "I don't think so. Even in your dreams, you're trying to save me." I fluttered my eyelashes at him, trying to lighten the mood. "My hero."

He laughed then and pulled me closer. "Stay here?" He whispered.

"Always." I answered.

I lay awake for a while, until I heard Edward's breathing turn slow and rhythmic, and then I followed him into a deep, dreamless sleep.

_-V &V—_

"Pardon the vulgarity ladies, but you, Emmett Swan, are one sick sumbitch." Jasper glared at Emmett from his side of the booth. We were all at the Forks diner having breakfast the day after prom. I wasn't certain what Emmett had done to deserve Jasper's wrath, but it must have been pretty bad to rattle the normally passive Mr. Whitlock.

What was my brother's response to Jasper's anger? He was laughing his ass off, of course.

Edward, Chris, Charlie and I all asked with one voice, "What's going on?"

By the looks of things, Rose and Alice already knew, because they were both trying desperately to suppress their giggles.

Jasper, still looking pissed turned toward the rest of us to explain. "A few days ago, Emmett informed me that, because he was getting married in a Catholic church, everyone in the wedding party had to go to confession beforehand, whether they were Catholic or not." He explained in an angry tone.

"Emmett Swan, you big liar." I said to my brother. Emmett grinned and shrugged.

"I have been agonizing over this for  _days_." Jasper muttered while shaking his head. "I mean, literally waking up in the middle of the night, and freaking out about it. I had no idea how to make a _confession._ "

"This morning, I finally decided to ask my sister if there was any way I could still be in the wedding without going through that, only to find out that whistledick here had been playing me for a fool."

We all cracked up at Jasper's story and his indignant tone. Charlie was laughing so hard that his face turned blood red, and I started to fear he was having a heart attack.

Jasper just continued to glare at my brother.

After everyone calmed down and were busily eating, Emmett had the nerve to speak to Jasper again. "So Franny, I'm a little curious."

Jasper looked up from his food and frowned at Emmett.

"What sins have you committed that made you so terrified of the confessional?" He asked with a smirk.

Jasper narrowed his eyes as he sat back against his seat. He casually lifted the napkin from his lap and dabbed at his mouth before answering, his eyes never leaving Emmett's face. "There's only one sin that troubles me, and it's one that I haven't committed,  _yet,_ but am sorely tempted to do so _._ "

Emmett quirked an eyebrow in question.

Jasper smirked. "You see, I have the strong desire to commit a  _murder_. I don't really fear the wrath of God, because I believe that even He'd be on my side in this particular instance. I do, however love my sister very much, and I know she'd miss your sorry ass were I to follow through." He smirked at Emmett and winked at Rose.

Rose looked at Emmett with a smug expression, "I told you not to mess with Jasper. You are playing with fire." She said before pecking his lips.

Emmett was unimpressed. "Stop talking shit Francesca, I know deep down that you really like me." He grinned as he took a bite of waffle.

We all laughed. I was pretty sure that Jasper had been joking, at least I hoped he had been. But I had also taken note of how much he favored his father in both his speech and his mannerisms.

_And Colonel Whitlock is one scary motherfucker._

_-V &V—_

Edward and I were exhausted when we arrived back in Seattle. As tired as I was, I needed to do some homework, so I insisted he take a nap while I worked quietly on my laptop.

After finishing the school assignments, I printed off three short stories I'd written, trying to decide which one to send to the publisher. Unable to decide on my own, I asked Edward's opinion when he woke up.

While he read the stories, I worked on my list for Dr. Miller. I had an appointment the next day, and made an honest attempt at finding more things I liked about myself.

I could almost hear Edward's voice in my ear as concentrated. I looked at what I'd already written, and decided I could do better.

I immediately added my writing talent to the list. I then thought about the answers that Edward, Rose and Emmett had provided for the assignment, and realized that quite a few of the things mentioned were also things I liked about myself. Before long, I had my list of ten. Although, in the beginning, it had been a hard-fought battle to even come up with three, now being able to complete the list, made me feel almost giddy inside. I found that I was actually proud of myself.

I looked up and saw Edward watching me.

_How long had I been sitting here, lost in my own thoughts?_

He smiled. "I've read them all Bella." He took a breath. "They're very good. I'm not surprised that someone is interested in publishing your work." He continued to study me.

"What?" I asked, beginning to feel self-conscious.

He shook his head, still smiling. "Nothing, I just.." He took another breath. "I had no idea that you had such a vivid imagination. I'm quite impressed."

I knew I was blushing then. "You've read my work before."

"Yes, but those were all writing assignments for school, with strict parameters. I've never read something that sprang one hundred percent from that amazing brain of yours until now."

I swallowed, suddenly nervous. "So you think the publisher will like my work?"

"God yes" He rushed out. "Although I don't have any experience with publishing, I'm an avid reader. I know what I like and I don't think I'm that different from the vast majority of people."

"Which story should I submit?" I bit my lip while awaiting his answer.

"That's the most difficult part." He paused as he thought. "I'll have to admit that I'm partial to the story of the little boy and the swallow, but I'm sure that's because of our trip to Capistrano." He answered with a wink.

I smiled. "Our trip was my inspiration for the story." I gave him a quick peck on the lips. "That's the one I'll submit then."

_-V &V—_

"Nervous?" Edward asked as we sat in the waiting room of Dr. Miller's,  _Kim's,_ office.

I shrugged. "A little, I suppose." I admitted.

"Bella, you can go back now." Dr. Miller's receptionist informed.

I gave Edward a small smile before entering Kim's office.

"Hello again Bella" She greeted cheerily.

"Hi Kim." I answered, although it felt awkward to use her first name. I sat in the same chair I'd sat in before, directly in front of the doctor's desk.

"Before we start, is there anything troubling you that we should discuss first?"

"I can't think of anything, other than the fact that my wedding preparations have the potential to overwhelm me." I gave her a small smile.

She tilted her head slightly as she thought about that. "You know Bella, even during the short time I've known you, I can tell that you are one of those people who will put others' wishes ahead of your own. You're not doing yourself or anyone else any favors if, in your efforts to please them, your wedding day turns out to be miserable for you and Edward."

I nodded as I considered her words.

"My advice to you would be to take a deep breath and step back for a moment. Think about  _exactly_ what you want, and then have an honest conversation with those family and friends involved."

Admittedly, I hadn't been honest with Esme, or even with Edward for that matter.

"Helpful advice?" She asked.

I smiled and nodded. "Very."

"How did you progress with your assignment?" She asked.

"I didn't have a problem compiling a list of what others thought of me, but I had some difficulty with the one I had to compile for myself." I admitted.

"I'm not surprised. If it had been the other way round, you'd be an egomaniac, and we all know that's not true." She announced with a chuckle.

"The purpose of the exercise was to open your eyes to what others thought of you, and possibly make you realize that you like those same qualities in yourself."

"I'd have to say the exercise was successful then doctor. It took me a while, but when I finally stopped being stubborn and committed some thought to it, I finished the list."

"Good." She smiled.

We spoke a while longer about the marriage classes Edward and I were taking at church, and what I expected to get out of them. I told her how school was going, and about the possibility of being published.

She was thrilled for me.

We then got into a discussion about how dreary my life had been before Edward and I had found each other. She listened quietly as I expressed my thoughts.

"Bella, I know that you believe Edward saved you, and in many respects that is true. There is no doubt that your love for each other has changed your life, but I'd like you to also consider the possibility that you weren't as far gone as you believe. Just the fact that you were open to those feelings of romantic love proves that you had never truly given up on yourself or your future."

It was funny. I'd always imagined Edward as having been the one riding in on the white horse, saving me from my dreary existence. Dr. Miller seemed to believe that I did at least some of the work myself.

_Okay, so maybe I hopped on the horse, but Edward was still my knight. He saved me, and continues to do so, on a daily basis. I will never fall back into depression as long as I have him by my side._

"Now, I don't see a need to schedule the next appointment any sooner than a month from now. That is unless something arises, and you feel the need to see me before then." She said with a smile. "I would, however, like to see both you and Edward together at least once before your wedding. Do you think that would be possible?"

"I'm sure it would be. He actually came with me today. I think he was hoping to meet you."

"Is that so?" She grinned. "Well then, let's go get him. We'll see how your intended handles spontaneity." She said with a mischievous grin.

_Oh my._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song recs: 'Single Ladies'(Beyonce), 'Good Girls Go Bad'(Cobra Starship), 'Low'(Flo Rida), 'Yeah'(Usher), 'Hallelujah'(Jeff Buckley), 'Bad Romance' and 'Pokerface' (Lady Gaga), 'Love Story'(Taylor Swift), 'Thriller'(Michael Jackson). There were so many more songs I wanted to feature, but then the entire chapter would have only been the prom.


	57. Making Plans & False Allegations

 

If I hadn't known it already, today would have convinced me that Edward was too good to be true. He didn't even flinch when Dr. Miller asked him to step into her office. Quite the opposite, he actually seemed to welcome the opportunity to speak with her.

He grasped my hand, and never released it during the entire visit.

Of course Kim never mentioned the things we'd talked about during my sessions, her main focus while speaking with us seemed to be how we planned to handle the stress of being in the public eye, especially after our marriage.

Edward had obviously given it a lot of thought, admitting that as much as he loved his career, he loved me infinitely more, and my wishes and needs would always be his first priority.

_Gah._

After my appointment, he had Sidney drive us to the movie theater. "What would you like to see Bella?" He asked as we stood in line.

Fifteen minutes later we were seated in the theater, waiting for  _Letters To Juliet_ to begin. I looked around as we sat there. It didn't surprise me that the theater wasn't full. It was a Monday afternoon, so I hadn't expected a crowd. I was surprised however, to find that Edward was the only male in the entire theater.

_I really hope this film isn't a total chick flick._

Before the lights dimmed and the movie previews began, I came to the painful realization that Edward's hoodie disguise hadn't concealed his identity very well. Every female in the room was ogling my fiancé.

I may have glared at them until they got the message.

 _And_ I may have shamelessly flashed my engagement ring. Several times.

_Back off bitches. He is mine._

The movie was sweet, and romantic, and definitely not just for chicks. Edward kept his arm around my shoulders and I rested my head against him as we watched the main characters trek all over the Italian countryside. Now and then, he would lean down to kiss me.

Every time it happened, I lost my train of thought for a moment, making it difficult to follow the storyline. After a while, I decided it didn't matter, I'd buy the damn DVD when it was released.

_Kissing Edward definitely trumps anything this theater has to offer any day of the week._

"Edward, do you think we can take a trip to Italy while you're filming in Europe next year?" I asked as we rode home.

"I don't see why not." He answered. "I won't have to work all the time, I'm sure we can figure something out."

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of traveling through Italy with Edward, my husband, my soul mate, my best friend, beside me.

_-V &V—_

"This was one of the most fabulous days of my life." Chris announced with a grin.

We were eating pizza at Emmett and Rose's. Today was Rose's actual birthday and our last night together before Jasper, Alice and Chris flew back to L.A. on Tuesday.

"And why is that?" Edward asked out of curiosity.

"We did fittings for the rest of Emmett's groomsmen today." Chris said with a gleam in his eye. "Even the ones that aren't football players are ripped. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven." With those words Chris actually giggled.

"Chris, what would Gerry think?" Emmett chastised with a laugh.

"Emmett, I'm free to look, stare, flirt, and sometimes drool, Gerry doesn't have a problem with that." He grinned. "Otherwise he'd never let me go anywhere near Jasper." He said as he gave Jasper a little wink.

Jasper winced while the rest of us laughed.

"Rosalie, I can only imagine how stunning the rest of your bridesmaids are. If they're half as beautiful as you, Alice and Bella, they will be lovely indeed."

I could feel myself blush as Edward looked down at me and smiled.

Chris continued, "I'm still trying to catch my breath after spending the afternoon with all those hunks, and then add Emmett, Edward and Jasper to the bunch…" He sighed, "I think it may be illegal to have all that beauty under one roof." He snickered.

"I mean even your Dads are nice looking. Colonel Whitlock is a little creepy, but still handsome. And I certainly wouldn't kick Charlie out of bed." Chris blurted, causing my brother to choke on his beer.

"Christopher! Ew, just fucking gross man." Emmett barked out once he could speak again.

"What did I say?" Chris shrugged as he glanced around innocently, before giving me a playful grin.

We all laughed at Emmett's reaction, especially Jasper, thankful for once I'm sure that Chris was teasing someone other than him.

I thought about what Chris had said. It didn't matter how many gorgeous men were at Emmett and Rose's wedding, I only had eyes for one:

_My Edward_

I turned and shamelessly watched him as he ate his pizza.

_My God he's fuckhot. How did I ever manage to attract a man like that?_

_I know! It must be because I'm so irresistibly sexy._

I actually snorted out a laugh. Edward gave me a weird look.

_Just go back to eating your pizza you beautiful man. Sexy Bella's not through gawking at you._

And he did just that, as I continued with my inner monologue.

_Why the hell haven't I allowed this gorgeous hunk of man flesh to jump my bones yet?_

_Right, I'm trying to abstain._

_I need to reread the literature Father Pat gave me. I need to be strong._

Unfortunately when Edward took a sip of his beer and his Adam's apple bobbed, I was pretty sure my panties melted.

_I need to drag him back to my apartment so we can hump like bunnies._

"Bella, would you please stop eye-fucking Edward. It's beginning to make me uncomfortable, not as uncomfortable as the thought of Pops in bed with Chris, but uncomfortable nevertheless." Emmett boomed.

_Kill me now._

I could feel my face flame as everyone in the room had the good manners to try and hide their amusement, except Rose of course, she laughed out loud.

_Bitch_

"I hate you Emmett." I said with a pout as Edward pulled me against his side.

"I happen to know for a fact that's not true." Emmett smirked before taking another swig of his beer.

Edward pulled me closer as he rubbed my arm soothingly. I could feel his breath as he kissed my hair. "Baby don't be upset. I love it that you were staring." He whispered in my ear. "I'm not thrilled that Emmett embarrassed you though."

I still wouldn't lift my head. "Bella, I stare at you all the time, and I'm not ashamed to admit it."

I knew that was true. I'd caught him on more than one occasion. I looked up then and smiled at him.

"Better?"

I nodded before he gave me a gentle kiss on the lips.

_I'm such a lucky bitch._

After the pizza, Rose blew the candles out on her cake. While everyone was enjoying a slice, I made a quick trip to the bathroom. When I opened the bathroom door to leave, I found Alice standing just on the other side of it.

"Alice! You scared the crap out of me." I whisper yelled as I clutched my chest. "What is it with you and my brother lurking outside of bathrooms in order to scare me?"

Alice chuckled. "Sorry Bella, I wasn't trying to scare you I swear." She said as she grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the guest room. "I need to speak with you for a minute."

"What about?" I asked as she shut the door.

"Have you given any thought about what to give Edward for his birthday next month?" She asked.

_Shit. I'd been so busy, that Edward's birthday wasn't even on my radar yet._

_What the hell could I get the man who has everything?_

"Not yet Alice. I still have a month." I defended. "I don't know what I could get him that would be nice enough though." I said in a defeated tone.

"Oh Bella quit pouting." She said with a grin. "I had an idea of something he'd like, but it requires a little planning. I ran it by Rose earlier, and she loved it."

"Alice, I'm not letting you pay for some big expensive present for Edward, and then say it's from me."

"Bella stop. This won't cost much. You can foot the bill if it makes you happy, just hear me out." She said in a rush.

"Okay."

"Edward would really like a calendar." She stated.

_What?_

"Pardon me for saying this Alice but, the year's almost half over, and calendars cost what twenty bucks at most? Even I can afford more than that for my fiancé's birthday." I muttered sarcastically.

Alice giggled. "No silly. The calendar I have in mind would be filled with photos of  _you,_ and would start in June."

I frowned at her, "Seriously?"

"Absolutely. But we'll have to make it special. I was thinking about dressing you up for each photo, having a different theme for each month. For example, in September's photo you could be dressed as a sexy teacher. You know, seamed stockings, librarian glasses and 'do me' pumps." She giggled.

I was pretty sure that my face went pale at that suggestion. "Alice, you'd need a special effects expert to pull that off." I deadpanned.

She laughed out loud then. "Nonsense Bella, you really need to embrace your sexy side. My brother has a difficult time keeping his eyes, or his hands, off of you." She answered as she wiggled her eyebrows at me.

It seemed like I'd have to trust her on this one.

"How would we do this?"

"Edward said that you're coming to L.A. with him for a few days in June, I'll arrange everything for that weekend."

"I guess I'll leave it up to you then." I answered, still unsure.

_-V &V—_

"Baby, I've been home an entire week already." Edward announced in the dim light of my bedroom. We were lying in bed, but neither of us was finding it easy to fall asleep.

"Wow, a whole week? I hope the rest of the time until our wedding moves that quickly." I answered.

"Do you? Do you really Bella?" Edward whispered, concern evident in his voice as he rolled on to his side in order to face me, his head propped up on one hand.

I turned my head to face him. "Of course I do Edward. Why would you ask that?"

"It's just that," He let out a breath "I don't know, before you left England, I thought things were progressing between us physically. Only now, you seem to have pulled back."

He let those words hang there for a moment before continuing.

"I'm just afraid that you may never be ready for.."

I interrupted him then. My behavior had confused him. I needed to make him understand, and not feel insecure about us.

"Edward, no. You're wrong. So, so wrong." I whispered as I caressed his cheek.

He looked even more confused.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been more forthcoming since you got back." I said softly. "Our relationship is the most important thing in my life, and I apologize for 'living in my own head' so much lately."

He continued to listen.

"I haven't said this out loud until now, but I'd really liked to wait until our wedding night to make love." I said the words slowly as I gauged his reaction. "I hope you're not too disappointed, I mean it's only a little over two months away…"

"Eighty-two days" He blurted.

I quirked an eyebrow at him in question.

He looked a little sheepish. "I've been keeping track." He defended.

I smiled at that. "You see, it's not that I don't want to do it, it's just that if we take up where we left off in England, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop."

He let out a breath he'd obviously been holding. "Are you certain that you're not just afraid Bella? You know I'd never force myself on you."

"Edward, please believe me, I'm not afraid, especially not of you. You've been nothing but patient and kind with me. I really want to make love, God how I want to…" I smiled ruefully. "I just don't want to be in Emmett and Rose's situation."

"Pregnant?" He questioned, looking a little horrified.

I blurted out a laugh. "Well, that's something to consider. But I was thinking more about having to abstain. Right now, we don't know what we're missing. If we did, and had to stop, I'm pretty sure it would be torture, even worse than the torture we've having to endure now. I've had to listen to my brother and Rose complain  _loudly_ and without shame, about their lack of a sex life." I shuddered.

He snickered. "You have a very unique take on things Bella." He smiled as he pulled me closer, kissing my lips. "I adore your quirky mind, and I understand your reservations about getting closer physically. But I'd still really like it if you lost this shirt." He said while fingering the sleeve of my t-shirt.

I looked at him in surprise. He chuckled and gave me a pleading look. "I promise to behave." He murmured in his sexiest voice. "I just need to feel your skin against mine. Please baby."

I sighed, defeated.

_How am I supposed to refuse that?_

I sat up to face him. He sat up, mirroring my posture. As if he could read my mind, Edward suddenly yanked his t-shirt over his head and threw it across the room. We both sat there expectantly.

I took a breath. "You promise you'll behave?" I asked quietly. "Because Edward, I'll have you know that my will power is shit right now. I am literally hanging on by a thread. It wouldn't take much to change my mind."

"But you'd regret it tomorrow Bella." He said with an understanding smile.

"That's just the thing, I'm pretty sure I  _wouldn't_ regret it." I said as I pecked him on the lips. "Not even a little."

He laughed quietly. "So why are we waiting exactly?"

I sighed. "Once we make love Edward, I'll be yours in every way. I'd really like to be yours legally and morally before that happens. I'm not taking this step lightly, it's a big commitment." I answered, hoping he would understand.

His face lit up in a brilliant smile. "Do you know how much it means to me that I'll be your first Bella? You're already giving me such a wonderful gift by marrying me, but to know that you trust me that much…it's humbling actually. I don't deserve you."

_Oh my God. He is killing me._

I reached for him and placed my hand on his cheek again. "Edward, what you just said, that was the sweetest, most romantic thing. I feel the same way about you. I mean, I'm your first too…it's kind of hard to wrap my head around how truly wonderful that is." Then I dropped my hand and gave him a knowing smirk. "But, if you keep up with the sexy, romantic talk, I am certain that my panties will abandon my body, which in turn will probably cause you to lose your boxer briefs."

Edward grinned broadly.

I frowned. "Under no circumstances is that allowed to happen Edward. Just like in the movies, you need to keep your package covered." I ordered. "Because if you don't, I know for a fact that I'll be riding you like a mechanical bull before morning."

Edward fell back on the bed in a fit of hysterical laughter at my words. Before he recovered enough to speak, I yanked my t-shirt off, tossed it aside, and snuggled beside him, skin against skin, just like he wanted.

We both sighed contentedly as his fingertips roamed over my bare flesh. We lay there for a long time before he spoke again.

"If we're really going to wait until our wedding night, I need to ask one favor." He said quietly.

"What's that?" I asked in a sleepy voice.

"I want to plan the honeymoon."

"Why?" I asked out of sheer curiosity.

"Because I want everything to be perfect, and I also want to surprise you." He murmured.

_There he goes again, sounding all sexy and romantic._

"And I want there to be as much distance as possible between your brother and us when we finally make love." He admitted with a chuckle.

I laughed with him. "Smart man" I complimented. "I knew you weren't just a pretty face." I said with a giggle.

"Pretty?" He asked, insulted. " _Please_ Bella, you are wounding my male ego." He said. I looked up to see his feigned painful expression.

"Okay I'll rephrase. _You got a purty mouth_." I said in my best red-neck accent.

"Bella!" He blurted with a laugh.

_Hm, he's obviously seen Deliverance._

"Alright" I stuttered out between laughs. "You are smart  _and_ handsome." I said while punctuating each word with a kiss. "Better?"

"Better" He grinned before taking me in his arms and kissing me in earnest.

He kept his promise and behaved.

_-V &V—_

The days were passing quickly. After our discussion, Edward seemed to relax. I suppose he was relieved to know that I really did want to have sex with him.

_Duh? As if that was ever in question._

_What a silly insecure man._

I wondered if this was how ridiculous my insecurities seemed to him.

_Definitely something to think about._

I also discovered that he really was counting down the days until our wedding. Every day or so he would leave me a little reminder of where we stood in the countdown.

I found this to be one of the most romantic things he'd done yet.

On Wednesday, I had lunch with Esme. This time I knew that Edward would be accompanying his mother. The night before, we had discussed my misgivings about the guest list, and planned to present a united front when we faced Esme the next day.

We also came up with an alternate plan that we felt certain would make her happy.

"Bella, it will take me no time to pare down the guest list. I don't want you to be uncomfortable dear." Esme reassured with a smile.

"Actually, you won't need to pare it down Esme. Edward and I discussed things, and came up with an idea." I smiled realizing we'd found a way to please everyone. "How would you feel if we only invited family and close friends to the ceremony, but invited everyone else to the reception?"

Esme smiled. "I have to say that it's not the conventional way of doing things, but I think it's a marvelous idea."

"Now let's talk about flowers." She grinned.

_That was easy._

Edward smirked and gave me an 'I told you so' look.

We spent the rest of lunch talking about flower arrangements and bouquets. Who knew there were so many choices?

It was almost time for me to leave when Esme turned to Edward. "I spoke with Duke last night." She beamed. "He is so excited that you kids are coming out for a visit next month."

_Duke?_

"I need to call him." Edward answered.

As soon as he and Esme noticed my puzzled expression, he spoke again. "Bella, you look confused?"

I bit my lip. "I was just wondering who Duke was?"

"Oh" Esme exclaimed. "That's my father's nickname. He's had it forever." She smiled happily.

I guess I still looked curious, because she continued. "He's been a big John Wayne fan for most of his life. While he was in the army, his buddies pinned that nickname on him. I guess it stuck because my mother was introduced to him that way. She never called him anything else until she lay dying, that was the first and only time I heard her call him Anthony." Esme's voice cracked with emotion.

Edward patted her hand, trying to soothe.

_-V &V—_

Edward's birthday gift had been on my mind. I'd had an idea which would slightly alter Alice's plan, so I decided run it by her.

"Hello Bella!" She chirped into the phone.

"Hi Alice" I answered "I won't keep you long. I just wanted to let you know of an idea I had for the calendar."

"Glad to see you're on board with this. What's your idea?"

"Well, I thought about Edward's tastes. He really loves old movies, and I know for a fact that he likes the classic movie actresses."

"Oh, you mean his affection for silver screen 'divas'?" She added with a giggle.

"Exactly" I answered. "I was just wondering if we could incorporate a few of his favorites into the calendar."

"Oh Bella, you're a genius. He'd love that!" Alice squealed.

"The only problem is that I don't know how you'll ever get me to resemble some of those women. I'm just not that attractive, but I guess you know people that could do wonders with makeup and hair…" I stuttered out.

"Nonsense Bella! You. Are. Gorgeous." She barked. "Let me work on this, it's going to be amazing."

_-V &V—_

"There's one more thing I want to be in charge of" Edward declared as we were having breakfast on Friday.

"What's that?" I asked.

"The music for the reception." He answered.

"I just assumed we would hire a band like Rose and Emmett."

He nodded his head. "I have a couple of ideas."

"Let me guess, you're going to surprise me again?"

He grinned. "You're beginning to catch on Miss Swan."

There were a few songs that I insisted be included. As soon as I named them, Edward retrieved his laptop from the living room and pulled up a list of songs, showing me that my choices were already included.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Have you been snooping through my ipod?"

"I'll never tell." He answered with a guilty smile.

"Edward Cullen" I scolded "You owe me. Hand over your ipod right now."

"Um, why would I do that?"

"You totally saw my 'Edward' playlist didn't you?"

"Yes" he admitted with a grin.

"Well, technically I showed you mine, now you  _have_ to show me yours." I snarked. "Although you didn't have my permission, therefore you're a peeping tom of sorts." I babbled.

Edward quirked an eyebrow "I told you that I'd show you mine baby, any time. You only have to ask." As he said this he stalked closer to where I was standing by the table.

"Stop." I demanded. Edward stopped in his tracks. I wouldn't look at his face because somehow I knew he was flashing me the 'panty dropper'.

_Be strong Bella._

I held my hand out in expectation. "Hand it over Cullen."

He laughed as he reached for his jacket, which was hanging on the back of the chair, and pulled his ipod from the pocket, slapping it into my hand.

I found the 'Beautiful Bella' playlist easily and scrolled through the list of songs. I could feel my heart melt as I read the titles.

"You're quite a romantic." I said in a small voice.

Edward closed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms. "You seem to bring that out in me Miss Swan." He bent down and kissed my lips. "Seventy-eight more days until I can call you _Mrs. Cullen._ "

_-V &V—_

We had an appointment at Tiffany's this afternoon. We were choosing our wedding bands today.

I, Bella Swan, who up until a few months ago nursed a strong aversion to the married state, was actually giddy at the thought of purchasing wedding bands.

Romantic love, more specifically, my love for Edward had caused a metamorphosis so powerful that I was unrecognizable from the girl I had been less than a year ago. Old Bella was dead and gone. Good riddance.

I didn't mourn her.

We strolled into Tiffany's, our arms draped around each other, Sidney and Lou keeping an eye out for trouble.

"Good afternoon Mr. Masen, Miss Swan" the manager greeted with a smile. "Please allow me to lead you to a private office to view our selections."

We followed him to a plush office in the back. I appreciated the fact that we could make our selections in private.

_At least our photos won't be plastered all over the internet._

It didn't take long for us to decide on a platinum and diamond band for me, and a platinum band containing one small diamond, for Edward.

My favorite moment of the day came when we were both trying on our bands, and happened to glance up into each other's eyes at the same time. The bands weren't sized yet, but that moment gave us a brief glimpse of our wedding day. As soon as that thought registered, we both sat there staring and grinning at each other like idiots. I reached over and ran my finger over Edward's ring. In return, he leaned down and gently kissed my ring finger.

After Tiffany's we went back to the apartment. I worked on homework while Edward showered and changed. As soon as I heard the loud knock, I rushed to answer the door.

"Hey Bellaboo" Emmett grinned. "Come on, we're going out, you and Edward are coming with us."

"We can't Emmett" I answered just as Edward appeared, looking completely drool-worthy in his black suit and burgundy tie.

Emmett looked back and forth between the two of us in surprise. "Are you two going out?"

I pursed my lips and frowned. "Just Edward."

I glanced up and Edward was looking at me sadly. He turned toward Emmett to explain. "Back in January, when I took Bella on that first date to Canlis. I had to bribe some guy to get the private room he'd reserved. He didn't want money though; I had to agree to make an appearance at his daughter's sweet-sixteen birthday party."

Emmett eyes were twinkling with delight, "And it's tonight?"

Edward nodded before looking back at me apologetically.

"It's okay Edward" I grinned, trying to make him feel better. "I'm just sorry you had to promise something like that. It was a lovely date though." I reached up and gave him a quick kiss.

_We could have gone to McDonald's for all I cared, as long as I was with Edward._

"Well, come on Sissy, you at least can go with us." Emmett urged.

I was about to refuse, when Edward interrupted. "Go Bella. Enjoy yourself. I'll call you as soon as I'm able to leave."

_-V &V—_

We ended up going to a local pub where we had sandwiches, chips and beer, Rose of course drinking a soft drink.

"I hear Edward had to entertain a bunch of teenage girls tonight" Rose said with a chuckle.

I frowned; this was bothering me a lot more than it should. I nodded in answer.

"You should have seen him Rose; he looked like a man being led away to his own execution." Emmett laughed.

I sighed. I was really feeling sorry for myself tonight.

Rose, gauging my mood, changed the subject. "How was the visit to Tiffany's?"

I gave Rose a grateful smile. "It was wonderful" I answered, as I proceeded to describe our wedding bands to Emmett and Rose. Well mostly to Rose because Emmett didn't give a shit really. He was polite however, keeping his mouth shut until I had finished.

"Come on Sissy, let's see what you got." He motioned toward an empty pool table.

"It's been a while" I admitted. "I hope I'm not rusty."

It always bothered Emmett that I was better at pool than he was.

_I am so going to kick your ass big brother._

As I racked up the points, my brother put on a show. He cursed loudly, stomped his foot at times, accused me of cheating often, and pouted after I'd won.

_Such a sore loser._

Having no pity on him, I did a little victory dance while Rose guffawed. Just then I noticed a figure behind her, half-hidden in shadow. I ran and threw myself into his arms.

_Edward._

"How long have you been lurking there?" I demanded with a smile.

"Long enough to know I'm never playing against you." He smirked.

"How about you be my partner and we'll play against Emmett and Rose?"

"I can do that."

As it turned out, Edward really sucked at pool. Due to my superior skills, we were almost able to pull off the win, but in the end Emmett and Rose were the champions.

Of course my brother did a 'touchdown' victory dance in the middle of the pub, earning him a round of applause from the patrons.

"So how was the party?" I asked Edward once we were back at the apartment.

He palmed his face before answering. "It was everything I expected, and feared it to be." He answered with a chuckle.

"Did all the girls flirt with you?" I grinned, enjoying his discomfort a little too much.

"You have no idea. The worst one there was the Grandmother. Bella do you remember the old lady that groped me in the Cathedral that time?" He asked.

"How could I forget?"

He raised one eyebrow.

"No way" I whispered as my eyes shot open in surprise.

"Yes, she's Katie's grandmother." He shook his head as he laughed.

"Let's just say I was glad Sidney was with me." He chuckled. "With his assistance, I was able to make a clean getaway."

I laughed out loud, knowing I'd get the details out of him eventually. If I had to, I'd ask Sidney. Suddenly the image I'd conjured of Sidney putting Grandma Moses in a chokehold returned, causing another burst of laughter.

_-V &V—_

On Saturday, we rode to Forks with Emmett and Rose. Emmett actually behaved himself, although he seemed a little too curious about what kind of bachelor party Jasper was planning for Edward.

Charlie had the day off and greeted us at the door. We had lunch and relaxed in the living room until it was time to go to our Pre-Cana class.

As we sat there, Edward's phone rang. He answered it, and I watched as his facial expression changed from happy to angry in the matter of a couple of minutes. He stood and abruptly left the room to continue the call in private. I wasn't the only one that gave his back a puzzled look as he disappeared. Approximately thirty seconds later, Rose's phone rang. "Hello Alice." She answered sweetly.

Rose sat up straight as she listened. "Yeah, he looks really upset, what's going on?"

I immediately knew they were talking about Edward.

_What the hell?_

Rose turned and eyed me carefully. "Oh shit" she muttered.

"When was this supposed to have occurred?" She asked. "I see."

"Of course I believe you." She assured. "It's okay, you don't have to, I'll handle it."

"Okay, bye Alice." Rose ended the call and turned her body to face me. Charlie and Emmett were watching us intently.

"What's going on Rose?" I asked nervously.

"Jasper's on the phone with Edward." She frowned. "It seems that one of Edward's former dates is pregnant, and made a statement this morning, claiming that Edward is the father of her baby." Rose stated bluntly.

"She's lying" I stuttered out.

"Bella" she grabbed my arm. "Honey, we know she's lying. However, she's gotten a lot of attention by saying this. It's going to take a little time to prove that she's lying."

"Right now it's Edward's word against hers." She searched my face for a reaction.

"When?" I asked.

"When what?" Rose asked.

"When was this supposed to have happened?"

Rose sighed. "She was Edward's date to the MTV Video Music Awards last September."

"That was a long time ago."

"Yeah, eight months. She's due to have the baby soon." Rose rubbed my arm as she spoke. "I'm so sorry about this Bella. Alice and Jasper are trying to find out what motivated her to say this. She's obviously lashing out for a reason."

I took a deep breath. "I guess she doesn't care how many people she hurts in the process does she?"

Rose shook her head sadly.

I knew that Edward was probably tearing his hair out.

"I need to find Edward." I said determinedly as I stood from the sofa.

"I think he's on the back porch Bells" Charlie said. I glanced at my Dad to see that he and Emmett were both sporting the same worried looks.

I did find Edward on the back porch sitting with his head in his hands.

"Edward" I whispered.

No answer.

"Edward" I said a little louder as I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

He jerked away from my touch and stood abruptly. "I can't do this right now Bella." He choked out angrily before storming back into the house.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I stood there stunned for a moment before the feelings of hurt finally settled over me.

I walked to the chair he'd just vacated and sat down.

_Why did this have to happen now?_

_We'd been so happy planning our wedding and our future together._

_This will mean public humiliation once again. School, work, even church will be uncomfortable until this mess is straightened out._

As much as the thought of that bothered me, I knew I was strong enough to handle it. What I couldn't handle was the utter rejection I felt when Edward pushed me away.

I couldn't help myself; I covered my face with my hands and began to cry.


	58. Family Photos & Mama's Squeeze Box

 

I didn't cry for long. After a few minutes, Rose came in search of me. "Bella what happened?" She exclaimed as she knelt down and covered my hand with hers.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks. "He pushed me away Rose."

She frowned.

"I get that he's upset, but I was only trying to help. I wanted to reassure him." I sniffled. "I'm not naïve, I know things like this are going to happen. It's inevitable that once in a while some crazy person is going to accuse Edward of something, merely to get attention. I also know that this particular accusation is easy to disprove." I took a shuddering breath. "But Edward's reaction was so unexpected. It doesn't bode well for our future if, at the first sign of difficulty, he pushes me away."

"Bells, you know Edward. He's probably stressing out about what this shit will do to _you_. Let him process this. He just needs a little time." She reassured. "He probably doesn't even realize that he hurt your feelings."

I nodded.

"Go wash your face and pull yourself together. We need to leave for class."

_Class? Would Edward even want to attend now?_

I entered the house quietly behind Rose. Edward was nowhere to be seen. I locked myself in the bathroom in order to make myself presentable.

Five minutes later, I found Rose waiting for me in the living room. "Come on. We're taking Charlie's truck." She informed as she grabbed my arm.

Dad uncharacteristically gave me a hug before I headed out the door.

As we pulled out of the driveway, I saw Edward exit the house and watch us drive away, a bewildered expression on his face.

I gave myself a stern talking to on the way to church. If Edward needed space, I'd give him space. I may even give him the cold shoulder for a while, my hurt feelings obviously in control for the moment.

But, he needed to realize that I intended to help him fix this. I'm not going into hiding. We will face things together.

As Father ushered us inside, I turned to see Emmett and Edward pull into the parking lot. Once inside the classroom, I took the same seat as last week. Rose sat to my right. Just before Edward and Emmett entered the room, she reached over and gave my hand a small squeeze of encouragement before dropping her hand back to her lap.

Edward and Emmett took their seats, Edward sitting to my left.

Father Pat sat down and said our opening prayer before giving us all a hard look. "A little while ago, I got an interesting phone call from Charlie." He quirked an eyebrow, "Today we were scheduled to speak about 'conflict resolution'." He smiled gently before continuing. "Along with that, this may be a good opportunity to speak about another issue."

He took a deep breath. "You know, because of your situations, I scrapped the part of the lesson on making financial decisions as a couple, in favor of one I thought more appropriate and also unique to the four of you."

We looked at him questioningly.

"It seems you could benefit from a discussion about how to handle being in the public eye, and everything that entails."

From the corner of my eye, I could see Edward's chin drop to his chest as he listened.

Father folded his hands on the table and spoke in a low soothing voice. "You know, I've lived a long time, and in my experience I've learned that one of the worst things that can happen to a person is to be the victim of false accusation."

"Sure you can prove your innocence and win your case in court, and most people will believe you. However, there will always be that small percentage of people that believe the worst. To them, an accusation is all the proof they will ever need for the accused to be the condemned."

"All four of you are well-known now. Your celebrity status will, from time to time, attract the wrong kind of attention. There will always be people who will attack you and sometimes spread falsehoods about you. The question you need to ask yourselves is whether you are strong enough to accept the bad opinion of some, even when you've proven them wrong. Are you able to move forward despite that and live a happy life?"

"Before you answer that question, you need to think about how your answer will impact the person you've chosen to spend the rest of your life with. You're not in this alone. You know another term for 'spouse' is 'help-mate', and that's exactly what they are. With God's help, you will be there to help each other."

I hoped Edward was paying attention.

"Always remember that Our Lord suffered at the hands of the cruelest of men, the verbal attacks sometimes were every bit as painful as the physical. He is aware at every moment of what you need and what you're suffering. He is waiting to help. All you have to do is ask."

He asked us to think about this, and have an honest discussion with each other before the next class. After that, Father went on to speak about conflict resolution within couples. I listened, taking it all in.

Before we left, Father warned that our next class would be a long one. He had decided to combine the last lessons into one so that we could be done with it. Because of our trip to California, and then graduation, it wouldn't take place for another three weeks.

The most important thing I took away from today's lesson was 'never let the sun go down upon your anger'. Good advice. Edward and I were going to talk this out before the day was over.

_-V &V—_

Still wanting to give Edward his 'space', I rode back to Charlie's with Rose. Once we got there, I went straight to my room. I lay across my old bed, staring at the ceiling as I thought.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually prayed outside of church.

_I'm such a hypocrite. As soon as things get tough, I expect God's help, but I've barely given Him any of my time in the last few months._

I decided to make it up right there and then.

I prayed.

I thanked God for everything good in my life, starting with Edward. I prayed that Edward would let me help him. I prayed for strength to face all that I'd have to in the next few weeks. And, even though it was difficult, I prayed for the woman who was lying about the man I loved. I prayed that she would see how her words were hurting innocent people. I prayed that she would admit the truth.

_I hoped God was listening._

Eventually Edward came in search of me, as I knew he would.

He stood in my open doorway and actually knocked. I was half asleep when I looked up at him. "May I speak with you?" He asked quietly.

"Of course." I said in a voice barely above a whisper.

_I wasn't going to push him away._

He walked across the room and took a seat in the chair by the window, where he proceeded at intervals, to scrub his face with his hands or tug at his hair.

I waited.

He finally cleared his throat in an effort to begin speaking. "Bella, I realize that you're upset, and I need to know if you would rather I go back to Seattle this afternoon instead of waiting until tomorrow."

I felt my heart sink at his words.

"I swear that I've always been honest with you. What that woman said is  _not_ true." He sighed in frustration. "I have no idea why she'd even say such a thing."

"Edward…"

"Once again, my bad decision of playing a part created by the studio has come back to bite me in the ass. I would understand if you needed a little distance from me to sort things through."

_He thinks I'm angry with him because of some woman's lies?_

"Edward…"

"And I know I'm no picnic to be around when I freak out like this. It's just that I worry so much about you, especially once we're back in Seattle and the press starts hounding you…"

"Edward!"

He finally stopped talking and looked at me, his eyes sorrowful and repentant.

"I'm not angry with you, although I  _am_  a little insulted right now." I said with a touch of acid in my voice. "Do you really think so little of me that you believe I'd blame you for any of this?" I asked.

"You don't blame me?" He looked at me hopefully.

"Of course not, I'm just hurt." I answered.

He looked nervous, and started running his hand through his hair again.

"I'm hurt that you pushed me away when I tried to speak with you this morning." I blurted. "Edward, how many times will you allow yourself to be punished for one error in judgment? This is still part of the Tanya debacle; you've done nothing to deserve this. How could I be angry with you for it?" I ended in a whisper.

Edward watched me carefully. "Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize what an ass I'd been this morning." He began to pace the room. "I was so angry, I wanted to punch something. I still do." He admitted.

"Please believe me when I say that I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I just didn't want you sucked into more bullshit that I had caused. I was trying to figure things out."

I stood from the bed and walked over to him. "Edward, don't you want to marry me?" I asked quietly, while fingering my engagement ring.

His eyes widened. "I want that more than anything in this world Bella, never doubt that." He answered sincerely.

"Then why would you shut me out?" I asked. "Edward, I'm here, and I want to help you through this. Please let me."

He ran both hands through his hair as a pained expression crossed his face. "Bella, I just want to, no I have this  _need_ to protect you." He took a deep breath. "The press; whoever sent you those fucking flowers; the nightmares; that prick  _James_  at WIRI; I don't feel in control and it's killing me." He rattled off the litany of his fears in a rush before collapsing onto my bed and covering his face with his arm.

I sat beside him and pulled his arm back in order to hold his hand. The expression on his face was heartbreaking. I could feel my eyes fill with tears.

"Oh Edward." I choked out. "Please calm down. You protect me more than you know. Please let me help you." I said as the tears streaked down my cheeks.

Edward pulled me down and wrapped his arms around me. "I'll try Bella." He whispered before kissing my hair. "I promise I'll try."

We lay there for a while before we were interrupted by the booming voice of my brother. "Come on Andy, get the fuck up, you're coming with me." He demanded.

"Emmett what are you talking about?" I asked.

"Pops just left for work, he won't be back until after midnight. You're staying here with Rose, and Eddie's coming with me to do 'guy stuff'." He said with a smirk before turning to Edward "Oh, and bring a change of clothes, we're going to the gym."

_-V &V—_

As soon as they left, I went on the internet to find any news I could about the pregnant troublemaker. The first thing I discovered was that her name was Jill Richardson. I found a copy of her written statement on one of the sites, along with video of her walking into her manager's office. She was petite and blonde, and very pregnant. I wasn't an expert on pregnancy by any means, but even I could tell that she had to be close to delivering her baby.

' _ **It is with a heavy heart that I find myself compelled to share with you the details of my private sorrow. If I only had myself to consider, I would never find the need to bring these issues to light. Please understand that the welfare of my child is my sole motivation for what I'm doing today.**_

_**Edward Masen and I were together on the night of the VMA's back in September, and I saw him a couple of times after that.** _

_**My child and I were promised a bright future. Instead, we've been abandoned by the one person supposed to care the most: my child's father. I've tried to contact him several times during the past few months, with no success. My hope is that this statement will prompt him to come forward and take responsibility for his actions. Our child deserves better.'** _

I read through the statement once more. It didn't make sense.

I retrieved my phone and dialed Wendy Graham's number.

"Hello Bella. I have to admit that I'm surprised you're the first one to phone me."

"Hi Wendy, obviously you know why I'm calling."

"Unfortunately, yes. I'm assuming that this actress person is not telling the truth?"

"Yes Wendy, she is most definitely lying. Edward has assured me that he never had any kind of relationship with her." I answered.

"Bella, I'm going to get Kyle Browning to phone you. His expertise is civil law, so if you decide to take this woman to court he's the one you'll need."

I remembered Kyle from my run-in with the ranger.

"Thanks Wendy. Although I'm not sure that Edward intends to sue, but either way we need all the advice we can get right now." I answered.

"I understand." She said. "Listen Bella, by the looks of that statement, I don't think that either of you have anything to worry about. Did you notice that she never comes right out and claims that Edward is the father of her child?"

"I did notice that. The whole thing is worded very strangely." I answered.

"My guess would be that this is all merely a play for attention. She never claims Edward's the father, but it is definitely  _implied._  She has to be aware that a simple DNA test is going to clear Edward of any and all responsibility. Although maybe she's not aware of that, she doesn't seem very intelligent." Wendy added with a chuckle.

"If nothing else, Kyle can help you word a public statement and file the papers requesting a DNA test. This should all be sorted out rather quickly."

"Thank you Wendy. I feel a lot better. I only hope I can get Edward to calm down." I said quietly.

"Good luck with that one." She answered with a small laugh.

_-V &V—_

Emmett and Edward didn't come home for dinner. They called to say that they'd met up with a couple of Emmett's old friends, and were going to grab a bite with them. Edward didn't sound totally pleased about it, but I assured him that Rose and I were fine.

"Go ahead Edward; enjoy your bonding time with Emmett." I said with a chuckle.

"Ha, ha." He answered. It was quiet for a moment before he continued. "I just miss you." He breathed into the phone. "I need to make up for how I acted this morning. I really fucked up."

"Edward stop. You're beating yourself up again."

"Are you still upset?" He asked in a sad voice.

"I'm alright Edward. Please stop dwelling on this. We'll talk later tonight." I promised.

"I worry about leaving you alone." He muttered a last desperate plea.

"I'm in  _Charlie's_  house. I'm perfectly safe surrounded by his guns. I  _can_ shoot you know." I grinned.

There was a pause. "Bella, you know how to shoot?" He asked.

"Edward, I'm the Chief's daughter."

"That is so sexy." He said in a whisper, and then seemed to catch himself. "Oh, um, sorry." He blustered.

I giggled. "Hm. So the thought of me firing a weapon is sexy huh?" I teased.

"Uh….fuck yeah." He admitted with a laugh.

I laughed with him. "I love you Edward."

"Love you too baby."

Rose and I were flipping through bridal magazines when she turned to me. "Bella, would it bother you if I looked through some of your Mom's old photo albums? I need pictures for the slideshow."

Since my mother's death, I'd never been one to casually look through our family photos. Rose knew that.

"No Rose, go ahead." I answered. "I should probably go with you. Edward and I are also having a slideshow at the reception."

Rose's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled brilliantly, "I'm glad."

Somehow I knew we weren't speaking about the slideshow any more.

"Bella, why is there a ceramic turkey in this box of photos?" Rose asked.

The sight of the small brown bird brought a smile to my face.

"It was Mom's" I answered. Although, I supposed that it was mine now.

Rose studied my face for a minute. "Why do I get the feeling that there's a story behind this?"

I grinned. "Emmett hasn't told you about the turkey?"

Rose shook her head.

I sighed. "It's a story for another day I'm afraid." I placed the turkey on a shelf. "Let's get busy." I said with a smile.

Rose hesitated before agreeing. "Okay Bells"

We dug into the photos. Needless to say, within ten minutes Rose had accumulated a stack of photos she wanted to use. Some were just of Emmett. Others included various members of our family.

It took me a little longer to accumulate my stack. For a baby photo, I chose the one of me and Emmett asleep at Grandma Swan's house. There was a photo of me dressed as an angel for the church Christmas play, a photo from my First Communion Day, one of the entire family at First Beach, a photo of all of us with Rose soon after she and Emmett had started dating, and the last photo taken of Mom with me and Emmett on Mother's Day a week before she died. That one caused my throat to close and my vision to blur from my tears.

Rose put her arm around me as we looked at it. "That's a beautiful photo Bells."

I nodded.

"Emmett and I have decided that if the baby's a girl, we want to name her after your Mom in some way. We don't know if it will be a first or middle name yet though."

"Oh Rose, that's wonderful." I exclaimed as I hugged her.

When we got back upstairs, we realized we both had missed calls, having left our phones on the coffee table.

My missed call was from Edward:

' _Bella, call me when you get this. Emmett has kidnapped me. He says we're going to a bar. I'd like it very much if your father would come and arrest him.'_

He only sounded like he was half-joking.

I chuckled as I dialed his number.

"Hey baby." He said. I could hear music blaring in the background. "Hang on a second."

I waited. I assumed he was moving to a quieter location. When the music faded to a low hum, he spoke again. "I don't want to be here." He muttered.

"Emmett obviously thinks you need to blow off a little steam Edward. Now that I think about it, I agree with him." I remarked. "Rose and I are fine. We've been looking through old photographs for our wedding slideshows."

"I can't wait to see them." He sighed. "Alright, I'll go let your brother kick my ass at pool."

I laughed. "That will make his night."

_-V &V—_

"Bellaboo" Emmett called. I sat up on the sofa where I'd fallen asleep waiting for them to get home.

Emmett was coming through the front door guiding a slightly inebriated Edward toward the living room.

"Emmett! What the hell?" I scolded.

"Hey, he only had a couple of drinks maybe three? What a lightweight." Emmett muttered. "I had a couple of beers and before I knew it Eddie was slurring his words."

As if to prove Emmett's point, Edward slurred "I like Wild Turkey, but I like you more Bella." He then placed a sloppy kiss on my cheek.

_Oh crap. Didn't Alice refer to that as Edward's kryptonite?_

Emmett and I got Edward situated on the sofa before I went to the kitchen for a glass of water. "Edward, drink this so you don't dehydrate."

"Sure Bella" He gave me a toothy grin before drinking.

_Oh my. Don't get distracted by the Adam's apple._

I knelt down and removed his shoes and socks. "Do you need my help Bells?" Emmett asked.

"No, I've got this." I answered.

"Okay" Emmett eyed me doubtfully. "Goodnight then."

"Goodnight Emmett." I said. When I looked back up at Edward, he was still grinning. I couldn't help but laugh.

He reached for me and pulled me onto his lap. "I'm not drunk Bella. I'm just tipsy." He said as he continued to smile.

"Should I make you some coffee?" I asked.

"Nah, I'll be fine in a while." He cocked his head to the side while he studied my face. "You are so pretty Bella." He bent down to nuzzle my neck as he continued. "The first time I saw you, I couldn't take my eyes off you."

I ran my fingers through his hair.

"That feels good." He said. "What did you think the first time you saw me?" He asked.

"Well, does seeing you for the first time in a movie count?"

"Um hm." He hummed while kissing my neck.

"I thought you very handsome."

Edward pulled back to look at my face. "That's a very  _proper_ answer Isabella." He then snorted a laugh.

_Yep, definitely tipsy._

"I couldn't very well drool over you. I was with Rose." I admitted. "As a matter of fact, there was only one time I was able to escape  _alone_  to the theater to view one of your movies _._  I definitely drooled that time."

The side of his mouth pulled up into a crooked grin. "Which movie?"

It was silly, but the memory made me blush. " _September Ends_ " I scrunched my eyes shut as I admitted this.

He started to chuckle. "You drooled you say?"

I nodded.

"You're funny. I bet you couldn't take your eyes off of my ass." He laughed a little too loudly at that.

"Shhh." I grinned and shook my head.

"Yes Mr. Movie Star, I was so dazzled by your ass that on my way out of the theater I plowed into some poor guy walking down the hall." I chuckled.

"That's funny. Some crazy girl ran into me in a movie theater in Seattle once. She crashed into me so hard that she landed on the floor. Then she got up muttering something about 'having to pee'. It was nuts."

He then went back to nuzzling my neck.

_Huh?_

"Edward, by any chance was that at the Meridian Theater?" I asked

He thought for a minute then nodded before pulling down the strap to my tank top and kissing his way across my bare shoulder.

_No fucking way._

"Uh, do you remember if that was Thanksgiving weekend?" I was getting very distracted.

He pulled away again and pursed his lips as he thought. "It was over a year ago. I don't really remember. I was trying to escape Alice. She wanted me to pose for family photos wearing some lame Christmas sweater." He laughed again. "So maybe it was Thanksgiving weekend."

"Edward, I'm not sure but I think that girl who bumped into you may have been me." I whispered.

He raised both eyebrows in surprise before a crooked smile crept across his face. "No shit?"

"I think so." I smirked.

We both chuckled.

"So the first time we met, you bumped into me and fell down?" He grinned.

I nodded.

"I would say that's very apro, apro, oh fuck…" He muttered.

_Obviously still a little foggy._

"Apropos?" I asked.

"That's it." He grinned. "You know Bella, now that I think about this, it had to be you. That feeling I always get when we touch, that electric current, I know you've felt it too."

I nodded. He blinked several times, trying to clear his head.

"Well, I felt it that day when I helped that girl from the floor. I've never felt that with anyone else ever. Weird that I'm remembering that now…."

"I felt it too." I whispered, "That day."

_My body recognized Edward even then._

We both sat there, lost in our thoughts until Edward started to sway.

I stood from his lap and tried to coax him into lying down. "Edward, you need to sleep."

He gripped my hips with his hands, trying to pull me down as he lay back. "Only if you stay with me" He said in a pleading voice.

I bit my lip and glanced at the clock. "Edward, my Dad's going to be home soon. He'll get mad if he finds me here."

"No Bella. Charlie won't care." He said as he tried to pull me down again. "Please, you keep the nightmares away." He whispered while he closed his eyes.

_The nightmares? Oh my poor Edward._

I settled down against him then, my back to his front. He wrapped his arms around me and tucked one hand under my shirt, resting it on my bare stomach. "You smell good." He whispered with his nose in my hair.

"Thank you."

"Love you beautiful." He mumbled.

"I love you too."

_-V &V—_

Charlie never said anything other than 'goodnight' when he arrived home from work and saw us there. I was a little surprised over his change in attitude, but didn't question it.

I didn't want to push my luck.

I woke up long before Edward. By this time, I was facing him. We were wrapped around each other, not an inch of space between us. I remembered the last time he drank Wild Turkey, and was glad I hadn't been crushed during the night. The memory brought a smile to my face.

I brushed the hair from his forehead and gently kissed his lips before slipping from his arms. After my shower, I decided to make waffles and sausages for breakfast so I went to the kitchen and got busy. It wasn't long before my brother appeared in the doorway. "Hey Sissy, something smells good." He said as he rubbed his stomach.

I smiled at him. "You can slice some melon and place it in that bowl" I said as I gestured to the bowl on the counter.

He shrugged and did as instructed. We worked in silence for a few minutes before I spoke. "Thanks for taking Edward out last night." I whispered.

Emmett grinned. "Don't thank me. I like Edward a lot, he's a great guy. Do you think any of us could part with you if it were otherwise?"

_That was sweet._

"We had a good time. Even I have noticed the amount of stress he's been under lately. I figured he needed it." Finished with the honeydew, he began to slice some cantaloupe.

I nodded in agreement.

When Edward entered the kitchen I eyed him carefully, hoping he hadn't returned to the agitated state he'd been in yesterday.

He seemed relaxed and calm as he smiled and gave me a quick kiss.

Even Father Pat seemed to notice our change in demeanor at Mass that morning, which resulted in a pleased smile from the pulpit during his sermon.

Back at the house, Rose and I began to fix a light lunch. Dad and Edward were sitting in the living room watching a ball game. I heard Emmett call from the basement doorway, "Come on Eddie, I'm going to help you improve your game. Your pool-playing skills suck."

Edward walked downstairs, about a minute later I heard my brother's booming laughter before Edward came back up and returned to the living room, a smug smile on his face.

While Rose and I were setting the dining room table, Emmett appeared from the basement, ceramic turkey in hand. "Hey, where did you guys find the Hooker Turkey?" He boomed.

Charlie caught my eye from the living room, and we both burst into laughter.

Rose and Edward looked confused.

Over lunch, we shared the story of the 'Hooker Turkey' with them.

"Damn Bella. You should display that thing with pride every Thanksgiving." Rose said with a chuckle.

_I think I will._

_-V &V—_

Before we left Charlie's, I got a call from Kyle Browning. I immediately handed the phone to Edward. He stepped onto the back porch for a little privacy, but not before taking my hand and pulling me with him.

Kyle was going to help Edward prepare a statement. He also told Edward that he'd already started the paperwork for a court-ordered DNA test. The test itself would have to wait until the baby was born, but from what we knew, we wouldn't have to wait long.

After he ended the phone call, Edward sat and thought for a moment.

"What else did you talk to Kyle about Edward?" I asked.

He took a deep breath and blew it out. "Kyle wanted my permission to hire a private investigator. If I agree, everything from Jill Richardson's past will be fair game. This may get ugly." He gave me a worried look.

I quirked an eyebrow at him and set my jaw. "Do it Edward."

_Fuck her. She should have known better than to mess with the man I love._

He nodded and looked away.

"Edward, remember that she started this. We need to do what we have to in order to end it." I reassured.

Once back in the house, Edward pulled Rose aside. "Rose, do you think you could arrange for me to record a statement at WIRI tomorrow?"

"Absolutely Edward, I can start making the arrangements now." She said before pulling out her cell.

We said our goodbyes to Charlie and left for Seattle. After a while, I couldn't hold it in any longer. "Edward, just so you know, I'm going to be with you when you make that statement."

"Bella, I…" He started, but I interrupted him.

"No Edward. No arguments about this. We are doing this together."

He gave me a soft smile and pulled me against him.

Kyle came over that evening so he could help Edward draft his statement. He stayed for dinner, and by the end of the evening I was as comfortable with him as I had been with Wendy. He informed us that once the child was born, the DNA results would be back within 48 hours.

Before we went to bed, Edward talked through a lot of his fears with me. He admitted that the nightmares had been causing his usual fears to escalate. In the end, I was able to make him realize that our usual way of trying to handle things wasn't working. We both agreed to lean on each other more than we'd been willing to before. It was an important step.

_-V &V—_

The next morning we were seated together on a sofa in the studio of WIRI, Edward's arm around my waist. Late last night, Jasper had informed Edward that the studio had been inundated with messages and phone calls from Edward's fans, the majority indicating their support for Edward and their total and complete disbelief of Ms. Richardson's statement.

Rosalie began:

 _**Hello and thank you for joining us. As you all know, this past Saturday Jill Richardson, an out of work actress from Los Angeles, made claims directed at Hollywood actor Edward Masen.  
** _ _**Edward and his fiancée Isabella Swan are here today, at his request, in order for Edward to make a statement of his own.** _

_**Welcome Edward and Isabella.** _

We both smiled warmly at Rose before Edward turned to the camera and began to speak.

' _ **Thank you Rose.'**_

' _ **First of all, let me thank my fans for the loyal support I've received via the innumerable messages and phone calls since Ms. Richardson made her statement two days ago. In the past, whenever someone has made a false allegation about me, my first response has been to ignore them, not wishing to give them the attention they so desperately crave. But in this particular instance I feel that you, my loyal fans, and the public in general deserve to hear the truth which my family, friends and Isabella already know.'**_

' _ **I met Ms. Richardson the night she accompanied me to the VMA's in September 2009. The date was arranged by the studio for the sole purpose of promoting an image of me which they had created. I can assure you that the Edward Masen manufactured by Plateau Studios in no way resembles the real me.'**_

' _ **On the night in question, I spoke a couple of words to Ms. Richardson, and had a few photos taken with her. As soon as the awards show was over however, we went our separate ways. I spent a little time at my sister and brother-in-law's home where they were having a small dinner party. Soon after that, I returned to my own home, alone. There was no sexual tryst between myself and Ms. Richardson that night, or at any time before or since that night.'**_

' _ **In her statement, she claims to have seen me a couple of times since the VMA's. All I can say in answer to that is if we attended the same function at any time after the VMA's, I was unaware of her presence.'**_

' _ **Let me say in closing that I bear Ms. Richardson no ill will. I wish her the best. I hope she is able to put her life back together after this. I also hope that her baby's real father will do the right thing by his child.'**_

' _ **I, in turn, will go back to enjoying my break from filming with family and friends as Isabella and I continue to plan our future together. Thank you.'  
**_.

And with that, the cameras ceased rolling.

_-V &V—_

By evening, everyone had called to congratulate us. Even Tanya had phoned, offering to make a statement herself, although she noted that she doubted we'd need it.

As the evening wore on, I began to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I thought about school the next day. My phone calls and texts from Joanna and Tara had been nothing but supportive, but I still worried. As if he could read my thoughts, Edward had become increasing more sullen. When we were lying in bed that night, he finally broached the subject that had been on his mind, "Bella, I'm going to have to insist that Lou walk you to class tomorrow."

I turned to face him, prepared to argue, but when I saw the desperate look in his eyes, I stopped myself. He had been hiding his worry since Saturday evening, not letting any of his internal struggles affect our moments together. I needed to do what I could to help him.

"If that's what you need me to do then that's what I'll do." I agreed quietly.

He nodded and closed his eyes, no doubt relieved that I didn't argue for once.

I placed my hand on his cheek. "Edward, please try to relax. You're going to end up in the hospital at the rate you're going." He blinked a couple of times as he thought about that. "You know, it probably wouldn't hurt for you to speak with Dr. Miller yourself before the wedding."

I found it disconcerting that the closer we got to the wedding, the more I relaxed, whereas it seemed to be having the opposite effect on Edward.

He nodded and pulled me closer. "Seventy-five days my love." He whispered.

_-V &V—_

"Bella!" Tara exclaimed as she and Joanna ran over to me and each looped an arm through mine, pulling me in the direction of The Hub. "Busy weekend huh?" She grinned.

"You could say that" I laughed quietly.

"No one has given you a hard time today have they?" Joanna asked.

"No, it's been surprisingly low key. I haven't even gotten any weird looks." I smiled.

"That's because no one believes that woman Bella." Tara said. "If it's a case of his word against hers, they'd much rather believe Edward."

"Maybe now Edward will relax. He's sent me like fifteen texts today, making sure that I was alright."

The girls laughed. "I don't think you'll get Edward to relax enough for him to let tall, dark and ripped stop shadowing you though." Tara said with a giggle before she turned and gave Lou, who was walking directly behind us, a small wave.

Lou waved back and shook his head with a laugh.

That afternoon as I worked at my desk, I was interrupted by a familiar velvet voice. "Do I need to come around there and kiss you so you'll stop biting that lip?"

I grinned at him. "Edward." I whispered before very purposely taking my bottom lip between my teeth.

In a flash he was beside me, pulling me into his arms. "Hi" he said as he placed a box on my desk. I was distracted for a second as I tried to see what it was, but before I could, he gripped my chin, pulling me to face him. He rubbed my bottom lip gently with his thumb. "You're leaving teeth marks." He said with a smirk before leaning down until our lips were barely touching. "Now about that kiss." He breathed and a second later, his lips were on mine.

The kiss started out gentle and sweet, the electric hum I always felt when we touched began to increase as the kiss became more heated. Within seconds my hands were in his hair as he pulled me against him, one moving to my hip as the other snaked up my back under my hair before resting at the nape of my neck.

"I can't wait to marry you Miss Swan." He breathed. "Then we can do what we want without fear that you'll be fired." He chuckled.

"I don't think that matters any more Edward. Rose and I both handed in our letters of resignation today. As of June seventeenth, I'll be unemployed." I said with a frown.

He moved his lips to my neck then, "Don't worry baby, I'll support you."

"I guess that's something we'll be discussing later." I muttered. I glanced down and noticed the box again. "What?..." Edward lifted his head to look at the box at the exact moment that I spied the return address and my heart leapt with excitement. "They came in?" I asked excitedly.

Edward was grinning from ear to ear. "I didn't want to open it without you."

"Oh thank you Edward." I stared at the box again. "I know we should wait until we get home, but I have to see them."

I grabbed a letter opener from the drawer and worked on it until the box lid was free. I gave Edward a hopeful smile before removing the top. Inside, I gingerly lifted an elegant white invitation from the top of the stack and untied the black satin bow.

.  
 _Isabella Marie Swan  
daughter of Charles E Swan  & the late Renee L Swan  
and  
Edward Anthony Cullen  
son of Dr. & Mrs. Carlisle A Cullen  
request the honor of your presence  
at their marriage  
on Saturday, the fourteenth of August  
Two thousand and ten  
at two o'clock in the afternoon  
Saint Anne's Catholic Church  
511 5th Avenue  
Forks, Washington  
._

"Oh Edward, it's perfect." I said as I looked at it, the tears blurring my vision once again. "You know sometimes I'm afraid this is all a dream. This" I held up the invitation, "makes it feel real."

"It's real sweetheart." He whispered as he pulled me into his arms again.

On the ride back to the apartment, Edward decided to phone his parents.

"Hi Dad" He said brightly as he reached for my hand, entwining our fingers.

"Yes, everything is wonderful. The wedding invitations came in, and we'd like to come down there this evening in order to show them to you and Mom." He said with a smile.

He listened and lost his smile. "Why, what's wrong? Is she sick?" Edward asked with concern.

Edward frowned. "Dad have you been drinking?" He asked before listening again.

"Dad!" He exclaimed.

"Oh my good Christ" Edward muttered with disgust. "Goodbye Dad." He ended the call and laid the phone on the seat before covering his face with his hands.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

He pulled his hands away from his face and looked at me. "Yeah, I guess so." A look of disgust crossed his face. "Are you a big fan of music by  _The Who_  Bella?"

"Not really, they're a little before my time." I grinned. "Charlie is though."

Edward nodded.

"Why? Are you?" I asked.

"Oh, I would say I'm a fan, although after that conversation" he said as he gestured toward the phone, "I may never be able to listen to  _The Who_ again." He muttered.

"Why not?" I asked, confused.

"Let's just say, I'm having a flashback to every time I remember hearing  _Squeezebox_ blasting from the stereo in my parents' room while growing up, and it's making me feel a little uncomfortable right now." He admitted quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now would be a good time to read Outtake 4 of V&V "The Turkey of Ill Repute".


	59. Dream Jobs & Photo Shoots

 

Here I sat having lunch with my future mother-in-law once again. This time Esme brought the wedding planner, Gloria, with her. They chatted on and on about the preparations for my wedding while I barely paid attention.

I had no right or reason to feel sad, but I did. It was ten days until graduation, and two weeks until I was unemployed. Actually, I was thrilled to be graduating, not so thrilled to be 'unemployed'. Add to that the fact that Edward had been called back to California early this morning, a whole day and a half earlier than expected. Something about needing him early because weather predictions caused changes to the dates of the reshoots for  _The Harvest of Avarice._

I already missed him, and was miffed that we wouldn't be flying down there together on Thursday night like we'd planned.

_I'm such a whiney little brat._

"Bella dear, are you alright?" Esme asked.

_Oh crap. Do they realize that I wasn't listening?_

"Um yeah, I'm fine Esme." I said before worrying my lip.

"We just wanted your input about the decorations for the reception." Esme asked.

"Esme, I'm sure whatever you choose will be lovely. I trust you completely." I meant it. I'd already chosen the decorations for the church, which is to say the flowers for the altar and tulle streamers for the pews. I had also chosen the dresses and bouquets for myself and the bridesmaids.

I'd chosen the music for the ceremony and Edward was in charge of the music for the reception. The photographers were hired. Edward and I had handwritten the invitations to our families and close friends last night, and Esme had volunteered to do the rest. Almost everything that needed to be done was now in the hands of other people. All I truly needed to do was show up.

"I feel awful that you're not making these decisions for yourself sweetie." Esme said with concern.

"Esme please don't feel that way. I am really happy you're doing this believe me." I answered with a smile.

"If you're sure?"

"I am" I said as I reached over to grasp her hand.

_-V &V—_

"Hello Ms. McCarty, my name is Jonathan Corday. I'm one of the publishers here at Old World Press, I work out of our Seattle office." The voice at the other end of the line said in a businesslike tone.

_Holee crap._

My mouth suddenly got very dry when I attempted to speak. I'd not been expecting this phone call. Not at all.

I'd pushed to the back of my mind the fact that I'd even submitted a story for publication.

Because of the publicity surrounding my relationship with Edward, I'd signed all my correspondence with the publishers by the pseudonym  _Marie McCarty,_ which was Grandma Swan's maiden name. If I were lucky enough to be published, I didn't want to be accused of cashing in on Edward's fame. I wanted to do it on my own.

I cleared my throat. "Yes, um, hello Mr. Corday. What can I do for you?" I tried to sound unaffected.

"Ms. McCarty, I'm very interested in meeting with you so that we can discuss the possible publication of your children's story  _Francisco and the Swallow._ " He answered. "I'm prepared to offer you $20,000 in advance of sales, half to be paid at the time of signing, and the other half when the book is released. This advance would be against any royalties you would receive for each book sold of course." He advised.

"I see." I answered, trying to sound professional.

"What I need to know today Ms. McCarty is if that arrangement would be of interest to you?"

_How do I say Hell Yeah without yelling in this guy's ear?_

I tried to compose my inner twelve year old screaming girl. "Why yes, I believe that arrangement would be of interest to me Mr. Corday. Unfortunately my schedule is quite hectic for the next two weeks. How soon did you want to meet?" I asked.

"Let's see, would you be available around the seventeenth of this month?" He asked.

That was right before our Route 66 trip. I needed to get a lot of advice before I met with this man, a lot of  _legal_  advice. Hopefully two weeks would be enough time for that.

"I'm available on the eighteenth, would that work for you?"

He hesitated for a minute. "Yes. Let's say we meet at my office at two o'clock. I'll have my secretary send you an information packet and a copy of the contract so that your lawyer can review it ahead of time."

"Great."

"Thank you Ms. McCarty, and I look forward to seeing you on the eighteenth."

"Thank you Mr. Corday."

I ended the call and did a little happy dance in my living room. I dialed Edward's number, wanting to tell him my good news, but all I got was his voicemail. "Hi Edward, um, I know you're filming so just call me when you have a minute, I have something exciting to tell you." I practically squeaked into the phone.

As soon as I hung up, I charged across the hall to Rose and Emmett's apartment, even though I knew Rose was at a business dinner with some of WIRI's sponsors. Emmett was sprawled across the sofa watching  _Big Time Rush._  I did a double-take as I glanced at the screen. "Big Time Rush? Really Emmett?" I snarked. "I thought that show was aimed at pre-teens."

He raised his eyebrows. "And your point is?" He asked.

I just shrugged; too excited about my news at that moment to worry about what a freak my brother was. I walked over until I stood in front of where he was lying on the sofa. "Pinch me." I demanded as I held out my arm.

He quirked an eyebrow and extended his index finger. "Only if you pull my finger first." He grinned.

I immediately dropped my arm and looked at him in disgust. "Just forget it." I barked.

"Too late anyway." He announced approximately one second before the rank odor reached my nose.

"Emmett!" I exclaimed as I pinched my nose and backed away from him. "You could have warned me."

"Sorry Bellaboo, but how was I to know you'd barge in here at the exact moment the urge to release that SBD came over me?" He defended. "You're invading my sanctuary I'll have you know."

"Your living room is a fart sanctuary Emmett?"

"This entire apartment is a fart sanctuary when Rosie's not home." He grinned.

"You are beyond disgusting." I announced while still holding my nose.

"So I've been told" He said with a shrug. "But it was mostly by you, so I didn't pay attention." He grinned. "Why did you want me to pinch you anyway?" He asked as he pressed the mute button.

I lost all interest in Emmett's farts then as I remembered the phone call. "Oh Emmett, I'm so excited. A publishing company is interested in one of my stories!" I practically shouted.

His face lit up with a brilliant smile. "That's wonderful Sissy." He stood and gave me a hug. "Did you call Edward and Pops yet?"

I frowned. "I tried Edward but his phone went straight to voicemail." I smiled then, "I'll call Dad right now." I said as I pulled out my phone.

"This is really great. I'm happy for you." Emmett smiled.

I was pretty happy for me too.

_-V &V—_

"Bella, that's just.. " Edward seemed to find it difficult to express himself. "I'm so proud of you baby." He breathed out finally. "Remember when I said that there's nothing like getting paid for what you love to do? Having other people appreciate something you've done is very rewarding."

"Yeah" I answered with a smile. It was late Wednesday night and we were talking on skype.

I watched as Edward yawned. "Are you going to be okay without me there tonight Edward?"

His confession that I kept the nightmares away had been weighing heavily on me.

He frowned. "I hope so. It's only one night."

"Let's get in bed. We can stay connected to skype. Maybe that will help." I tried to sound cheerful.

"I can't wait until tomorrow night when you're back in my arms." He admitted.

I was awoken in the middle of the night by Edward calling my name. He was definitely having another nightmare. "Edward, wake up" I called to him.

He turned to face me then, opened his eyes and blinked a few times trying to focus. He looked pretty shaken. "Oh Edward" I choked out as I stroked his face on the screen. I knew he couldn't feel it, but I was compelled to do it.

He rubbed his face with his hands. "I'm okay baby."

"Edward please promise me that you'll go see Dr. Miller." I pleaded softly.

"I promise sweetheart." He said as he lay back down, never taking his eyes off of me.

_-V &V—_

The next evening, Lou and I were headed to L.A. Because Edward was still on set, Alice and Jasper met us at the airport.

"Bella!" Alice squealed when she saw me.

I ran to her and we threw our arms around each other. "It's been so long." She exclaimed.

"Alice, I just saw you a week and a half ago." I answered with a laugh.

"Well it seems like forever." She chatted as she grabbed my hand, pulling me with her. We left Jasper and Lou to grab the bags as we talked. "I've got everything set up for the calendar photo shoot. Byron, the photographer, thinks we'll get it all finished in a couple of days. Lucky for you that Edward's filming tomorrow morning and all day Saturday." She grinned.

"Did you remember the dresses and the shoes?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"Of course Alice."

"Good." She smiled at me as she tilted her head slightly. "You're going to be absolutely stunning."

As we stood there at baggage claim a harsh unwelcome voice intruded on our little bubble.

" _ **Hey Isabella, what do you plan to do if you find out that the child is really Edwards?"**_  The paps had found me.

" _ **Will you leave him for lying to you?"**_  The voice continued.

"Ignore them." Alice hissed through her clenched teeth.

My belief in Edward was so strong that nothing the paps could shout at me would cause it to waiver. As I thought about what they'd asked, I realized that I had expected far worse from them.

_-V &V—_

On the way to Edward's house, Alice and Jasper filled me in on everything they'd found out about Jill Richardson. "Well, it seems that before the VMAs she'd been living with Spencer Wyatt for almost a year."

"The musician?" I asked.

Spencer Wyatt and his band were just starting to hit it big on the national stage. I'd just begun hearing about them a couple of months before, but they'd been fairly well-known in L.A. for a couple of years.

Alice nodded. "The rumor is that when she agreed to be Edward's 'fake date', he left her. Packed up and moved out."

I listened intently as Jasper spoke next. "From what anyone knows, Ms. Richardson was so blinded by her desire to get the part in that movie, she didn't try to reconcile."

This didn't make sense. "Jasper how stupid is she? I mean she had to figure out soon after that she was pregnant and due in June. How the hell did she expect to be in a movie?"

Jasper took a deep breath. "Well, in her defense, even though the last thing I want to do is defend her, her part wasn't supposed to start filming until late July. I guess she thought she could hide the pregnancy from the studio, and by the time she was on set, she would have already given birth. She obviously doesn't know how things work in this town."

I looked at him questioningly.

"The studio shifts dates around all the time. I'm sure they advised her of that, and she probably signed a contract telling her they could begin filming her part as early as May or June. She's been poorly advised."

"How did you find all this out?" I asked.

Jasper cleared his throat, looking a little uncomfortable. "The private investigator filled me in about an hour before you arrived. I left a detailed message on Edward's phone, so he'll hear it when he finishes tonight."

It felt strange to be in Edward's house without him there, but when we'd spoken that morning he'd asked that I go straight there from the airport. Lou was staying in the guest house with Sidney. Alice and Jasper stayed around for a little while to chat, before they headed for home.

I made my way up to Edward's bedroom. He had obviously arrived in a hurry the day before, because I found his suitcase lying open in the dressing area of his walk-in closet with clothes strewn on the floor around it. I straightened up the mess as best I could before setting my suitcase beside his.

I took a shower and wrapped my hair in a towel before slipping into the dressing area again and pulling my short satin nightie from the suitcase. Once I was dressed, and had dried my hair, I decided to explore a little, eventually ending up in Edward's music room. We had discussed how much he enjoyed playing piano and guitar, but I knew for a fact he hadn't spent a lot of time doing it since we'd met.

Aside from Edward's bedroom, the music room was where I felt Edward's presence the most. I sprawled across his leather sofa and picked up a copy of Guitar Player magazine sitting on the coffee table. I started to read an article about some musician that I'd never heard of. It may have been the single most boring thing I'd ever read, and within minutes I felt myself getting sleepy.

"Bella" Edward whispered as he kissed my neck. "Sweetheart, come to bed." I opened my eyes to find him sitting by me on the sofa. I sat up and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I missed you." I whispered. I was so sleepy.

I felt his strong arms reach under me and then a second later I was being lifted from the sofa and carried bridal style to his room. I was too tired to argue. Within minutes I was snuggled in Edward's bed, and a short time later he was beside me with his arms pulling me close.

In my dream I felt arms wrap around me from behind and warm hands resting on my stomach. One hand moved up under my nightie until it cupped my bare breast. The other hand went lower until it rested below my belly button, the fingertips lightly tracing the skin there. I didn't fight or pull away because I knew, even in my dream that these were Edward's hands. His thumb began to graze my nipple causing it to harden and making me ache for his touch lower, lower… I was trapped in the dream, wanting his hands and his lips on every part of my body, exploring, caressing. I could feel his warm breath on my neck and his erection hard against my back.

_Why can't I wake up?_

My will power was effectively shattered at that moment. I wanted him. I wanted to make love. In my dream, I was weak…

As soon as he moaned my name, my eyes flew open and I soon realized that it hadn't been a dream. Edward was wrapped around me, one hand on my breast the other dangerously close to where I wanted it most.

_He promised to behave_

At that moment, he started to gently grind his considerable erection into my back. I turned just enough to see his face, ready to throw my inhibitions out the window and give myself to him.

One look at his face stopped me cold. Edward's eyes were closed as he lightly snored. He was fast asleep.

He was having an erotic dream about me.

With that realization, my head began to clear enough to realize that this wasn't what we'd planned. As torturous as it may be, we were going to wait, and it was going to be perfect.

I needed to get out of there before I changed my mind. I carefully extricated myself from Edward's arms and headed for the bath. As I sat in a tub full of bubbles at four o'clock in the morning, I couldn't wipe the goofy smile that I had at the thought of plain little me starring in Edward's sexy dreams.

Life really didn't get much sweeter.

The next morning, Edward gave no indication that he remembered his dream, but I noticed that he seemed well-rested and very happy. If a little dry humping in his sleep caused this reaction, I'd let him torture me every night until the wedding.

We sat at his breakfast bar eating bagels and drinking orange juice. It felt strange to be there. I'd gotten so used to spending most of our time in my little apartment, that his large, open house took some getting used to. "Jasper told me what the investigator discovered." I said.

Edward nodded. "It sounds like she's trying to get back at the studio by going after their biggest commodity." He said with a frown while gesturing toward his own chest. "She was willing to lose her boyfriend because she was desperate for a movie role, and doesn't seem to care if she hurts us in the process. I believe the woman has no soul." He muttered.

I thought over what he'd said. "I don't know about that Edward. I mean, she did keep the baby. She must feel something for  _it._ Her actions in the last week seem to me to be those of a very desperate person."

He sighed and then nodded his head slightly before changing the subject. "Listen, I should be finished in just a few hours. We can meet for lunch before I have to leave again."

I raised my eyebrows in question.

"I'm a guest on The Tonight Show this evening. I need to be at the studio in time for the taping at five o'clock." He gave me a slight smile. "Alice said she has plans with you this morning. I'm sorry I'm going to be so busy while you're here."

"That's okay Edward. I'm just happy to be here, even if it's only for a few days." I explained. "Whenever Alice isn't keeping me busy, I'll just study for my exams. In eight days, I'll be a college graduate." I announced with a grin.

He pulled me into his arms then. "I can't wait Bella. After that we don't have to be apart anymore." He said with a smile before pecking me on the lips.

"Hey, why don't you come with me to the Tonight Show taping?" He grinned. "You can watch it from the green room backstage." He pressed.

"Okay." I agreed, always willing to put myself in possibly uncomfortable situations, just to be near him. As soon as Edward left, I got dressed for the day. I was just slipping on my sandals when I heard someone downstairs in the kitchen.

I was surprised. Alice usually announced herself  _loudly_.

_Maybe she needs her morning coffee first_

When I went downstairs and rounded the corner into the kitchen, it wasn't the sight of Alice that greeted me, but a petite middle-aged woman with dark hair taking inventory of the pantry cupboards.

_Mrs. Hernandez_

I cleared my throat, hoping not to startle her. My attempt was unsuccessful though as she wheeled around to look at me whilst clutching at her throat.

"Madre Santa!" She exclaimed

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I started.

Mrs. Hernandez's startled expression transformed into a brilliant smile once she took a good look at me. "Isabella" She whispered.

"That's me" I said with a shrug.

She moved quickly around the kitchen island until she was in front of me, before giving me a warm hug. "I'm so happy to meet you. I'm Jacinta Hernandez, but you probably already figured that out." She grinned. "Eduardo told me you were coming this weekend, but it was so quiet I assumed you went with him to the studio today."

"No, I'm spending the day with Alice."

"Alice" Mrs. Hernandez smiled again and clasped her hands together. "Such a sweet and beautiful girl, Alice is one of a kind."

"Well thank you Jacinta, I feel the same way about you." Alice announced from the doorway before walking over and giving Mrs. Hernandez a hug.

We sat down for a quick cup of tea while Mrs. Hernandez and I got to know each other.

She was just as wonderful as I had expected her to be, and it was obvious that she cared very deeply for Edward. I found out that she didn't have a very high opinion of Alec though.

"He is a jackass" Mrs. Hernandez announced, drawing forth giggles from both Alice and myself. "I told Eduardo to get rid of him, he is too fresh. Every time he sees me, he gives me a little wink. Someday I'm gonna slap that wink right off his face." She said indignantly.

All too soon, it was time to leave, and I was climbing into Alice's Porsche, garment bag in hand.

Byron the photographer was meeting us at his studio in the Hollywood hills. Knowing Alice, I shouldn't have been surprised by what I had facing me, but I was nevertheless. She'd gone to great lengths to make sure these shots were as close to perfect as possible. Obviously since this was for a calendar, there were twelve shots planned. Byron estimated that we'd be able to complete at least five in the time we had allotted the first day. We planned to have a longer session on Saturday in which to complete the others.

As I looked around and took in the props and costumes, not to mention the makeup artist and hair stylist Alice had on hand to 'transform' me I had no doubt that the measly amount that I'd set aside for Edward's gift didn't even cover the cost of the photographer.

"Alice" I hissed "There is no way I can afford all of this, and you promised not to pay."

She just waved away my concerns. "I called in a couple of favors."

I found that I didn't have time to argue, as I was immediately whisked into a makeup chair to begin my first transformation. Almost four hours later, I was finally changing back into my own sundress and sandals in order to meet Edward for lunch.

"Bella" Alice exclaimed, phone in hand, as I exited the dressing room. "It's all over the news that Jill Richardson checked into the hospital in the middle of the night."

_Oh my_

Alice smiled. "The baby will be here today. That means you'll be able to have DNA test results early next week."

I let out a relieved breath as I thought about what this would mean. Edward and I would be able to return to some semblance of normal.

_I certainly hope our new normal will hold at least until the wedding day._

_-V &V—_

As Lou drove me to the restaurant, I thought back to the photo session. About half the photos would be of Edward's favorite Hollywood 'divas' the rest would be me, or some variation thereof. It had been a lot of fun to do. Much more enjoyable than I had thought it would be. I secretly couldn't wait to do more the next day.

Before I left, Byron showed me the shots he'd taken on a video screen. I couldn't believe how amazing they looked. It was unbelievable how the right makeup and hairstyle, or in some cases wigs, could transform me into someone else. The special treatment made me feel a little like a movie star myself. The 'diva' photos were definitely going to catch Edward's attention, although I would never have referred to Katherine Hepburn or Ingrid Bergman as 'divas', I supposed the term was correct when referring to someone like Jane Russell.

I was also shocked at how sexy they were able to make me look in the one Alice dubbed 'Hot for Teacher'. I giggled as I thought about Edward's reaction.

When Lou and I arrived at the restaurant, the paps were waiting outside. Edward had warned me that it was a popular place for celebrity sightings, but he chose it because the food was excellent.

Lou stayed close beside me as we approached. I guess it was the fact that Jill Richardson was in the hospital having her baby, but as soon as the paps caught a glimpse of me, they were literally in a feeding frenzy. So many voices began to shout at once that I couldn't distinguish a single question.

_That's probably a good thing_

As they shouted, the cameras clicked incessantly. Inside, I was shown to a private room. Edward arrived about five minutes after I did.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart. I had no idea it would be this crazy. I should have chosen another restaurant." He apologized as He pulled me into his arms.

"It's okay Edward. I have a feeling that any place we would have gone would end up just as crazy today."

"I think you're right." He admitted with a frown as we took our seats. "So, did you have fun with Alice today?" He asked with a smile.

"Oh you know, she wanted to shop, I went along but didn't buy anything." I lied happily. In my mind this lie was forgivable because it was necessary in order to keep his birthday gift a surprise.

_-V &V—_

At five o'clock, I was comfortably seated in the green room backstage at The Tonight Show, watching the action on stage via a large television screen.

"Welcome back everyone." Jay Leno began "My first guest tonight has played everything from a sadistic murderer to a medieval knight. In his last film  _Time Stands Still_ , he was an intelligence operative out to bring to justice the head of the CIA. Please welcome Edward Masen."

I watched the large screen as Edward walked onstage and was greeted by a handshake and half-hug from Jay. They took their seats and had to wait a moment for the screams and applause from the audience to die down.

"Now Edward" Jay said "the last time you were here was about a month before  _Time Stands Still_ was released, and boy oh boy have we been hearing a lot about you since then." Jay joked.

Edward gave Jay a smug expression. "What can I say; I  _love_ all the media attention." He said as he rolled his eyes, causing the audience to erupt in laughter.

"Congratulations on your engagement by the way, I hear the wedding is in August." Jay said in his usual good-natured way.

Edward looked a bit shocked. "Thank you. Has word of the date gotten out already? I mean we just started mailing invitations."

"Eh, people talk, what are ya gonna do? Maybe someone you invited just has a big mouth." Jay laughed it off. "So is this a big formal church wedding?"

Edward squirmed a little, but kept his smile. "I guess you could call it a medium-sized wedding." He said as he grinned again and rubbed his hands together.

"How are you coping with all the crazy stuff going on right now? I mean it can't be easy." Jay asked sympathetically.

"We're just taking things one day at a time. I'm not going to lie; the nonsense last weekend upset me very much at the time. But the overwhelming words of support and encouragement that Bella and I have received from absolute strangers has helped us both a great deal. Apart from being lied about, the rest of the experience has been truly amazing." The audience then roared with applause which didn't die down for a full half-minute.

_Wow, his fans really care about him. He's not just eye candy, they obviously feel connected to him, maybe even to both of us._

_Oh who am I kidding? It's just him. He's gorgeous. He's charming. He's sex on legs. Who wouldn't love him?_

For the first time, I started to really understand the true affection Edward felt for his fans.

Jay then proceeded to ask Edward a couple of questions about  _The Harvest of Avarice,_ and the fact that he was making a movie with Clint.

They broke for a commercial. When they returned, Jay was holding a copy of Vanity Fair in his hands. Yes, the one with Chris, Alice, Rose and I in front of Sleepy Beauty's castle. He held it up so that the audience could see it. I watched Edward smile as his eyes danced over the cover.

"Now Edward, let me see if I have this right. This right here is the lovely Isabella." Jay said as he pointed to me.

Edward nodded. There was a round of applause from the audience and a few catcalls. I could feel myself blush.

"This right here is your sister Alice?"

"Yes." Edward was still nodding and smiling. More applause.

"Now this is where it gets confusing to me. The stunning blonde is engaged to Isabella's brother?"

"Yes" Edward answered. "Her name is Rosalie."

A  _lot_ of hooting and applause.

"Let me know if I've got this wrong, but someone told me Rosalie's brother is your manager,  _and_  he's also married to your sister Alice."

"Yes" Edward answered, trying not to chuckle.

"Okay, so" Jay proceeded to point at each of us in turn, starting with me, as he said the following "You're marrying Isabella, whose brother is marrying Rosalie, whose brother is  _married to_ Alice, who is your sister." He ended by pointing at Edward.

Edward nodded. "Yes" He said with a laugh. The audience then proceeded to laugh in turn.

Once things were quiet, Jay spoke again. "So you're all inter-marrying?" Jay continued.

"In a manner of speaking" Edward was still grinning.

"You know I'm pretty sure that's illegal in all fifty states Edward." Jay said with a grin. " _and_ in Guam."

"No, no, none of the couples are actually related to each other" Edward defended as he laughed along with Jay.

"Well, that's a relief" Jay joked. "Now I gotta ask, who's this guy?" He said as he pointed to Chris. "Is he related to any of you?"

The audience laughed again.

"No, he's a very dear friend, but not related. His name is Christopher Miles, he and my sister are business partners and best friends, they are the founders of  _Brandon Miles Fashions._ "

More applause.

"Now Edward, a little bird told me that the lovely Isabella herself is here tonight." Jay stated in a soft tone.

I felt the muscles in my stomach begin to tighten.

"Yes, she's waiting backstage." Edward replied cautiously.

"Do you think we could coax her out here for just a moment?" Jay asked with a big smile.

Edward looked a little flustered. "I, I don't know if she'd feel comfortable.."

The audience started to applaud loudly then, trying to force the situation.

_Well, shit. I never expected this._

"Why don't you go back and see if you can persuade her?" Jay told Edward.

Edward reluctantly rose from his chair, never losing his smile as he then made his way back to the green room.

My eyes darted around, looking for the nearest escape. There wasn't one. At least there wasn't one that wouldn't lead me right past Edward. On the big screen I watched as the camera followed behind him as he came in search of me.

_Fuck my life. I can't be on national television._

Everyone in the green room watched me with curious expressions as I ducked into the hallway. I rounded the corner and saw Edward walking toward me. As soon as he saw me, he stopped walking and said something to the cameraman.

When he started back towards me again, the cameraman didn't follow.

_Thank God._

As soon as he reached me, I pulled him around the corner into the vacant hallway outside the green room. He wrapped his arms around me. "Edward, I don't know if I can do this."

"It's alright sweetheart. You don't have to, I'll go inform Jay right now.."

"Wait." I said effectively stopping him from pulling away. "Just let me think, I need to process this okay?"

He nodded and waited for me.

"Okay so what's the worst that could happen?" I asked out loud. As I considered that, my eyes widened in alarm "Oh Edward, what if I throw up?"

"Bella, you're not going to throw up." He answered with a chuckle.

"You're probably right about that." I thought again. "Suppose I drop the F-bomb?" I cringed. "Oh Edward, with my potty mouth, I mean you  _know_ what happens when I get nervous. It's pretty fucking likely that it's going to be  _fuck_ this and  _fuck_ that as soon as I start talking. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and nod." I continued with my verbal diarrhea. "I really wish I knew sign language, unfortunately the only sign language I know would get us tossed out."

Edward was quietly laughing to himself at my ramblings. "This is one of the many reasons I love you, you're absolutely adorable when you're flustered."

I clutched his hand tightly and took a deep breath. "Just don't let go of me Edward."

"I never want to let go of you whether or not we're on television." He replied with a grin. "You're really sure about this?" He asked with a serious look.

"Yes" I answered quietly. "I think I'm good."

He smiled. "I love you so much my brave girl." He breathed before he kissed me sweetly.

I almost forgot that Jay was waiting for us as I tried to deepen the kiss. "I love you too" I whispered when we broke apart. "I just wish I wasn't so awkward." I said before looking down at my sundress and sandals. "And I wish I'd worn nicer clothes." I whined.

Edward chuckled. "Come on, you look beautiful."

When we arrived on stage, we were greeted by a huge round of applause. The fear of throwing up was ever-present, but I smiled and nodded to Jay as he reached over to shake my hand. Instead of sitting in the chair, Edward sat with me on the sofa as he continued to hold my hand.

Jay smiled at us, "I just wanted to congratulate you both in person. I'm sorry Isabella; I didn't mean to upset you. You okay now?"

I nodded and tried to give him a pleasant smile.

"You're sure you're not going to throw up?" He asked with a grin.

The audience laughed, although I failed to understand why. I shook my head and continued to smile.

"Oh and, just so you know, the show is taped, so that F-bomb gets edited right out of there. The same thing goes for rude hand gestures." He whispered conspiratorially before winking at me.

More laughter from the audience, as I was made painfully aware that Jay, and everyone else had heard my conversation with Edward in the hallway.

Jay chuckled and sat back in his chair. "Sorry guys. Edward still had his microphone on back there." He gestured backstage. "I would have warned you, but I didn't even think about it until it was too late."

"What?" I croaked out as I felt my face pale.

I felt Edward's grip on my hand tighten. "You heard us." He stated to Jay.

_Damned wireless microphones_

Jay nodded, looking a bit sheepish. "Don't worry about it. Everyone thought it was very sweet. Getting to hear you both 'unscripted' as it were was very charming."

Jay smiled and, after a few seconds, I felt Edward start to shake with silent laughter, the audience joining in, no doubt recalling how many times I'd blurted the F-word during my panic attack. I felt my face go from pale to tomato red as I thought about what they must have heard.

Then I remembered Edward saying he loved me, and the kiss. I glanced up to see him smiling adoringly down at me and I couldn't help but return the smile.

I glanced at Jay, and noticed he looked relieved.

"Let's give Isabella a round of applause for being such a good sport." Jay announced just before the audience broke into loud applause. "You're a great couple, and we wish you all the best."

I wanted to hang my head in shame, but he seemed so sincere that I found it hard not to smile and thank him. There was loud applause as we said our goodbyes and exited the stage hand in hand.

After the taping, Jay informed us that they were going to cut the entire overheard conversation and edit the spot afterward so it made sense. We thanked him profusely before leaving.

On our way back to Edward's we got a text from Kyle Browning informing us that Jill Richardson's son had been born a few hours before, and Kyle was catching a flight to L.A. on Saturday. He was hoping to meet with us on Sunday, and intended to stay in town until the DNA results came back early next week.

_-V &V-_

The next morning after Edward left for the studio, I got a call from Rose as I waited for Alice to arrive.

"Hey Bells"

"Hi Rose"

"I caught Edward's appearance on Leno last night." She said.

I cringed as I thought about it. "Oh yeah, what did you think?"

"It was really sweet when you joined him onstage. Little did I know that the most interesting bit was edited out." She said with a chuckle.

_Oh shit._

"What do you mean?" I asked, afraid of her answer.

"Bella, the people in the audience have been tweeting since last night about what they heard you and Edward saying backstage." Rose informed.

"Oh no." I whined as I started to freak out.

"Stop panicking Bella." Rose ordered. "You seriously haven't heard any of this?"

"No Rose. What are they saying?" I whined.

Rose chuckled. "First of all, they all found you highly amusing."

"Oh great, now everyone will think I'm some kind of joke." I muttered.

"Quite the opposite, everyone thinks you're great Bells, they can't get over how down to earth you were. They thought you were sweet, funny and adorable. In short, they all loved you." She replied happily.

"You're kidding?" I asked, stunned.

"Nope. I even found one website where the women admit to having a 'girl crush' on you after hearing you ramble." She laughed out loud then.

I sighed in frustration. "I wish I hadn't said all that stupid shit. You know how I get when I'm nervous."

"Yes I do, and apparently a lot of other people now know too." She laughed. "Bella don't you dare start berating yourself for this. Some of these women are losing their minds because Edward was so sweet. It was obvious that he adores you. Overnight he has become the man that all other men are compared to. I'm sure quite a few of their husbands hate him now."

I had to chuckle at that. "He is pretty perfect." I said in almost a whisper.

Rose laughed. "Gah, you've really got it bad. I need to change the subject." I could tell she was smiling.

"Are you still flying back on Monday morning?" She asked.

"Yes. We're attending the MTV movie awards on Sunday. I have to be back on Monday, because I have an exam that evening."

"Oh, okay." She paused before continuing. "I have to meet with the producers of my new show, so I'm flying to New York on Monday morning. Emmett's coming along this time. Will you be okay on your own Monday night?" She asked in a worried tone.

"Yes Rose. I promise to lock myself in my apartment once I get home. I have two exams on Tuesday, and Edward will be back that night."

"Good. That makes me feel better."

"Are you getting excited about the new show?" I asked.

"A little, but I've still got the wedding to survive first." She said.

"I can empathize." I said in answer.

Just then, Edward's front door swung open and Alice marched into the house. "Come on potty mouth, we have to roll!" She announced.

_Crap. She knows too._

"I'd better go Rose, Alice just came through the front door with a crazed look in her eye."

Rose giggled. "That's right; you're working on the photos for the calendar today aren't you?"

"Yes, we did a few yesterday, they are amazing so far."

"I can't wait to see them. Tell Alice I said hi. See you Wednesday." Rose chirped.

_-V &V—_

The shoot on Saturday was even more enjoyable than the day before, and it had everything to do with the fact that Chris came to help. The time flew as we chatted about anything and everything, which included a lively discussion about the outtakes from The Tonight Show. Chris and Alice were in hysterics over what I said backstage. "Bella, that was priceless. I wish I could have seen your face when you realized everyone had heard you."

I snorted a laugh. "Trust me, it wasn't pretty."

"And let me guess, Edward wasn't even phased by it was he?" She asked smugly.

"Nope. He was only concerned about my reaction." I said with a sigh.

They sighed with me.

"Oh honey, I think this one may be my favorite." Chris remarked as I posed for the next shot.

Alice and I had tried to duplicate my look on the night Edward proposed. I wore the same dress, and my hair and makeup were done to perfection. The backdrop was a simple black background with a couple of fake trees adorned with lights, very understated but somehow perfect. It was the last shot of the day, and when I viewed it on Byron's screen, even I had to admit that it was beautiful.

Edward called me on the way back to his house. "Hey baby, how was your day?"

I was so used to telling Edward everything that I literally had to bite my tongue in order not to spill the details of the photo shoot.

"It was fun. I spent the day with Alice and Chris." I said sweetly.

"That's nice." He said quietly.

"Are you finished the re-shoots?" I asked.

"Yes, actually that's why I called. Are you still up for attending the wrap party tonight?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course Edward, I wouldn't miss it."

"Great!" He sounded happy. "Be ready in an hour, Lou will bring you."

"How should I dress?" I asked.

"Dress comfortably Bella, we're all in t-shirts and jeans." He answered.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do." I smirked as I thought of an idea.

Edward had been so good at 'behaving' that I felt cruel for what I was about to do, but I just couldn't help myself. Sometimes a girl just likes to cause a reaction, and I hadn't teased him in quite some time. Besides I still owed him for torturing me during my sleep the other night.

_I'll send him a new image for his erotic dreams._

I took a quick shower and put on my midnight blue lace bra and panty set. Before slipping into my jeans and t-shirt as instructed however, I snapped a photo of myself in the lingerie with my phone. It took three tries to get it right.

I then proceeded to type the message:

 _ **Too underdressed?**_ before sending the message with the photo to my poor unsuspecting fiancé's phone.

All I had to do then was sit back and wait for his reaction.


	60. Wrap Parties & Shattered Glass

 

Lou and I were on our way to the wrap party before I heard from Edward. His response came in the form of a text message.

.  
 _ **You know what they say about paybacks my love**_

_**I'll meet you in the lobby  
.** _

Upon entering the lobby of The Standard, I felt out of place in my t-shirt and jeans even after I saw Edward dressed similarly. That man would look good in anything.

_Or nothing_

I snickered at the thought, earning a curious look from Edward before he gave me a quick hello kiss and led me from the lobby. In the elevator, Lou and Sidney stood in front of the doors with their backs to us. A couple other people crowded inside, so Edward pulled me in front of him, his hands gently gripping each of my shoulders.

After a minute I realized his fingers were very lightly tracing the straps of my bra through the material of my t-shirt. I inched back a little more until my entire body was flush against his front. I heard his sharp intake of breath at the same moment that I felt  _it.._

Edward was definitely a little 'worked up'. Instantly, I regretted sending the photo. What the hell was wrong with me? Instead of making things easier for him, I had been cruel. He'd been so understanding and sweet and respectful, how could he help what happened in his dreams?

I felt my entire body sag under the weight of my regret. Edward must have felt it because just then his hands gripped a little tighter. Once again, he was probably worried about me.

_I don't deserve him._

Once we stepped off the elevator, he signaled for Lou and Sidney to wait there before he grabbed my hand and pulled me into a small hallway by the rest rooms. "Bella what's wrong?" He whispered as his hands rubbed my upper arms.

"I'm sorry" I said, still not looking at him.

He put his hand under my chin, pulling my face up to look at him. "Why are you sorry sweetheart?"

"I shouldn't have sent the photo, it wasn't nice." I said after swallowing the lump in my throat.

He gave me a sexy smile. "Oh, on the contrary, I thought it was  _very_ nice." He bent down and brushed my lips with his. "I  _should_  be angry with you though." He whispered against my lips.

"I know."

"That image is now burned into my brain. You are one cruel woman Bella Swan." He breathed.

He was absolutely right.

"Answer me one question, and all will be forgiven."

"What's that?" I murmured

He moved until his lips were by my ear "Are you wearing them now?"

_Edward wants to know if I'm still wearing the lingerie?_

I nodded in answer.

Again, I heard his intake of breath. He pulled me close while wrapping his arms around me. "Ah Bella" He sighed. "Whatever will I do with you?"

"Anything you want seven weeks from now." I blurted without thinking before slapping my hand over my mouth.

Edward laughed loudly. "So you've been keeping track of the days too?"

"Maybe" I grinned.

"There you are." I heard Alec announce from behind Edward's back. Edward turned and gave him a dirty look.

"You're missing the party." He explained.

"Trust me, we're not missing anything." Edward said with a smirk before taking my hand and reluctantly turning toward the party. "Shall we?"

"Sure." I answered before Edward led me into a covered seating area near the bar. That was where Jasper found us a few minutes later.

"Hi Bella." He said quietly without meeting my eyes. He then turned toward Edward.

_What's up with him?_

"Sal and Herb are here, I know they'd like to say hello." He informed Edward.

I saw Edward's expression change to one of indifference as he shrugged. "They know where to find me."

"Who are they?" I asked in a whisper.

Edward pursed his lips. "A couple of studio execs."

I frowned. "Edward, you should probably say hello to them." I coaxed, wondering why he seemed out of sorts at the mere mention of their names.

He sighed deeply. "You're right. I need to be more like you my love, and stop holding grudges."

_Huh? He thinks I don't hold grudges?_

"Edward, you're aware that I'm afraid of heights right?"

"Oh sweetheart, is being on the roof bothering you?" He asked, suddenly worried.

I chuckled. "No, but being up on that pedestal where you've placed me is a  _very_ scary place."

He relaxed and started to snicker. "Come on, I'll introduce you." He stood and reached for my hand.

Herb and Sal were very nice. I couldn't understand Edward's attitude before we walked over there, but knowing him as I did it finally became clear that these two gentlemen had probably been key players in the ' _Edward Masen boyfriend of Tanya' charade._

It was time for Edward to let that go, and I was going to inform him of such tonight.

I had a great time, especially after Crystal arrived. Jasper left early, and Alec disappeared about thirty minutes after we arrived. I didn't want to think about what he was up to.

Edward and I spent most of the evening drinking and talking with Yves, Crystal, Tony and his wife Molly.

They had live music, but the most entertaining part of the evening was the spectacle put on by Nicole French. Crystal and I snickered as we watched her go around the room, drinking and flirting with every male who crossed her path. She made the mistake of eyeing our men as she walked past. "Just keep walking twat waffle" Crystal announced loudly, sending Molly and I into hysterical giggles, while the guys chuckled along with us.

"I'm telling you, a punch in the face wasn't enough for her" Crystal announced "If she gets too close to Yves tonight, her ass is going swimming." She said while pointing to the rooftop pool, causing another round of laughter.

_I must be sure to introduce Crystal to Rosalie. Something tells me they'd get along famously._

Nicole steered clear of us for the balance of the evening, but her luck ran out when she tried to grope one of the producers. A producer with a very jealous trophy wife. Nicole got a chance to try out the pool after all.

As we lay in bed that night, laughing about the day's events, I brought up the subject that was still troubling me.

"Edward, were those studio executives involved in the whole Tanya mess?"

I saw his jaw tighten. "Yes. Actually, back in January when you thought I'd lied to you about Tanya not being my girlfriend, those two guys were part of a roomful of people that I told to go fuck themselves." He admitted with a sigh.

"Oh" I said, as I remembered the message he'd left on my phone that day.

"Edward, it can't be healthy to hold onto all this anger. I worry about you so much." I whispered as I kissed his lips.

He relaxed and wrapped his arms tighter around me.

"I know you're right." He admitted. "You're a better person than I am Bella."

"That's doubtful." I blurted. "I go around feeling guilty most of the time. I feel like a terrible person."

"Guilty? What could you possibly have to feel guilty about?" He asked.

I sighed. "A lot of things. I'm working on it though. The biggest one is feeling responsible for my Mom's death. It's been difficult to talk myself out of that one." I admitted.

"Oh Bella" He sounded so sad "There's only one person to blame for that, and he's in prison."

"I know."

_-V &V—_

"So Eddie went to  _Mass_  with you?" Mrs. Hernandez questioned as I helped her prepare Moroccan chicken for Sunday dinner.

Kyle Browning had arrived at the house after we returned from Mass and he and Edward were in the living room discussing the Jill Richardson business.

"He always goes with me." I answered.

"That's nice." She said with a smile. "He's so different now Bella. You've changed him for the better."

"That's what his Mom says."

"Esme's a smart woman."

As we ate, Kyle talked about Jill Richardson. "She tried to block the DNA testing by arguing that she never said you were the baby's father. She couldn't fight a court order though." He grinned.

"I spoke with Spencer Wyatt's manager yesterday; Spencer has decided to have a DNA test of his own done." Kyle added.

"Wow, I'm surprised he spoke with you." I thought out loud.

"We're not the enemy as far as Spencer's concerned. He's angry with Jill Richardson, not Edward. Although I'm sure he hated Edward when he thought the 'phony' date was real."

I looked at him questioningly.

"Evidently he begged Jill not to go as Edward's date that night. He'd heard of Edward's 'reputation', which we all know now wasn't true, and assumed Jill would be another conquest." Kyle just chuckled and shook his head.

Edward sighed and rolled his eyes. Not wanting him to stress, I covered his hand with mine and gave him a reassuring smile.

"For the next couple of months he toured Europe with his band. When he came back, Jill tried to contact him once or twice, but he wasn't ready to speak with her."

"When Edward made his statement last weekend, he believed him. He suspected the baby to be his then, and went to see Jill in the hospital yesterday. Evidently, as soon as he saw the baby, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he was the father. He's only ordering the test to claim his legal rights in case Jill tries to deny him."

Edward nodded in understanding.

What was I missing? "I don't understand Kyle. How did he know by looking at the child that he was the father?" I asked.

Kyle thought for a minute. "Well, I guess there's still a possibility that the child is someone else's, but it's obviously not Edward's."

I was still confused.

"Bella, the baby looks more like me than Edward, if you understand me." Kyle continued as he took in my puzzled expression.

_Huh? How could a little baby look like Kyle?_

Kyle chuckled and turned to Edward. "Is she for real?" He asked.

I even heard Mrs. Hernandez giggle from her seat at the table.

Edward smiled and nodded. "She's unique." It was Edward's turn to squeeze my hand. "Bella, I think what Kyle is trying to tell you is that he, like Spencer Wyatt, is African American." He then glanced at Kyle "I'm assuming the baby is mixed?"

Kyle nodded and smiled at us. Now I felt like an idiot. Of course I knew Kyle was African American, it just wasn't something I thought about. Race, for me, has always been something that faded into the background like hair color or eye color.

_Well, obviously Edward's eye color never fades into the background. They are brilliant green and oh so beautiful._

_Who am I kidding, everything about him is beautiful._

"Oh" was my brilliant response as I shrugged.

Kyle laughed. "I wish everyone was like you Bella, my stint in law school would have been much more pleasant that's for sure." He said as he continued to smile at me.

He thought for a minute, "Okay, so when Spencer visited Jill, she told him everything. About the studio dumping her, about the fake date, she even admitted to him that she'd been trying to force the studio to hire her back by making that statement."

Edward shook his head. "She'll be lucky if she ever gets an acting job now."

Kyle nodded. "When the test results are released her already low credibility will be in the toilet."

"I feel sorry for her" I said in a low voice.

All the faces at the table looked at me in shock. "I know she did something wrong, and she hurt us. But somehow I get the feeling that she's realized by now how badly she's screwed everything up and is probably sorry."

Kyle smirked. "Don't hold your breath waiting for an apology Bella. From what Spencer's manager told me, she's a manipulative bitch. He was happy when Spencer left her."

_Oh_

We then turned the subject matter to other things. Kyle stayed around for quite a while. He, like Wendy, was turning out to be a lot more than just a lawyer, he was a friend.

_-V &V—_

"Aziz wears the white dinner jacket well, but not as well as you Edward." I whispered. We were seated in the audience at the MTV Movie Awards.

Edward smiled at me as he laced his fingers through mine. By all accounts, this year's show had been quite tame compared to the year before. Every now and then though, I would peer up at the ceiling to make sure  _Bruno_  wasn't about to swoop down and land on my man.

Some moments of the show were awkward, but for the most part it was funny. When the kiss cam zoomed in on us, Edward leaned down and captured my surprised lips in a sweet kiss. Our kiss however was overshadowed by the one shared between Jonah Hill and Russell Brand.

Rose texted me in the middle of the show:

_**.  
Nice kiss but I would have shown a little cleavage** _

_**Love you** _

_**-R  
.** _

_I have no doubt of that_

I chuckled.

When it came time for the Global Superstar award, I wasn't surprised that Edward was declared the winner. This time I kissed him before he got up to accept. I watched closely to make sure the two female presenters didn't get too friendly with their hands when they congratulated him.

_I'd hate to have to cut a bitch._

Edward feigned surprised as he stood up there holding the award. "First of all, I'd like to thank my fans, they are truly the best and without them I wouldn't have the opportunity to make these wonderful movies. " He shot a version of his Hollywood smile that was destined to melt the panties off ninety percent of the female population, including yours truly.

"I'd also like to thank my family and my manager, who  _is_ part of the family" He grinned. "for their constant love and support. And last, but certainly not least, I'd like to thank my girl, my beautiful Bella. She has gifted me with a future that is full of possibilities. I can't wait to begin our life together. Thank you."

I tried but failed to swallow the lump forming in my throat as my eyes filled with tears. By the time Edward arrived back at his seat, a couple of tears had escaped and were streaming down my face. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me sweetly.

After the show, Edward was interviewed by Josh Horowitz. I stood by as they laughed and joked. Josh teased him about his messy hair.

_Lay off the sex hair Josh_

_Can it really be referred to as 'sex hair' if Edward's never had sex?_

_Good point._

As I stood off to the side watching him talk to Josh, I became aware of a couple of women standing near me. I turned in their direction and realized they looked vaguely familiar. As soon as I heard them speaking to each other, I remembered where I'd seen them. They were part of some lame reality show.

"Edward Masen is fucking hot." I heard one whisper to the other.

I really couldn't argue with that.

"He's a prick. I totally tried to hook up with him at a party last year, and he wouldn't give me the time of day." The second one answered.

I smiled smugly to myself.

Josh was asking Edward if he was going to be in town for some movie premier and party the next weekend. "No, I'll be back in Seattle by then." Edward answered with a smile. "Isabella is graduating next Saturday."

That's when I heard bimbo number one start whispering again, "What the hell? Edward Masen's girlfriend is in high school? I wonder if she's even eighteen yet? He's like twenty-five or something."

"That's just nasty." Bimbo number two added.

I decided to interrupt them, knowing that this is precisely how stupid rumors got started. "Ladies, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Let me ease your minds. I am, in fact, graduating from  _college_ next week, not high school, and I am twenty-two, almost twenty-three years old." I smiled dismissively and stepped closer to the man I loved.

The bimbos walked away.

_They are as dumb as they look. Who knew?_

I was introduced to a lot of celebrities, and remained surprisingly calm through it all. Edward knew so many people. Mark Wahlberg wanted him to appear in an episode of  _Entourage._  Betty White called me a 'doll' when we had our photo taken with her. Katy Perry was very nice, and very cool, as was Cameron Diaz, but the person I was most thrilled to meet was Sandra Bullock. She defined class.

Bradley Cooper was charming and swoon-worthy, or would have been if Edward wasn't the only man who could make me swoon. I watched as Edward chatted with fellow celebrities along with a couple of directors, totally in his element.

We didn't stay long after the show, I had an early flight the next day, and we both wanted some time alone.

"What would you like to do?" Edward asked after we arrived back at his house.

"I don't know, maybe watch a movie?"

I really wanted to swim in his pool, but my period had arrived earlier that day, so as crummy as I was feeling, swimming was out.

We got our showers and met back in the bedroom to watch a DVD.

"What are you in the mood for?" He asked.

"We haven't watched  _Alice in Wonderland_ yet."

Try as I might to concentrate on the movie, I found it difficult. Instead, I had an urgent need to discuss the future. We talked well into the night about many things that previously we'd only touched on.

We talked about purchasing a house in Seattle, knowing that we'd only live there when he wasn't filming. He tried to tell me that I could stay there during the times I didn't want to travel with him.

"Edward, when I told you we wouldn't be apart, I meant it. I intend to go with you on location every time." I poked his chest for emphasis as I said the last two words.

I could tell he was happy that I hadn't changed my mind. "I just don't want you to be living out of hotels for weeks at a time." He admitted.

"Edward, you'll still be living out of hotels and wouldn't it be better if I were there with you?"

"Absolutely" He smiled brilliantly and pulled me closer.

Another big issue that we'd only touched on was  _having children._

We knew that we both wanted them, but that had been the extent of our discussion up until that point. We were always so focused on the two of us that it was hard to think of anyone else.

"Edward, we haven't spoken much about having children." I said quietly.

He looked puzzled. "Bella, I assumed you wanted them, at least I hoped you did."

"Of course I do."

He looked relieved.

"Edward, do you know the Church's stand on having children?" I asked cautiously.

He visibly swallowed. "Bella are you trying to tell me that you're opposed to birth control?"

I sighed. "You make it sound so harsh." I paused trying to gather my thoughts. "I'd really like to try natural family planning. I've been reading up on it, and know if we're diligent it will work." I said hopefully.

Edward rubbed his hand across his forehead. "Bella, you do realize you're talking about  _abstinence._ " He said it like it was a dirty word.

"Only for certain days every month." I defended. I knew he'd have a hard time with this. "It's important to me Edward. It seems ridiculous for us to go through all the formalities of a Church wedding only to turn our back on the Church teachings immediately afterward."

He wrapped his arms tightly around me. "God knows we can afford as many children as we want Bella. I am apprehensive about this though. I want children with you, but I also know that childbirth is scary and dangerous. I had hoped we could put it off a few years. I worry about you."

He laughed then without humor. "I'm also pretty sure that the first time I see you in pain because you're giving birth to my child, I'll desperately wish I could switch places with you." He said with a tortured look. "But because that's impossible, I'll probably beg Emmett and your Dad to kick my ass for getting you pregnant."

"Oh Edward" I chuckled as I reached up to kiss his lips. "That's a welcome kind of pain. But you're worrying about something that's not even close to happening yet. We get to have lots of sex before we have to worry about that." I wiggled my eyebrows at him, trying to lighten the mood.

He moved quickly then, flipping me onto my back so he could hover above me. "My beautiful girl, I know you're trying to distract me, and it's most definitely working." He said with a smirk. "I also know that as soon as we've made love, I'm not going to want to abstain. Not ever. So that which I fear, will happen a lot sooner than you think." He grinned.

"Okay then, let's not worry about any kind of family planning until after the first baby." I said with a playful smile.

He growled. "You are incorrigible." He then proceeded to attack my mouth with a passionate kiss. His lips moved forcefully against mine before I felt his tongue warm and smooth trace my bottom lip. I opened my mouth just enough to allow his entrance. As he explored, I carefully swept my tongue over his a couple of times before pulling back slightly. Edward withdrew his lips from mine and began to kiss down my neck. I leaned into his ear and gently took the lobe between my teeth, biting down playfully. He groaned before pulling away from me.

"I can deny you nothing beautiful. If it means that much to you, I'll agree." He said in a defeated tone.

"Thank you Edward, I love you so much." I whispered.

"As I love you sweetheart."

We lay there quietly for a few minutes before I spoke again.

"Edward?"

"Yes, love?"

"Are you sure that you just don't want to have to share me." I teased. "You know, with a baby."

He chuckled. "I can't argue with that Bella, and there's no man on earth that would blame me." He smiled. "But on the other hand, to know you were carrying our child, something we made together out of love." His grasp tightened very slightly. "The thought overwhelms me."

I could feel goosebumps form on my flesh as he spoke.

That night I dreamed of a beautiful little boy with his father's untamed hair and piercing green eyes.

_-V &V—_

With a promise to see me Tuesday evening, Edward kissed me goodbye at the security area of the L.A. airport.

The flight back to Seattle was uneventful. Lou read a book while I studied for the exam I had that afternoon.

Once we arrived home, I had just enough time to unpack before having to leave for class. Lou walked me inside and was waiting outside the classroom door when I was finished.

"Hey Edward, I guess you're at the Letterman show. I just called to let you know that I'm done for the day. Call me when you can. I love you." I ended the call as Lou pulled up to my building. Surprisingly, there were no paps stationed outside.

"Do you need anything else today Bella?" Lou asked.

"Nah, I'm just going to relax. I don't plan to go out. Why? Do you have a hot date?" I teased.

Lou smiled gently. "Nothing like that unfortunately. I'm just going home to get caught up on laundry and probably call my brother. My Mom's not doing too well; he's the one who lives closest to her."

I knew that Lou's mom had a minor stroke about a month before. "Oh Lou, I'm so sorry to hear that. Why don't you go see her? I can drive myself tomorrow."

Lou shook his head and laughed. "Do you want to get me fired Bella? Besides, once Edward and Sidney arrive tomorrow night, I'll ask for a few days off to go see her."

"Lou, I know that won't be a problem."

_-V &V—_

About an hour later, I was kicking myself for letting Lou go. As I pulled the last tampon from the box and scowled at the empty package of maxi pads, I realized that once again I'd run out when it wasn't convenient to go to the store.

_Why do I keep doing this to myself?_

Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal because, in a pinch, Rose and I would borrow from each other until one of us went shopping.

But with Rose being pregnant, and out of town, borrowing from her was no longer an option.

_I really can't call Lou all the way back over here just to take me to the drug store._

I debated for several minutes before deciding that I would drive myself.

_And never tell Edward_

I wasn't stupid. I made sure to carry my pepper spray.

I found myself being extra cautious while walking through the parking deck to my car, half expecting some creepy guy to be lurking in the shadows. Emmett had been driving my car at least once a week to make sure it kept in working order, but it had been ages since I'd driven it myself. As soon as I slid behind the wheel, I relaxed.

_I'm so silly for feeling nervous. No one is around to bother me._

It was true. There'd been no flowers delivered in weeks. No weird notes. No strange phone calls. I was pretty sure that whoever had sent those carnations had lost interest in me, and was off stalking someone else by now.

Making sure to park where my car was visible from the front door of the drug store, I quickly found what I needed. It took me about ten seconds to decide that purchasing a supply to last several months was probably a good idea since I was such an airhead.

The cashier gave me a strange look, but didn't say a word. As I entered my apartment with enough feminine products to supply a sorority house, I had to admit that I was pretty proud of myself. I'd ventured out alone and managed to return unscathed.

_-V &V—_

That evening on skype, I discussed Lou's situation with Edward. "Lou told me that his mom isn't doing very well Edward, he needs a few days off to visit her."

"Of course he can take as much time as he needs once Sidney and I arrive tomorrow. Bella please tell him how sorry I am about his Mom." Edward said, the genuine concern evident on his face.

"I know he'll be grateful to hear that." I said softly. "Edward, I see no reason why he has to wait for you and Sidney to arrive. I'll be perfectly fine by myself for a few hours."

Edward's expression grew hard. "Absolutely not Bella."

"Edward, I promise to lock myself in the apartment until you arrive."

He began to run his fingers through his hair. "Bella, please don't ask me that." He pleaded.

"Edward please, I swear I won't do anything stupid."

"Bella, I can't."

"Please." I begged.

He just shook his head then. I knew I wouldn't be able to sway him.

Lou arrived bright and early the next day, so early in fact that I wasn't quite ready to leave. He sat in my kitchen nursing a cup of coffee while I tied my shoes and stuffed my things into my backpack. "How's your Mom?"

He looked up with sad eyes. "She had another stroke last night. It doesn't look good."

"Oh no Lou." I said with a gasp. "You need to go to her."

"Bella, I'm going tonight." He stated firmly. "I'm already packed. As soon as I know Edward and Sidney have arrived, I'm leaving. "

"Lou, you need to leave now." I insisted.

"No, Bella."

_I am not helpless._

_Stupid stubborn men._

Between exams I phoned Edward. "Edward, Lou's mother had another stroke last night. He said it doesn't look good."

Edward drew in a quick breath. "I'm sorry. What do you want me to do Bella?" He asked in a defeated tone.

"I want you to let him go to her. He needs to leave now."

"Bella" He said in a tortured voice.

"Okay, then after my exams Edward. Let him leave then."

He sighed.

"Edward, if she dies and he doesn't get to see her because of me, I'll never forgive myself." I said as my voice caught in my throat.

There was silence for a long moment. "Okay" He said quietly. "I'm going to see if I can get an earlier flight back."

"That's not necessary Edward. I told you I won't leave the apartment."

"I know." He sounded defeated. "Bella, promise me you'll stay safe."

"I promise. I love you Edward." I said happily. "You'd better call Lou; I know he won't believe it coming from me."

"Alright, but I'm calling you this evening. I expect you to be locked in your apartment by then." He said in a demanding tone.

"Yes sir" I teased. "I love you Edward."

"I love you too baby."

Edward was only able to move his flight to one that left an hour earlier, but that was better than nothing.

My exams were over. In four days, I'd be a college graduate.

I was securely locked in my apartment, alone and bored, counting the minutes until Edward arrived. I'd sent Lou on his way hours before with my best wishes for his mother's recovery.

I'd already dusted and vacuumed my apartment, channel surfed and found nothing to watch, pulled out my well-worn copy of  _The Scarlet Pimpernel_  and attempted to read, I just couldn't settle down. I decided to write for a while, and that's just what I was doing when Edward phoned. "Hey sweetheart, I'm about to give a bunch of interviews before boarding my plane. I take it you're locked securely in the apartment?"

"Yes Edward, other than missing you, I'm fine."

"I wish I was there right now." He said with longing in his voice.

"Me too. I love you. Now go do your interviews." I ordered.

"Okay. I love you too. I'll see you tonight."

Edward would be interviewing for the next couple of hours before immediately boarding an airplane home to me.

Sometime later, my cell rang with a call from an unfamiliar number.

The thought crossed my mind that it might be someone from the publishing company. "Hello"

"Hello Miss Swan? Is this Isabella Swan?" A male voice inquired.

"Yes, could I ask who this is?"

"Miss Swan this is Deputy Simons with the Forks Police Department."

At his words, I could feel my body begin to tense. I didn't remember a Deputy Simons, but his voice was vaguely familiar. "Yes" was all I could force out as I immediately started to worry about Charlie.

"I'm sorry Miss Swan, your brother was unreachable, and you were also listed as Chief Swan's next of kin." I stopped breathing. "Your father has suffered a massive heart attack. He's in the hospital. How quickly can you get here Miss Swan?" the deputy demanded.

"I, I…" I needed Edward. And Emmett. And Rose.

"Miss Swan did you hear me? Your father needs you, he's in the hospital. I asked how quickly you can get here?" He sounded a little irritated.

I forced my brain to start working again. "Three hours" I managed to croak out.

"Very well. Is this number your cell phone Miss Swan?"

"Yes" I whispered.

"Please keep the line open, I'll call you at this number with any updates. I'll see you in three hours Miss Swan. Please hurry."

My hands were shaking as I ended the call. Not giving a thought to anything else, I robotically grabbed my keys and my purse and headed out the door.

_My Dad needs me._

My phone rang then and I glanced at the screen.

_Alice_

I couldn't speak to her at that moment. Maybe later.

_Sorry Alice, whatever you need will have to wait._

I had to keep the line open.

By the time I was in my car, the tears were falling full force. I knew I needed to pull it together or I wouldn't be able to drive. I took a few calming breaths.

_Just this morning I was worried that Lou wouldn't see his mother alive again, now I don't know if I'll make it in time to see my Dad._

_My Daddy_

The tears flowed as my mind filled with images of Charlie.

Carrying me on his shoulders at the beach when I was a small child, before he would swing me down and dangle my feet in the chilly water, just to make me squeal.

On nights that he wasn't working, after Mom had tucked the covers up to my chin, my Dad would always check under my bed for monsters.

Teaching me to ride a bike, and then patching up my skinned knees afterward….

Day by day and hour by hour, putting the pieces of his broken little girl back together after her mother's death…

_Why was this happening? Why would God let this happen?_

Taking me fishing…

Dad and Emmett teaching me to drive….

_Emmett_

Emmett and Rose weren't due back from New York until tomorrow. Even though the Deputy had told me to keep the line open, I knew I had to leave a message for my brother. I picked up my phone from where I'd tossed it on the passenger seat and quickly dialed my brother's number as I drove.

As expected, the call went immediately to voicemail.

"Emmett, a deputy from Dad's office called to tell me he's had a heart attack" My voice catching on the words "He's been rushed to the hospital. I'm in my car now driving to Forks. I'm sorry for blurting it out like this, but I didn't know what else to do." I was now crying again. "Can you leave a message for Edward, he's flying back tonight." I stopped to catch my breath. "The deputy asked me to keep this line open, so I'd better go. I love you brother bear."

It was sometime later when my phone rang again. By that time I was almost to Sequim, it was getting dark and starting to rain.

It was with more than a little trepidation that I looked at the screen, assuming that it would be Deputy Simons with an update. I was surprised to find Emmett's name displayed there.

"Emmett." I whispered.

"Bells where are you? Are you alone?" Emmett spoke quickly.

"I'm almost to Sequim. Lou had to leave town, his mother is sick. I'm driving myself."

"Shit. I was afraid of that." He muttered. "Bells, listen to me carefully. Pops is okay, I just spoke with him."

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "He's okay? Is he still in the hospital? What was wrong with him?" The words rushed out.

"Bells, nothing was wrong with him. He was never in the hospital. That phone call Bells, whoever called was lying."

I gasped when I realized what that meant.

"Bells I need you to stay calm. At the first gas station or quick mart or anything like that, just pull in. Then I want you to go inside and wait. Pops is already driving in your direction. Once you're somewhere safe, call him to let him know where you are."

"Okay" I breathed. My hands were shaking again.

"It's gonna be okay Bells" Emmett tried to reassure, but I knew my brother was dying inside.

The rain started to pick up then, and I turned the windshield wipers on high. After a few swipes, the driver's side wiper flew off.

"Fuck!" The rain was coming down so hard that without the wiper I couldn't see the road. I immediately lifted my foot from the gas as I tried to lean over in order to see through the windshield from the passenger's side.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Emmett shouted in my ear.

"The wiper just flew off." I shouted back as the car slowed to a crawl and I began to pull off. I had no other choice.

"Damn it." Emmett muttered. "There's nothing wrong with those wipers Bella."

"What are you saying?" I was starting to get hysterical. The car was stopped on the side of the road now.

"Don't worry about it." Emmett said forcefully.

"Emmett, I had to stop I couldn't see." I was shouting into the phone.

I could hear Emmett relaying everything that was happening to someone.

_Rose?_

His voice was muffled as if he was covering it with his hand.

"Are you talking to Rose?"

"Yeah, she's got Pops on her phone." Emmett said. "Look Bella, Pops has notified the police they should be on their way to you soon. Is there anything nearby? A house, anything?"

"No Emmett. There's nothing around but trees. It's so dark; there aren't even any other cars on the road." I answered, my voice shaking.

He sighed in frustration. "Just sit tight in the car and make sure the doors are locked. It's gonna be okay Sissy." He tried to soothe.

"Yeah." I did as he said and tried to regulate my breathing. "Can Rose call Edward?"

"She already did Bells."

"He's probably freaking out." I muttered.

"A bit." Emmett answered.

At that moment I saw the headlights of a car pull in behind me. A knot began to form in my stomach. I hoped it was someone to help, but feared that it might be whoever had lured me from my apartment.

"Emmett, someone just pulled off the road behind me."

He gasped. "Bella, don't unlock your door."

"Suppose it's a policeman." I asked.

"You just wait in your car until Pops gets there." He sounded frantic.

I could see a figure exit the car behind me then and begin to walk toward me.

"Someone's coming to my window" I squeaked out, holding the phone in one hand as I searched my purse for the pepper spray with the other.

"Stay on this phone with me Bells" He shouted.

By this time, the dark figure was beside my window. Whoever it was gave two loud taps to the glass.

_Was that a flashlight?_

"They're knocking on my window Emmett." I choked out. My entire body was shaking in fear by this time.

"Oh God Bells" He gasped. "Don't open your door."

The figure hit the window again, only this time it wasn't a tap. There was a loud crashing sound as it was hit so hard that the glass shattered. I screamed and dropped the phone as bits of glass rained down on me and a large arm reached in, wrenching my door open. Everything happened so fast. The next thing I knew, two large arms were grabbing at me. I fought with everything in me against them. I backed away as I fought until I was lying across the front seat. I got in one good kick before the intruder's weight trapped my legs. The figure had on a large rain jacket, the hood came down so low that it obscured his face. The jacket was wet and slippery so it was hard to find purchase for my assault as I grabbed at him. I could hear my brother shouting from the phone where it lay on the seat beside me as I continued to fight.

"I've got you now you little bitch." The figure growled as I thrashed. He swung something heavy and smashed the interior light before proceeding to hit me. First he landed a hard punch to my stomach, managing to knock the air from my body. As I gasped for breath, he hit my face, landing one closed-hand blow and several hard slaps. I was beginning to feel dizzy, but still attempted to fight him off. He then grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled my head toward him only seconds before I felt a sharp pain as something heavy and hard hit my head, plunging everything around me into darkness.


	61. Boot Heels & Body Bags

 

_**Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer?  
Beating like a hammer?  
Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer  
Hard to be soft  
Tough to be tender** _

**_Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train_**  
 ** _Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer_**  
*

' _Bella, it's time to wake up.' I heard my mother's voice calling me._

_I slowly opened my eyes to find myself back in my old bedroom in Phoenix. The sunlight was streaming through the curtains, promising a beautiful day ahead. I sat up and looked around. Everything was neatly in place as it had been that morning seven years before. I climbed out of my bed and walked toward the kitchen where I could hear my Mom fixing breakfast._

_When I reached the doorway, I stood and watched her busily cracking eggs into a bowl while bacon sizzled on the stove. She was wearing her favorite t-shirt and jeans as she puttered around, singing along with a song on the radio. It had been so long, and I missed her so much._

_Suddenly she looked up. When she saw me, she gave me an indulgent smile. 'There you are.' She said before setting the bowl on the counter and walking over to me. 'Did you forget about school?' She asked with a smile before taking my hands in hers._

' _Mom, I'm not in school any more. I'm even finished with college now.' I whispered._

' _I'm aware of that honey and I can't wait to see you graduate.' She announced happily. 'But Bella, you have to wake up in order to do that.' She squeezed my hands then 'You have to wake up, and you have to be brave and strong.' She then wrapped her arms around me and whispered in my ear 'You have to fight. You can do this Bella.'_

_Suddenly my mother was gone; vanished while embracing me. A shiver went through me as I registered a feeling of being cold and wet. I looked down to find the front of my shirt saturated in blood and clinging to my skin._

_Her blood._

_My stomach lurched and my head throbbed as I forced my eyes open._

I lay very still as my eyes searched my surroundings. I was lying across the back seat of an unfamiliar car. It was dark, although there was a faint glow coming from the front dash. I could feel the movement as the car travelled along an uneven road. I tried to force my mind to focus on the last thing that I remembered before I blacked out.

Talking to Emmett…

Realizing that someone had lured me out of my apartment….

_Oh no_

Someone breaking through my window….

Being grabbed….

A sharp pain in my head as it was struck with something hard….

_Ugh. It still hurts_

I went to touch the sore spot on my head and realized, to my horror that my wrists were locked together by a set of handcuffs. I was immediately transported back to the day of my mother's murder. I felt the panic begin to rise in my throat as I recalled the feel of wire digging into the flesh of my wrists as I fought to escape Jeff's brutality.

With everything in me, I bit back the scream struggling to escape. At that moment, the driver of the car still thought I was unconscious, and I wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. After taking a few deep breaths, I tried to concentrate on my surroundings once again.

My head and upper body were lying behind the passenger seat, my legs behind the driver's. I had only to lift my head a few inches to see the identity of my kidnapper. At that exact moment, he began to speak.

"Miserable fucking bitch" He seethed. "Kicked me right in the balls."

_Does he know I'm awake?_

I started to panic again at the thought.

"Just wait you bitch. Just wait until I get you to the cabin." He muttered. "I'm going to enjoy waking you up; you fucking cunt. I'll make you pay for everything you've taken from me."

I was able to calm my breathing when I realized he still didn't know I was awake.

"I'm going to fuck you up so bad." He said with a sadistic chuckle. "I've been waiting a long time for this day."

His voice was familiar. I raised my head slightly in order to see his face. Luckily his hood was thrown back, and even in the darkness, I was able to make out his features in the dim light of the dashboard.

_Ranger Barry Kershner_

My head started to spin as I tried to make sense of what was happening. He had kidnapped me.

_But why?_

_Had it been him all along? Was he my flower stalker?_

I began to feel angry then, but for the moment, that anger was directed at myself.

As much as I'd promised Edward that I'd stay safe, I'd managed to make a mess of everything. I wanted to cry at how badly I'd probably broken his heart. Not to mention my poor Dad….

_Emmett… Rose… Esme… Alice…._

As images of my loved ones flashed through my mind, he spoke again.

"I'm going to make your last days a hell on earth" He stated in a low menacing tone. "First, I'm going to fuck you until you can't take any more. Then I'm going to break every bone in your body. There will be nothing left of you to bury by the time they find you." He spat out in his anger and punched the steering wheel as he spoke. "Fucking bitch."

My mouth went dry.

_He was planning to kill me._

_Rape and torture me first, and then kill me._

All I could see was Jeff's face and remember his words on the day he murdered my mother: ' _You were meant for me Isabella. Did you hear what I said? ME and no one else.'_

' _Your useless whore of a mother took you away from me, but I found you. I will never let you go now.'_

The Ranger's words, like Jeff's, chilled me to the bone. I could feel my body start to tremble as I held in a whimper, somehow knowing that my silence was the only thing keeping me alive and untouched at that moment.

How could I fight another sadistic madman? My mother and I together hadn't been strong enough to fight off Jeff.

Also, I hadn't been able to fight off the Ranger when he broke into my car earlier tonight and hit me over the head. I had to face the fact that I was weak and pathetic.

My head still hurt and was bleeding. There was no way I was going to win.

Then my mother's voice came to me again

'Y _ou have to be brave and strong. You have to fight. You can do this Bella.'_

But how could I fight someone so much stronger than I was? Someone so determined to end my life?

My thoughts then turned to Edward.

In my heart, I knew that Edward would not survive my death. Hadn't he told me as much countless times? Our hearts and souls belonged together always. It was so clear to me now. If I were to leave this world, Edward would not be far behind.

For Edward to go before it was his time was unthinkable. I couldn't allow that to happen.

' _You have to fight.'_

I could fight, but could I win?

I didn't have a choice any more, I had to win. The more I thought about it the angrier I became. This bastard was not keeping me from the future I'd planned with Edward.

Very carefully and quietly, I stretched my legs. Fortunately for me, I discovered that the Ranger hadn't tied them together.

_He probably didn't expect me to wake up this soon._

It was going to be difficult to fight with my hands in cuffs, but I had no choice. There was no way I could let him take me to this  _cabin_ he spoke of. I'd never make it out alive. The days of 'victim' Bella were behind me. I was going to fight and I was going to win, or die trying.

The adrenaline was coursing through my body, my heart beating wildly, as I thought about what I needed to do next. My mind formed the beginnings of a plan then, not at all sure of how it would end.

While still lying on my side across the large back seat, I slowly drew my knees up as close to my chest as possible before rolling carefully on to my back.

_Thank God I decided to wear Rose's favorite boots today. The ones with the sharp little heels._

_I love Rosalie. I surely hope I get to tell her about this._

This was it. I said a silent prayer to God and Saint Michael to help me; I gathered up every last ounce of courage and strength and aimed for the Ranger's head. The first kick would be the most important because I wasn't sure I'd get another. I let fly then with a powerful well-aimed kick, making immediate contact with the side of the Ranger's head.

He let out a strangled curse as my kick caught him by complete surprise. I kicked the side of his head a second time. I kicked it so hard that his head made contact with the side window. "Aah" He shouted as the blood gushed from where my boot heel had torn into his face.

I didn't let up. I kicked and kicked as he tried to grab my legs to make me stop. I knew I was doing some damage when he started to throw wild punches with his right arm, and the car veered off the road straight into the trees.

Everything happened very quickly after that.

His arm was flailing wildly as my boots continued to make contact with his head, his shoulder and his side. One of his punches caught me in the shoulder, then the leg, and another in the side of my chest. It didn't slow me down; I was working on pure adrenaline.

The car barreled through the underbrush. The Ranger suddenly turned his attention forward as he grabbed the wheel with both hands before turning it violently. I kept up my assault as best I could, until the spinning motion of the car sent me hurtling to the floor. I tried to curl into a fetal position to protect myself for what I feared was coming next.

I heard the strangled cry of the Ranger as the driver's side of the car made contact with something. The car lurched violently from side to side. I was thrown into the side door, bumping the cut on my scalp and causing me to cry out in pain. The sounds of shattering glass and metal groaning under protest were the last things I heard before passing out a second time.

_-V &V—_

When I came to, I lay very still trying to gauge exactly what had happened. It was still dark, and I was still on the floor of the car. If possible, my head hurt more than the last time I woke up. I reached up with my still-cuffed hands and felt the blood that was trickling down my forehead.

I fought the wave of dizziness and nausea that threatened.

All around me was deathly quiet as I held my breath to listen. Very carefully, knowing that my life depended on what I did next, I slowly pulled my legs from under the spot where the driver's seat had been bent back and over them at a strange angle. As I pulled myself up onto the back seat, I noticed that there were no dashboard lights to help me see. I turned my body to face the driver's seat. I could make out the outline of the Ranger as he lay there.

I hoped he was dead, but at the very least I knew he was unconscious. I stared, trying to make out as much as possible in the dark. From what I could see, the entire driver's side door had been twisted and mangled, and was now inside the car. I couldn't make out where the door ended and the Ranger began. The steering column had also been bent at an odd angle, essentially trapping his legs. It was an older model car, and since no airbags had deployed I guessed that it either didn't have them or they malfunctioned.

_Thank you God_

I sat back, trying to breathe normally for a moment. Every part of my body hurt. I knew that I must be covered in bruises from head to foot, but I was pretty sure that nothing was broken.

I desperately needed to get as far away from the Ranger as possible, but I forced myself to take a moment, and think rationally. My rash decisions of yesterday had led to disaster, so for once I was going to think before I acted.

I looked out my broken window. We were in the woods, that much I knew, but where? There was no way to be certain how far we'd traveled since he'd abducted me. If we were in the forest, it could be days before anyone would find me.

I took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in my side. I didn't have a cell phone, my head was still bleeding slightly, and my hands were cuffed. I wasn't going anywhere in this condition.

I watched the Ranger carefully realizing that he was my best hope for getting out of these handcuffs.

_He has to have the key._

Sucking up what little courage I had left, I slowly leaned forward. I could see the keys dangling from the ignition on the steering column. They were hanging down against the Ranger's now trapped legs. I reached toward them with my cuffed and trembling hands. Just as I pulled the keys from the ignition, I yelped in fright as the Ranger's hand suddenly grabbed my forearm, holding it in a death grip.

"You little bitch." He gasped. I could tell he was in pain and struggling to breathe. "I'm going to" –gasp- "fucking kill you." –gasp- "You fucking ruined me" -gasp- "And Geri."

_Geri Chance?_

I gathered my strength and pushed hard against him with my shoulder, pressing his body against where the crumpled door had him trapped. His grip eased enough for me to pull my arm away as he moaned in pain.

I ignored his muttered curses as I searched the key ring. Being the daughter of a cop, I was familiar with what to look for and within a minute my hands were finally free.

I collapsed back against the seat, trying to calm my racing heart and breathe normally again. The Ranger had grown quiet. I could only guess that he had passed out from the pain.

With my hands free, I was a lot better off than before, and I was certain he had to have a cell phone somewhere in this vehicle.

_I just hope it wasn't damaged._

After taking another deep breath and realizing that I was becoming used to the pain, I leaned forward and looked around on the front seat. I was terrified that the Ranger would wake up again, but my desire to get back to Edward and my family controlled my actions at that point. I couldn't see a cell phone anywhere, but I felt around on the seat just to make sure.

Nothing.

I sat back again. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. My adrenaline was definitely wearing off.

My choices were either to start walking in hopes of finding another human being before a bear or a cougar found me, or to search the Ranger's pockets for a cell phone. The latter seemed the safest choice since the Ranger's injuries were probably severe enough to keep him from extricating himself from the twisted metal without help.

I gingerly lifted his arm, searching for his jacket pocket underneath. When I found it I slipped my hand inside and thanked God, my Mother, and every Saint in heaven when I felt the hard plastic of a cell phone inside. Just as my fingers wrapped around it, pulling it clear of the pocket, the Ranger gurgled causing me to scream in fright and send the phone flying from my hand.

I looked at him closely, only to realize that his eyes were still closed. After cursing myself for dropping the phone I felt around on the floor near my feet. When my hands wrapped around it again, I was determined not to let go.

_Please let it work._

My heart was thumping out of my chest again and I had to calm my shaking hands in order to press the power button. Tears of relief sprang to my eyes as the phone came to life in my hands. I drew in a shaky breath and pressed 9-1-1.

It was only then that I noticed there was no signal. Not one bar.

_Of course, I'm probably in the middle of fucking nowhere._

The Ranger moved again, making me jump, but I held onto the phone this time. I sat in the seat debating what to do next. I was battling against the fact that it was still dark. I was injured, nothing broken, but I was bleeding. I needed to get to a place where the cell phone could be traced.

It may have been a rash decision, but I decided that I needed to move. I wasn't willing to wait until I'd lost any more blood, or the Ranger regained consciousness and made another grab for me. I had to move now.

I discovered that my door was damaged, but with a little effort I was able to push it open. After placing my shaky feet on the ground outside the car, I had to hold onto that door for a full minute to steady myself.

I was so dizzy, or maybe woozy was a better word for it, that I sat on the ground next to the car for a few minutes to pull myself together.

The blood was still trickling from the gash in my head, so I took off my hoodie in order to tear the shirt underneath and make a bandage. I then replaced the hoodie because it was fucking freezing out there.

There was no path or sign of a road anywhere near me, so I just chose a direction and began to walk in what I guessed to be a straight line. The next couple of hours were the most terrifying of my life with the exception of the day my mother died.

My head wouldn't stop bleeding. It was just a slow trickle, but I knew I needed stitches. My face hurt, I could tell my lip was swollen, and I was afraid to see when I looked like after the Ranger had smacked me around. My sides and chest hurt so much that breathing was painful; therefore my progress was very slow. I was also extremely tired by this point, but wouldn't stop moving for fear that I'd be discovered and attacked by a wild animal.

_Maybe a moving target is a little more difficult to catch_

Every time my fatigue threatened to take over, I forced myself to think of Edward and the hell he was probably going through at that moment. The thought enabled me to push through my exhaustion and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

_For him_

By the time the grey light of dawn began to creep into the forest, I was bent so far over with pain and fatigue that I was practically crawling. I could tell that the ground had been rising slightly for about the last hour, and when I suddenly stumbled out of the trees and found myself in a clearing, I checked the phone again.

There was a signal. A very weak signal, but a signal nonetheless. I moved further into the clearing, and my breath caught in my throat when the signal increased to two bars. I collapsed to the ground. There was no way that I would be able to move another inch. This was it. They would either come find me here, or I would be lost to the elements. I lay down on my side on the wet cold grass, and dialed 9-1-1.

"911, what is your emergency?" Sounded the voice of the operator over the line.

I cleared my throat. "My name is Isabella Swan" I said in a weak voice.

"Yes Miss Swan, can you tell me the nature of your emergency?"

"I was abducted from my car outside of Sequim. I escaped and I'm somewhere in the forest but I don't know exactly where." I added as tears filled my eyes.

"Isabella, I'm placing a trace on your cell phone. Are you injured in any way?"

"My head is bleeding. I feel really light headed." I was crying softly as I spoke. "I hurt all over."

"Please try to stay with me Isabella, we will have someone there to help you as soon as possible." Her voice was beginning to sound far away.

"Please hurry." I choked out. "I'm all alone. I'm frightened."

The operator kept asking me questions. After a while, the need to rest my eyes overtook me. "I need to close my eyes. I'm so tired." I managed to force out.

"Isabella, please try to stay awake. We know where you are now and emergency personnel are on their way.…."

The operator's voice was the last thing I heard before slipping into unconsciousness once again.

_-V &V-_

***Officer Sarah Burton POV***

As soon as I heard that Charlie Swan's daughter had been abducted, I immediately joined the search. Her car had been found abandoned and damaged on the side of the road outside of Sequim, her cell phone lying on the front seat.

We had no damn idea who this perpetrator was, and if we didn't find a witness or a clue we'd have to wait for DNA evidence gathered from Isabella's car to hopefully point us in the right direction.

As a police officer I knew that if we wanted to find Bella alive, we didn't have time to wait for that. We needed a break.

Search parties set out in every direction from the abandoned car. We searched all night, worried that we were probably missing clues in the dark. Sometime before dawn, we got the break we needed.

A wrecked car had been found in the forest. It was wrapped around a tree, with the driver trapped inside, still alive. I knew that Chief Swan was with one of the teams searching near Sequim. I sent a message letting him know about the wrecked car so that he could meet us there.

When I arrived at the accident scene, the officers who had arrived first advised me that the driver kept slipping in and out of consciousness. During one of his lucid moments, they had been able to determine that he'd kidnapped Bella and that she'd beaten the hell out of him before escaping. When I went to take a look at the guy, I couldn't believe my eyes. That son of a bitch ranger had been the one to abduct Bella. The same one that had assaulted her all those months ago. I wanted to rip his head off, but he looked to be in pretty bad shape already. It would be surprising if he survived this.

The EMTs had to sedate him, so I couldn't get any more information out of him. I walked the couple hundred yards back to the ambulance and waited while the workers tried to extract him from the vehicle.

Sometime later one of the EMTs came back alone to retrieve a black bag from the ambulance. I looked at him questioningly. He shook his head before beginning to speak. "He had a lot of internal injuries. Seems that the crushed door was the only thing keeping him alive. He bled out as soon as it was pulled away." He reported in a serious tone, before walking back toward the wreckage.

I hoped that Bella was okay. The alternative would kill her father.

_Poor Charlie_

We all knew the stories of what had happened to his ex-wife, and we all witnessed firsthand how hard that had been on him. It seemed exceptionally cruel and unfair that he would have to go through this too.

At that exact moment a call came over the radio that Bella had been located. I sat in my squad car and radioed back, asking for details. The information I received made me hopeful that she would be okay. As I stepped out of my car again, Chief Swan pulled up in his truck. I stepped around my car to greet him, but froze in my tracks when I saw the expression on his face. He wasn't looking at me; he was looking past me with the face of a man who was dying a thousand deaths. I turned to see what had gripped his attention, only to find the EMTs wheeling the gurney carrying the body bag to the ambulance. Charlie took two steps on shaky legs before collapsing onto his knees.

I ran to him and put my hands firmly on his shoulders. "No Charlie. Listen to me, that's not Bella."

"What?" He whispered, his tortured eyes still fixed on the body bag.

"Charlie, that's not her." I spoke urgently. "She got away, they've located her, the emergency crews are on their way to her now."

He still sat there seemingly in shock as he tried to absorb what I was telling him. "She's alive?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes Charlie. She's alive."

He closed his eyes before taking a deep breath and swallowing hard. "Who?" He asked weakly as he opened his eyes and shot a look at the ambulance.

"That's the son of a bitch who kidnapped her. Ranger Kershner. He's the one who took her Charlie."

Charlie was still kneeling on the ground. He dropped his head and covered his face with his shaking hands before sitting back on his heels. I gently patted his back, comforting as best I could while his entire body shook with the force of his sobs.

_-V &V—_

***Back to Bella's POV***

In my dreams, my mind was revisiting every happy moment I'd spent with Edward, every murmured  _'I love you'_ , every soft caress.

_"Ever since I saw you yesterday, you've been on my mind constantly. That's never happened to me before."_

_"I don't know if I can stay away from you anymore."_

_"You fascinate me Bella. I didn't know that I could be this attracted to anyone. Tell me you feel it too."_

_"Beautiful Bella, I can't face a single tomorrow without you. I love you."_

" _I already miss you. Take care of my heart, I've left it with you."_

_"I was so afraid I'd lost you."_

_"I'm looking forward to the day that we won't have to be apart any more Bella."_

_"Bella, you are the most pleasant form of torture I could think of. Don't feel bad baby. Remember, I've waited a lot of years for you, without even knowing why I waited. I can be patient."_

_"Bella, from the moment we met, I was drawn to you. You jolted my dead heart to life that day, and now it beats only for you my love. Each day since, I feel more alive than the day before."_

_"Isabella, please make me the happiest man on earth. Say you'll marry me."_

_"I love you too Bella, and I can't wait to marry you."_

_"I love you so much Bella"_

"… _to know you were carrying our child, something we made together out of love. The thought overwhelms me."_

Edward's voice faded away as I began to hear other voices around me. I could hear them, but I couldn't respond.

There was a pinch in my arm, and the feeling of being lifted and moved.

My body started to warm up and the constant pain began to fade away before I slipped into a deeper sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song rec: Metric 'Help I'm Alive'


	62. Badass Bella & Commencement Exercises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *During the entire first section of this chapter, Bella is actually in the hospital but she's in a semi-conscious state and is remembering being in the forest..I didn't want to confuse anyone.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

If I didn't keep moving, I was afraid he would find me, but the faster I tried to walk, the more my head throbbed and my body ached. In some places the ground was so slick from the rain that I easily lost my footing, falling often.

"Miss Swan" An unfamiliar voice called to me. "Miss Swan, I need you to try and open your eyes, can you do that for me?"

The strange voice took me by surprise. Was someone looking for me here in the forest? I tried to do what the voice asked, but opening my eyes was difficult.

When I was finally able to manage it, the forest around me disappeared and I was met by a glaring light overhead, instantly causing my head to throb painfully. I recognized the familiar surroundings of a hospital emergency room.

_How did I get here?_

At that point I wasn't sure which was the dream; the forest, or the ER.

"She's waking up, page Dr. Cullen." I heard a voice say.

_Dr. Cullen? Edward's Dad is here?_

"Miss Swan, can you tell me what happened to you?" A young doctor with a kind face asked.

_At least I thought he was a doctor._

"The Ranger kidnapped me." I croaked out. My mouth was dry and my words were slurred.

_The Ranger_

A sudden panic gripped me as I thought about him. "You have to tell the police. They have to catch him before he gets away."

"Calm down Miss Swan, you're safe now." He soothed.

"Where is Edward?" I managed to ask as my eyes blurred again. "I want Edward."

"She's losing consciousness; let's take her up for the CT." Was the last thing I heard before drifting off.

I was lying on the ground in the clearing, waiting for the police to find me, the cell phone beside me on the grass. It seemed to be taking forever. While lying there, it began to rain again. After a while, I was getting soaked, but I knew I couldn't move to the protection of the forest because they might never find me there.

_Edward must be frantic_

"I love you Edward." I mumbled.

"Dr. Cullen, she's trying to speak." An unfamiliar voice sounded somewhere to my right.

"Bella, if you can hear me, you're in the hospital and you're safe." It was Carlisle's voice I heard then. "We're going to give you a mild sedative now. You're probably going to sleep for a while."

But where was Edward? Where was my Dad and the rest of my family?"

_-V &V-_

It was so dark and strange here. What an awful place. I tried to move my arms, but couldn't seem to lift them.

_Am I dead?_

_Maybe I'm not dead, maybe I've been buried alive._

There were muffled voices all around me, and then I heard Emmett's voice very close to my ear.

"I know you need to rest, but I have to tell you how proud I am of you baby sister, you're every bit as brave as Mom." I heard him draw a breath. "I was so afraid that we'd lost you." His voice cracked. "I love you Bells, and I'll be here when you wake up." His voice faded away then.

I really tried to wake up…but every time I tried, I seemed to be pulled into deeper water. All around me I could hear the whispered words of love from my family.

_Is this real or am I dreaming?_

I had a fear that I was still lying in that field waiting to be rescued.

"You are an amazing woman." Rose whispered. "Get some rest and we'll talk when you wake up Badass Bella." I could hear the smile in her voice.

_Badass Bella? What?_

"I love you Bells." She said then through a strangled sob.

"Sweetheart, we're all here and we love you. Come back to us soon."

_Esme?_

"We love you Bella." More whispers.

_Alice? Jasper? Chris? My Dad?_

"I love you sweetheart. Rest."

_Edward._

As soon as I heard his voice, I didn't fight sleep any longer. I let it take me.

_-V &V-_

I didn't like this dream. I was cold. My jeans and hoodie were soaked through from the rain. I searched and searched, but I couldn't find my way out of the forest. As soon as I thought about giving up and returning the way I came, I stumbled into a clearing. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining on the vast array of wildflowers in bloom. The thought struck me that my mother would have loved this spot.

Suddenly, at the far side of the open space, I could see a woman standing there watching me. I began to walk toward her, almost as if I were being drawn. As I got closer, my breath caught in my throat as I recognized my mother's familiar smile.

My pace increased until I was running toward her, something about the whole scene was familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. She smiled as she stood and held out her arms. I ran to her, throwing my arms around her neck and holding on for dear life.

She pulled away slightly and placed her hands on either side of my face as she angled it up to look at her. "Ah Bella. I don't think I've ever been prouder of you."

_Proud?_

I nodded. "I'm graduating on Saturday."

She smiled. "Yes, that's quite an accomplishment." She smiled. "You have so much to look forward to Bella. Your whole life lies before you, an unpainted canvas."

I smiled as I thought about my future with Edward. As much as I didn't want to leave my Mother, I needed Edward. It seemed as if I'd been away from him for so long, almost a lifetime. "I need to get back to Edward."

She smiled. "He's waiting for you. They all are." She leaned down and whispered in my ear then. "Open your eyes Bella."

Slowly but surely I started to shake off the stupor I'd been in for what felt like days. As I regained consciousness, I became aware of the dull aching pain in almost every area of my body. I blinked open my eyes, only to see the man I loved standing over me. He was what I had missed for so long, and we were finally together again. His beautiful smile pierced my heart with its intensity.

I smiled weakly. "I knew I'd make it back to you." I said in a hoarse whisper through my parched throat.

"Oh Bella." Edward said as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "I'm never going to be able to leave you again." He choked out. "It's just not possible." He said as he leaned down and carefully kissed my right cheek.

Everything I'd put him through was written on his face. "I'm sorry." I whispered. "I'm so so sorry." I repeated as the tears welled up in my eyes.

"Sweetheart, please don't cry." Edward soothed.

"Bells, the most important thing is that you're back and you're safe." I turned to see my Dad standing on my right side, Rose and Emmett standing with him.

"Dad" I whispered.

_He must have been so worried._

"I can't believe I was so stupid. I should have called someone." I choked out.

"Bells, you thought Pops was sick, I would have done the same thing." Emmett added.

I must have looked unconvinced.

Charlie spoke up again then, "Bells, you should be able to drive to Forks without fear of some bastard abducting you. The ranger is to blame here, not you."

I nodded, too sore and thirsty to worry about the mistakes I'd made. I'd have time to berate myself for them later.

I returned my gaze to Edward.

_Was I really here?_

"Are you real?" I asked quietly.

He smiled again. "I've been asking myself that same question for hours."

We were quiet for a minute, our gazes locked on each other.

I heard my Dad clear his throat. "Come on Emmett and Rose, let's go check out that cafeteria."

"Pops, Bells just woke up I want to…umph." Without looking, my guess was that Rose had elbowed Emmett in the stomach.

"We'll be back in a little while." She said as they left.

I couldn't take my eyes off of Edward's face. I found myself committing to memory everything about him.

He cupped my right cheek with his hand. "Oh Bella, I didn't think I'd ever see you again." He said sorrowfully.

I pulled him down and he very gingerly wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face in his neck while I concentrated on breathing for a moment.

_God how I'd missed him._

"I love you so much." I whispered.

"As I love you." He answered.

When we finally pulled back to look at each other, I could see the dark circles under his eyes. I traced them with my finger as I spoke. "You look tired."

Edward pressed his hand over mine, trapping it against his cheek.

"How do you feel?" He asked with a worried expression.

_Like someone used me as a punching bag._

"Thirsty" I answered honestly.

Within seconds he was pouring me a glass of water. I winced as I pursed my lips around the straw. After I drank, I lightly ran my fingertips over my lips. I could feel the swelling.

I lost track of the time. Before I knew it, Charlie, Emmett and Rose returned. I was grateful that they brought food back with them. "Have you eaten anything today?" I asked Edward.

He looked at me as if I'd asked a very silly question. Once I thought about food, I realized that I was ravenous.

It hurt to chew. I reached up with my hand and realized that the entire left side of my face was sore to the touch. "Do I even want to see myself in the mirror right now?" I asked.

Everyone except Rose averted their eyes; she was the only one who held my gaze. "Probably not Bells." She smirked.

Edward's head snapped up then. "You're beautiful Bella." He said softly as he leaned over to kiss my head.

"You should be proud of your injuries, especially since I hear you gave a lot worse than you got." Rose interjected.

"Oh yeah" I said as I remembered kicking the ranger with Rose's boots. "Your boots came in handy."

She smiled then.

"Did they find the ranger?" I asked. "Please tell me he didn't escape."

Everyone glanced around nervously before looking at my Dad. I supposed they were expecting him to answer the question. At that moment, the door opened and Edward's parents entered along with Alice, Jasper and Chris.

As soon as they saw me awake, the noise level in the room grew exponentially as everyone insisted on hovering and kissing either my forehead or my right cheek.

About a minute after that, I saw Sidney slip quietly into the room.

"We ended up going out to eat, and then went shopping afterwards." Alice announced with a grin. "In this bag is everything you could possibly need for your hospital stay." She said as she held up an overnight bag.

"Alice, I'm only staying one night." I answered with a smile. I'd really missed her.

"I'm aware of that. Trust me, you'll thank me later." She grinned.

Carlisle transformed into doctor mode then, "How's your head Bella?" He asked.

"It hurts a little, but I think my ribs hurt the most. It hurts to breathe." I admitted.

He nodded as Edward ran his fingertips up and down my arm soothingly.

"Luckily, your ribs aren't fractured; you've just got some bruising."

"Tell me about it. I feel like one big bruise." I muttered.

No one laughed.

"All you need is some time, and you'll be as good as new." Carlisle assured.

Sidney approached my bed. "Miss Swan" He said, businesslike as usual, but then I saw his shoulders relax and a relieved smile cross his face. "I'm glad to hear you're alright Bella."

"Thank you Sidney." I tried to smile, but it hurt. "Tell me, have you heard anything from Lou?"

"Yes, he wanted to tell you how sorry he is. He feels responsible for leaving you alone." Sidney answered.

"Oh, please tell him not to feel that way. I don't hold him responsible for anything. How's his Mother?" I asked, remembering his reason for leaving.

"Apparently she's improving. The stroke wasn't debilitating as they first feared, but the fall she took as a result was the real problem. She lives alone, and Lou's brother found her unconscious. It was frightening, but nothing's broken, so that was a relief." He answered.

I turned to Edward. "Edward, I want you to call Lou. Please tell him that none of this was his fault."

"Only if you take your own advice and stop feeling guilty." He answered with a grin.

I sighed and gave him a painful smile. "I'll try."

For most of the afternoon, my loved ones stayed close. Soon after I'd eaten, the first of many flower arrangements began to arrive. Rose got a huge kick out of reading the cards.

"You got arrangements from  _both_ Leno and Letterman." She announced with a laugh. "Ooh, and this one's from Johnny Depp."

"Hal?" She said as she read one card.

"The director of  _The Harvest of Avarice._ " Edward answered.

By the end of the day there were so many arrangements that we were sending most of them off to the local nursing home.

"What the fuck?" I heard Rose exclaim as she watched a very large vase of yellow carnations being carried into my room.

At the sight of them, my heart fell, and my mind began to spin in confusion.

_I assumed that the Ranger had sent me the flowers_

Rose grabbed the card and read it. "Idiots" I heard her mutter. "We'll be back soon Bells." She told me before she had Emmett grab the arrangement and follow her out. After a couple of minutes, Dad left the room too.

By the time Rose returned a few minutes later, with Emmett and Dad in tow, I was on the verge of a full blown panic attack. Edward tried to console me as best he could, but the truth was he was as confused as me.

Rose took one look at my face and rushed over to the bed. "Oh Bells, I'm so sorry. The flower arrangement was sent from WIRI." She muttered in disgust. "That dim bulb Jessica remembered you receiving the yellow carnations and assumed you liked them. Guess who was in charge of ordering your 'Get Well' arrangement today?"

I sighed in relief. "Oh Rose, you have no idea how relieved I am to hear that."

After I thought about Jessica's ignorance, I actually chuckled.

"You know Bella, this is nothing compared to what's going on outside." Emmett announced as he gestured toward all the flowers.

I gave him a confused look. "I swear that every one of Edward's Seattle fans have left flowers and notes outside for you both. Originally they were leaving them at the front desk, until they got in the way. So now one of the benches outside has become the official spot for the public to deposit their gifts."

I was surprised, to say the least, and very touched. It seemed that the affection Edward's fans had for him also extended to me.

When I couldn't fight the urge to use the rest room any more, Esme decided to protect my modesty, and send all the men out of the room. I didn't know why she bothered; the hospital gown I was wearing covered everything almost to my knees, and didn't gape in the back. But I appreciated her motherly gesture.

Edward refused to leave, and I refused to let him. Esme didn't press the issue.

When I peeled back the covers, I got a look at the bruises on my legs. They weren't that bad. I looked up to see Rose, Alice, Edward and Esme watching me sadly. "It's okay. Rose remembers when I had worse."

Rose closed her eyes, letting out a breath as she nodded.

"Bella" Alice stopped me "Before you go in there, we wanted to prepare you."

"Huh?" I asked, not following.

She worried her lip. "Here" She said as she handed me her compact mirror.

I studied my reflection before handing the mirror back to her. "Actually, judging by the way I feel, I kind of expected worse." I told Alice.

As easy as it would have been to feel sorry for myself and try to hide my face, the truth was that I was so happy to have made it back to Edward alive that a little bruising and a cut lip were a small price to pay.

I knew I wouldn't be that brave when facing the paps and the public the next day, but for the moment, I knew I could handle it.

It was almost evening when another visitor arrived. "Where's the patient?" Father Pat boomed as he came through the door. He walked over and squeezed my hand, "How are you Isabella?" He said in a concerned tone as he took in my injuries.

"I'm okay." I said in answer.

For the next little while, Father Pat kept us entertained with the latest goings-on in the parish. After that, most of our family left to get some rest, kissing me goodbye and promising to be back in the morning.

That left Dad, Father Pat and Edward to keep me company. The room got very quiet as we sat there, and I sensed that something was up. I looked at my Dad first. "Now that there's just us here, can you tell me what's going on?" I asked.

Dad looked at Father. "I'm glad you came up Father, I may need a little moral support." Charlie said before looking back at me.

He cleared his throat. "Bells, I have something to tell you."

I tensed.

_What the hell could be wrong now?_

My mind raced with the possibilities.

"The ranger is dead Bella. He died as a result of injuries he sustained in the crash." Dad studied my face as he said each word.

I felt Edward squeeze my hand, and I turned to find him looking at me sadly.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The ranger was dead.

He was dead because of me.

I didn't know how much I was expected to take in one day, but I realized at that moment that I'd finally reached my limit. The room began to spin as the enormity of what I'd done hit me full force.

"I .. I … oh no." I whispered as I pulled my hand back from Edward's, and placed it over my mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick." I announced. Edward helped me from the bed as I ran to the bathroom. After I threw up in the toilet, I realized that Edward had followed me in there and was rubbing my back as I retched.

"Oh gross" I said. "I'm sorry." I looked up at him with pleading eyes, embarrassed.

"Bella" He looked at me sadly and sighed "would you please stop apologizing."

I brushed my teeth in a daze, not able to grasp that I'd been responsible for another person's death. After splashing some cold water on my face, I walked numbly back to bed and climbed in.

My Dad and Father Pat looked at me sympathetically.

I covered my face with my shaking hands, not able to face them. "I know he was evil, and part of me is glad he's gone, but I didn't want it to be by my hands." I said as I began to cry softly. "I took someone's life. I'm a murderer..." I whispered, feeling sick again.

Edward tried to take my hand again, but I kept both of them over my face. "I can't. I can't." I chanted through my tears.

"Edward, why don't you take Father Pat down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee?" I heard my Dad suggest. "I need to speak with Bella for a few minutes."

I felt Edward kiss the top of my head, being careful to avoid the bandaged area, before leaving the room silently with Father Pat.

"Bells come on." Charlie urged as he tugged on my hand.

I finally relented and dropped my hands to my sides, keeping my eyes fixed on the wall across from my bed.

"First of all, you're not a murderer. You didn't kill anyone on purpose, it was an accident. Even if it had been on purpose, it was self-defense, and no jury would convict you for that."

"I don't care about a jury Dad. I'm responsible for taking a human life. That's something I can't fix, I can't take it back." I whimpered out, my head was throbbing again.

Just then a nurse came hurrying into the room. "What is going on in here?" She demanded before glaring at my Dad. "Sir, if you're upsetting her, I'll have to ask you to leave."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up as he looked at her innocently.

"It's my fault" I said quietly. "I promise to calm down. Please, don't send my Dad away."

She nodded once before narrowing her eyes at Charlie and leaving the room. Dad sighed. "We only told you about this because it's all over the news Bells, and we didn't want you to find out that way. Also, the police need to get your statement. We've put them off as long as possible, but I know they're going to corner you tomorrow before you leave the hospital."

I didn't care. I felt, I really didn't know how I felt. I was weighed down with a tremendous amount of guilt for causing another person's death, but at the same time I was happy he was never able to hurt me or anyone else again.

Dad cleared his throat and rubbed his face with his hands. "Bells, did Emmett ever tell you that I shot someone?"

My mouth fell open in shock.

"I guess not. I really should give that boy a little more credit." He said with a hint of a smile. "Being a cop in Forks isn't the most exciting job in the world, and I like it that way Bells. If I craved the action that big city cops see on a day to day basis, I'd work in Seattle or Portland." He took a deep breath. "But every once in a while we get a taste of what we've been missing. About a year before your Mom died, I was sent to investigate a domestic disturbance. Some young guy, high as a kite, was waving a gun around threatening to kill his pregnant girlfriend and himself." Charlie swallowed hard. "By the time the police were called, he'd already shot the girl's mother" He looked up at me then. "Luckily she survived."

Dad stood up and began to pace. "It all happened so quickly. One minute he was yelling at his girlfriend, and the next he was holding her by the throat against the wall pressing the gun to her head. When he cocked the trigger, I was the only one with a clear shot, and I took it." He dropped down into the chair then.

"I've carried that guilt around with me for years. I still have nightmares about it."

_My poor father. I had no idea._

"But Dad, you saved the girl and her baby that night. You shouldn't feel guilty." I urged. I gasped when I realized how that night might have ended, "He could have turned the gun on you." I cringed at the thought.

_I could have lost my Dad that night._

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "And you saved my little girl. You shouldn't feel guilty either Bells."

Subtlety was never Charlie's strong suit. "I get the point Chief." I answered, my lips set in a grim line.

"Bells" He took my hand in his. "I was down near the crash site you know."

My eyes widened in surprise.

"When I saw the body bag, at first I was terrified that it was you." His face paled as he admitted this. "I can't tell you how happy I was when I was informed that it was the ranger. Bells if anything happened to you or Emmett it would be the end of me."

I tried to swallow down the lump that was forming in my throat.

"A man is not supposed to outlive his children." Charlie's voice broke as he said this. "Of course I wouldn't commit suicide or anything like that, but I know myself Bella. I would shut down. I would just stop living. You guys are the only thing that kept me going after your Mom's death. I can't lose either of you, or Rose for that matter."

I reached for him then, even though I hurt, I needed a hug from my Dad.

He wrapped his arms gently around me and sighed. "I can't promise not to feel guilty Dad, but I promise not to wallow." I whispered in his ear just as Edward and Father Pat reappeared through the doorway.

"Should we come back later?" Edward asked with a worried expression.

"No" I said as I tried to smile. "I would say you have perfect timing."

Father Pat left a little while after that, but promised to return the next day. "I've invited myself to stay at the Archbishop's house tonight. It'll be quite a change from my little rectory in Forks." He said with a grin before giving me a careful hug goodbye.

Dad was staying overnight in my apartment. He looked exhausted, and it didn't take long for me to convince him to go and get some rest.

Edward and I were finally alone.

As much as I loved our family, I needed this. We needed to reconnect.

I got carefully out of the bed then, headed for the bathroom. I was in desperate need of a shower. "Need any help?" Edward said with a smile as he wiggled his eyebrows.

I started to laugh, causing my side to hurt. Edward noticed me flinch.

"I'm sorry sweetheart." He said as he moved to my side.

"It's okay, just don't make me laugh." I said with a smile. "And Edward, thank you for flirting with me. I appreciate the gesture."

He narrowed his eyes then. "What do you mean Bella?"

"It's just that I know how awful I look, it's nice of you to pretend that I'm attractive right now." I answered.

Edward looked insulted. "Bella are you accusing me of being insincere?"

"No..I…"

"Sweetheart, I never say anything I don't mean." He answered in a serious tone. "Bruised or not, you are still the most beautiful woman I've ever known. Inside and out." He said as his finger traced my swollen lip. "I love you so much Bella, I will always want you. Unfortunately, I think I'd find you sexy even if you were in traction." He chuckled.

I giggled at his admission. "Perv"

"Guilty" He said with a grin.

I took my shower without assistance. It was shocking to see the bruises all over my body. I just kept reminding myself that they would heal. Afterwards, I put on a clean hospital gown and underwear, courtesy of the overnight bag Alice brought, and brushed my teeth again. I climbed into the bed and waited while Edward took his shower.

I was tired, and feeling a bit cranky because I'd have rather been home in my own bed. That all changed as soon as Edward exited the bathroom, fresh from his shower, and dressed in blue hospital scrubs courtesy of Daddy C.

My jaw dropped at the sight before me. He quirked an eyebrow and smirked at my expression.

"Well hello Doctor." I crooned.

"Ah yes, Miss Swan" He answered as he took my hand. "I must confess that I'm not a real doctor, although I have played one in the movies." He gave me his Hollywood smile then.

"When?" I asked.

"Okay, you got me. I haven't actually ever played a doctor. But I'd be willing to  _play doctor_  with you." He answered with a cheeky grin.

I tried to hold back the laughter because it fucking hurt, but it was impossible.

"I'm sorry sweetheart." Edward said quietly after I winced. "I can't seem to help myself. I'm so happy to have you back." He kissed me sweetly then. "I'll just be over here where I can't cause you any more pain." He announced before moving to the sofa.

"Get your ass back over here." I snarked at him. "If I have to stay in this damn hospital overnight, I can at least have you with me."

"Bella.." He began to argue.

"Edward, I spent hours thinking I may never see you again. I need you here." I said as I patted the space next to me on the bed. I fought the urge to cry.

_My emotions are all over the place tonight_

His face fell at my words. "I know sweetheart." He came closer and climbed carefully beside me. I lay down on my side, letting him snuggle up against my back. "Better?" He whispered.

I nodded.

"I'm very lucky." I said quietly after a while. "He admitted he was going to kill me." I said into the darkness. Edward pulled me closer then.

" _I'm going to make your last days a hell on earth"_ The Ranger's voice came back to me clearly.  _"First, I'm going to fuck you until you can't take any more. Then I'm going to break every bone in your body. There will be nothing left of you to bury by the time they find you."_

I shuddered at the memory. "Are you cold?" Edward asked. I shook my head. As his hand gently rubbed my arm, I let the tears fall.

After a moment he whispered, "Are you okay sweetheart?"

"I was so afraid Edward."

He wrapped his arm around me then. "Me too Bella." He admitted.

I drew in a shuddering breath.

"I hate him so much." I said through my tears. "I hate him for what he did to me, for what he was going to do to me, for trying to take me away from you." I sniffled. "I hate him for making me do something that will bother me for the rest of my life."

Edward held me tighter.

"I'm not that person. I'm not violent, and I hate that he forced me to do that."

"That's just it sweetheart, he caused all of this. It wasn't you. It was never you. I love you so much Bella, we'll get through this together."

He sighed. "I hate him too. I hate what he did to you. I hate that even though he's dead; he still has this power over you."

I sighed then, finally relaxing in his arms. "Thank you Edward."

"For what sweetheart?"

"For loving me." I breathed.

He chuckled. "Oh my beautiful girl, can't you see that I never had a choice in the matter?" He leaned over and kissed me gently on my cheek. "Sleep."

We lay there quietly for a long time; eventually I drifted to sleep, while Edward sang softly in my ear.

_I need your grace  
to remind me  
to find my own_

_If I lay here_   
_If I just lay here_   
_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_All that I am_   
_All that I ever was_   
_Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see_

_I don't know where_   
_Confused about how as well_   
_Just know that these things will never change for us at all_

_If I lay here_   
_If I just lay here_   
_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_-V &V—_

The week had been, for lack of a better word,  _interesting._  It was now Friday evening, and most of the drama was behind us. Before leaving the hospital the day before, I'd been interviewed by the police. Edward and my Dad stayed in the room with me during the interview. Rose had been reluctant for Emmett to be there also, but I thought that it might help him to hear what happened. He was taking things pretty hard, and I knew it was because he'd felt so helpless while on the phone with me.

As I recounted every detail, I made sure not to look at their faces. After I was finished, I took a deep breath in an attempt to shake off the anxiety which was trying to take hold. Once the police officer had gone, Emmett was the first to speak.

"Bells, I don't ever want to hear you say that you're sorry that fucker is dead." He seethed.

I sighed. "I'm not sorry he's dead." I admitted. "I'm just sorry that it's my fault, and I feel guilty for being glad that he'd dead. Does that make any sense?"

Emmett smirked. "You are one of a kind Sissy." He said in response.

Father Pat had given me a pep talk that morning, assuring me that in no way was I a murderer. "Our Lord does not expect us to sit back and allow someone to harm us Isabella. We are encouraged to defend ourselves, and if need be, kill that which is intent on killing us or others." He frowned in concentration. "If it were otherwise, hell would be filled with every soldier who ever fought in a war and every police officer who was ever forced to fire his weapon. I'm glad that God is not as hard on us as we sometimes are on ourselves."

All in all, it had been a draining day, and one I never wanted to repeat for the rest of my life.

True to his word, Edward had stayed with me every minute. The only time we seemed to be apart from one another was when one of us was in the bathroom. I chuckled at the thought as I dressed for bed on Friday night. Since my release from the hospital, I'd reverted back to my winter sleep attire in my attempt to cover my bruises. The smaller ones were already turning yellow and beginning to fade. My lip was almost healed, and the swelling in my face was gone.

Overall, I wasn't as gruesome as I'd been two days before.

Edward was already in bed when I exited the bathroom. He gave me the same sexy smile he always did, even though I looked like I'd gone a round with Mike Tyson. He was leaning against the headboard reading an old copy of  _Atlas Shrugged._

What was it about Edward in my bed, reading, that I found to be so  _hot._

_Not as hot as fake Doctorward in scrubs, but pretty damn hot._

As I took a second look, I decided it was probably a tie.

"Heavy reading for this late in the evening don't you think?" I asked with a smirk.

He grinned. "Yes it is, that's why I wasn't really reading it. I just didn't want you to know that I'd been staring at the door waiting for you to emerge for the past fifteen minutes."

I laughed; it didn't hurt as much anymore, then I snuggled in beside him.

He kissed my lips as he fingered the hem of my shirt. "Too many clothes" He mumbled.

"Too many bruises." I countered.

He kissed my nose. "How about you let me be the judge of that." He said as he started to pull my shirt over my head.

I froze. "Come on Bella, I want to help. Let me see."

Up until then I'd been applying vitamin k cream to my bruises myself. Although some of the marks were difficult to reach, I'd refused his help, not wanting him to see.

"Please" He whispered while looking at me with pleading eyes.

It was impossible to refuse him.

I sat up, closed my eyes, let out a breath and nodded before lifting my arms above my head. Edward pulled my shirt off and tossed it aside. The expression on his face never changed although his eyes blinked several times as he took in the marks on my body. I folded my arms across my chest.

He wordlessly coaxed me to lie down on my stomach then, and proceeded to kiss each bruise gently, before applying the cream. Every now and then I would hear a murmured 'I love you'. Once he was finished with my back and shoulders, I felt his fingers loop into the waistband of my sweats. I lifted my hips in order for him to be able to tug them down past my hips and then off.

I was left lying there in nothing but my boy shorts, but didn't feel self-conscious. When he'd finished, Edward sat there quietly not saying a word. I rolled over to my back so that I could see his face, still covering my chest with my arms as I did.

He leaned down and kissed my lips. "I hate that you're hurting Bella. I wish it could be me instead." He whispered with his lips close to mine.

I ran my fingers through his hair. "I'll be as good as new soon enough." I reassured.

He drew a breath. "If anyone were to ever hurt you again, I don't think I'd be able to stop myself from killing them." He whispered.

I believed him.

"Then I'll have to make sure I stay safe." I whispered back. "I love you Edward."

I let him apply the cream to the bruises on the front of my body then, without hiding behind my arms. He did as before, kissing each bruise before applying the cream. My shoulder. My abdomen. The nasty bruise on my hip that was peeking out over the lace at the waistband of my boy shorts. He cheated a little and turned the waistband down for that. My breath caught in my throat.

His touch was so light that I barely felt it. He murmured 'I love you beautiful girl' so many times between kisses that I lost count.

Edward removed his shirt before climbing under the covers with me, and we drifted off in peaceful slumber together.

_-V &V—_

Even though everyone told me I didn't have to, I'd made the decision to attend my graduation. I did it more for Charlie's sake than anyone else. He deserved this moment of normalcy, and getting to play the part of proud parent, just as he'd done with Emmett.

The family was going to meet us at Husky Stadium. When Edward and I went downstairs to the lobby, imagine my surprise when I found not only Sidney waiting there, but Lou as well.

I ran over and gave him a hug. "How's your mother?"

He smiled. "Much better Bella." He lost his smile then. "Look Bella, I want to apologize…."

"Stop right there" I interrupted. "If I'm not allowed to feel guilty for leaving the apartment alone, you're not allowed to feel guilty for going to be with your sick mother."

He grinned then. "Fair enough."

On the way to the ceremony, Edward explained how he'd gotten the okay for Lou to accompany me to the staging area. "How did you manage that?"

He looked a little guilty. "I explained that the police hadn't determined whether the Ranger had acted alone, and that you needed your bodyguard."

"Edward Cullen you liar." I laughed. The police had, in fact, determined precisely that the day before.

"At the time Alec spoke with them, it was true." He grinned. "Also, I may have made a substantial donation to the university."

I shook my head and smiled at him. "Thank you." Never again would I argue about his need to protect me.

Even though I was still bruised, Alice had done my makeup that morning, using a special concealer to hide the bruises as best she could. They were still there, just a little less noticeable.

Our families, along with Tara and Joanna were waiting outside the stadium for us when we arrived.

"Wow Bella, you look a lot better today." Joanna remarked. She and Tara had been to visit me in the hospital, and seen me at my worst.

"Thanks. I'm getting there." I said with a smile.

I kissed Edward goodbye, before leaving with my friends and Lou in order to line up with the other students.

As we walked to the staging area, I was met by smile after smile from my fellow graduates. Some even stopped to shake my hand. Lou was a bit agitated at first, until it became clear that no one meant me any harm. More than one female student wished me well with tears in their eyes.

What floored me was the fact that every one of these people knew that I had been responsible for the Ranger's death, and yet the looks in their eyes were ones of compassion and in some cases admiration, rather than the disdain I had expected to find there.

This was the first time I'd ventured out in public since being released from the hospital. I knew that my abduction and subsequent escape had been the top news story in Seattle for the past almost four days, and now, looking at the faces of my fellow students; I realized that a lot of them had become personally invested in my recovery.

As they lined us up alphabetically, I had to say goodbye to my friends until after the ceremony. We filed into the stadium and took our seats. Lou made sure to stand in the aisle nearest me, constantly keeping me in his sights. I glanced up to the stands, visually locating the area where I knew my family was seated. Even though I couldn't see them, I waved, hoping they'd see me.

The commencement speaker was William Gates Sr., father of Bill. He gave a thoughtful speech in which I found the last few minutes to be especially meaningful:

*  
 _So, on your graduation day, let me exhort you to join me and your fellow graduates on this special day to become Huskies for life. Let me exhort you to go fishing. Let me exhort you to read a novel. I exhort you to find love. I exhort you to be a learned parent and to wring all the joy you can out of the friends with whom you surround yourself.  
_  
 _My prediction is that 60 years from now, when you sit down to write your Commencement speech, you will look around and you will observe that your world, while still beset with serious problems, has indeed become a better place than it was in 2010. And you will make that observation with a sense of pride in having contributed to that change. This will occur not because I say so, but because you are who you are now – graduates of the University of Washington possessed of all the qualities this fine institution has taught you._

_Good luck and thank you.  
*_

Soon, it was time to receive our diplomas. I had a few butterflies as I thought about making the walk in front of a stadium full of people, but I calmed as I thought about Edward and my family watching me.

The names were being called, and graduate after graduate took to the stage.

' _Alexander Brandon Sullivan'_

' _James Brian Sutton'_

' _Isabella Marie Swan'_

As I made my way up the steps, I was suddenly aware of loud applause and cheers coming from the graduates and from the stands. I could feel my face flame. The cheering and applause continued as I made my trek across the stage, shaking hands and mumbling my thank-yous as I hurriedly tried to get back to my seat.

It wasn't as easy as I'd thought it would be. On the way back down the aisle, graduates leaned out to me from their places in order to shake my hand and offer their congratulations. When I finally reached my seat again, I sat down in stunned amazement.

After I thought about what I'd just experienced, I realized that this had nothing to do with the fact that I was marrying a movie star. These people weren't congratulating the girlfriend of Edward Masen. They were congratulating a girl who had been a victim more than once in her life. A girl who when faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, had made the conscious decision to be a victim no longer. A girl who was determined to make it back to her loved ones, even if she had to die trying.

A girl who in many ways was just like them or their sister or their cousin. Someone they could identify with. Their admiration was very humbling while at the same time I realized that, for the first time since I'd heard of the Ranger's death, I was feeling quite proud of myself for fighting back. It would always bother me that I'd caused someone to lose his life, but that outcome was infinitely better than if I'd never returned to Edward and the others who loved me.

Another surreal moment in the life of Bella Swan. After today, I knew nothing would be exactly the same again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Rec: Snow Patrol 'Chasing Cars'
> 
> The excerpt from the commencement speech is a piece of the real thing.


	63. Reality Shows & Apparitions

 

Edward had reserved a private dining room at a restaurant overlooking the water. As we waited for our food, I sat there soaking in the sheer joy of the moment. It was hard to contain my happiness. I was finally through with school, and was surrounded by the love of my family and friends. My breath hitched with the realization that a few short days ago I had been in serious danger of losing this forever.

The thought made me shudder. Before I could blink, Edward's hand was on mine, grounding me. Calming me. Letting me know that as long as he was alive, I'd never have to face anything on my own again.

I glanced around the rather large gathering in amusement. Alice was chattering on about how much she hated reality shows, most of the members of our group nodding their heads in agreement.

"I call bullshit Alice." Chris informed with a smirk.

"If we polled everyone at this table, I guarantee that we'd get every person to admit to watching at least one reality show regularly including you." Chris continued with a smirk. "I know you too well Mrs. Whitlock." He whispered as he narrowed his eyes.

Alice gave him a dirty look.

In the next ten minutes, I learned that Carlisle, if he could help it, never missed an episode of  _Mythbusters._   _Prison Wives_ was Esme's guilty pleasure.

Rose loved  _Nanny 911._ My brother, no surprise, was a devoted  _Jackass_ fan. Go figure? Dad, Lou and Sidney admitted to being in awe of Bear Grylls in  _Man vs Wild._ Christopher adored  _Celebrity Apprentice_. And yes, Alice had to eat crow after admitting that she and Jasper were probably  _American Idol's_ two biggest fans.

My choice was simple: any show starring Gordon Ramsay.

"Ew, you're on your own watching that one Edward." I said as I wrinkled my nose at his admission to being fascinated with the show  _Dirty Jobs._ He chuckled at my reaction.

It struck me that this was such a normal conversation for a normal family to have, although we certainly didn't define 'normal' family. That was, unless most families could boast a movie star and a professional football player among their ranks.

The relaxed afternoon soon turned into evening as we found ourselves making our way to the Cullen's home where we were treated to celebratory Graduation cake.

Of course, I was also inundated with graduation gifts. Most were in the form of gift certificates, which I appreciated due to the fact that Edward and I would be moving soon, and I didn't need more things to have to pack. The ones that were actual purchased gifts were all things I could use in my new career as 'Marie McCarty, author of children's books'. Charlie gave me a beautiful leather case for my laptop to that end.

After the gifts, we drifted into the dining room for cake and drinks. I was starting to learn that the Cullens were big on celebrating things. Carlisle opened a bottle of champagne and filled our glasses, Rose of course opting for a soft drink.

The Cullens were big on toasts too. I expected Carlisle to be the one to speak, but surprisingly, it was my Dad who cleared his throat then.

"Bells" He said as he tapped his flute glass nervously. "You know I'm not one for public speaking, but I figured we're among friends" He cleared his throat again "family" He corrected with a smile. "I just want you to know how proud I am of you. Not just today, but every day." I felt Edward's thumb brush against the back of my hand, where it was clasping his. "A lot of people wouldn't have been able to overcome the things you have in order to attend school, much less excel at it." He let out a breath as I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Then, after the week you've had, well, I'm not even going into that." He shook his head. "You decided you wanted to attend the ceremony. That may be the thing I'm most proud of; the fact that you faced that crowd today. I know now that there's nothing stopping you from having the future you deserve. Congratulations baby." He said as he raised his glass. After my sip, I gave him a hug.

"Thanks Dad. I love you." I whispered.

"Love you too Bells." He whispered back.

Esme started to serve the cake. "Now, Edward and Bella, don't eat too much of this, because I had the bakery deliver several cake samples. I was hoping you could choose the wedding cake flavors today."

After our slivers of graduation cake, Edward and I went into the kitchen to sample the wedding cakes. "Wow" was all I could find to say after tasting the first couple samples. The Chocolate Sin Torte was so decadently good that I was certain it should be illegal. "Oh my God." I moaned as I tasted it, earning a strange look from Edward.

He immediately reached over and stabbed my sample with his fork. I watched his tongue slowly lick the chocolate ganache from his lower lip. I fought against the next moan trying to escape as that tongue teased me, suddenly very pleased that Esme had left us alone in the kitchen.

_I certainly don't need to make a spectacle of myself in front of everyone._

"You've got a little something." Edward said as he pointed to my chin, and that cursed tongue reappeared as he licked his lips a second time. I was suddenly feeling very hot and bothered.

I made a feeble attempt to lick the chocolate off my chin, and the next thing I knew, Edward leaned over and licked it off for me.

_Fuck me._

_Right here. Right now._

"Got it." He smirked before standing suddenly and reaching for my hand. "Come on, let's go for a walk." He smiled the panty dropper, so my reflex reaction was to quickly force my knees together.

_These panties aren't going anywhere. Ha!_

I took a couple slow sips of my iced tea as he continued to wait, before standing and taking his hand. "Oh before we go." He said as he grabbed a pen and with his free hand began to fill out the form. "So I'm going to say Chocolate Sin Torte for the bottom layer?" He grinned at me and winked.

_Evil sexy bastard_

I nodded.

"Second layer?"

"Um. Sugar and Spice?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded, noting the choice on the form. "Top layer?"

"Hm" I thought about that. This was the layer that would be just for us.

_Not that I'd want to eat it after it sat in the freezer for a year. Ew._

"How do you feel about the Tiramisu flavor?"

He smiled. "Perfect." I watched as he jotted it down before throwing down the pen and pulling me out the French doors.

After we'd taken approximately five steps, I knew where we were headed.

The boat.

It was the perfect time of day, the sun just beginning to set over the water.

We boarded, and a feeling of déjà vu came over me as we returned to the scene of our first  _I love yous,_ and our first kiss. As soon as we sat down, Edward pulled me to him.

"You know I was thinking about all this." I said as I gestured around us. "While I was lying in that field waiting for the emergency crew." It was difficult to think about that morning. "Our first kiss, when you told me you loved me, I was remembering it all."

He nodded solemnly, "Bella, I need to tell you something." He looked worried. "There are some photos of me online that I really don't want you to see because I think they'll upset you, but I honestly don't think it can be avoided."

I thought about that. I couldn't imagine what photos there could possibly be of Edward that would worry him. Then a horrible thought occurred to me.

"Edward what are you talking about? Are there naked photos of you circulating the internet or something?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow. "Because you told me you always kept your package covered. I'd hate for that to have been untrue, and now there's a million chicks out there drooling over your  _you know what_." My voice dropped to a whisper as I avoided saying the word 'penis' out loud.

After all, his parents and my Dad were lurking around there somewhere.

He was grinning crookedly and shaking his head.

"You should totally sue whoever put those out there and demand the originals. And then give them to me, yeah, that would be the smartest thing to do. Give them to me and I'll purchase a safe." I babbled on, oblivious to his presence by then.

_And keep the safe under my bed. And only look at them when necessary._

_Yeah, only on days that end in 'y'._

I snorted at the thought.

"I mean seriously, can you imagine the damage some computer hacker could do with those photos. You need to do whatever you have to, threaten whoever you have to, in order to get them taken down from the internet immediately. You don't know where your man business may show up next."

I was horrified by the possibilities as I tapped my lip in thought.

"One day some poor unsuspecting office worker at say, the United Nations, could log onto their computer and there would be a photo of your peen for all the world to see Edward. It could turn into an  _international incident._ " I gasped in horror.

My attention was drawn back suddenly to Edward who was laughing so hard he couldn't speak.

"I fail to see the humor Edward." I snarked as I folded my arms across my chest.

"Bella, the photos don't show me  _naked_."

Why was I mesmerized by the way his tongue and lips moved in synchronization in order to utter the word  _naked._

"Bella, they were taken while you were missing. I was arguing with a cop." He managed to sputter out amidst his laughter.

_Edward argued with a cop? What could be so bad about that?_

Then I remembered my bout of verbal diarrhea just a moment before.

_Oh my God. He must think I'm an idiot. A perverted idiot._

I cringed. "Uh" I began, disgusted that I hadn't held my tongue. "Forget what I said. Um, I'm not really myself."

He was laughing harder.

"I  _have_ a head injury!" I defended as I glared at him.

"I can't" Edward laughed. "Bella, I…" He tried to speak as he gasped for air.

I was not amused.

When he finally composed himself, it took another five minutes for him to get serious again.

"I don't even know if I'll be able to do this now." He was trying not to smile.

"Would you just tell me already." I demanded, still not entirely happy with myself.

He blew out a breath then. "Okay" He leaned over and pecked my lips. "I suppose we'll have to address your bizarre thought patterns at a later date." He smirked before clearing his throat. "I thought you were dead." He whispered.

I looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He pulled me close, and I felt his warm lips press against the top of my head.

"They, the reporters, said that there was a body at the crash site. I was certain it was you." He choked out the words. "I confronted the cop. I had to know." He laughed without humor. "I guess he didn't like my attitude."

"He cuffed me and made me sit in the back of the squad car. There were several news crews at the scene, and they filmed everything."

I tensed as I thought about Edward in handcuffs.

"So that's what's all over the internet?"

He nodded. I wrapped my arms tightly around him, holding back the urge to cry.

"I knew I couldn't live if you didn't come back to me Bella. At the same time that you were lying in that field remembering our time together, I was doing the same thing. The one difference was that I was despairing of ever seeing you alive again." He took a deep breath.

I could feel the tears welling in my eyes as my heart broke for him.

"I need to tell you one more thing." He continued in a whisper. "I was making plans to end my life."

I looked up at him then, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Knowing you as I do, I suspected as much. It was one of the things I held onto as I fought the Ranger. I fought him so hard Edward, part of the reason I have so many bruises." I smiled ruefully. "I just kept thinking how you wouldn't want to live without me. You've said it often enough." I smiled genuinely then. "I couldn't let that happen."

He hugged me to him and tucked my head under his chin. "Oh Bella." He breathed, before giving me a sweet kiss. "When you're here with me like this, it's easy to forget about anything that could threaten our happiness."

"Unfortunately, we have to live in the real world, which is full of real dangers." He sighed. "You'll have to forgive me if I go a little crazy for a while making sure you're safe." He said with a grimace.

I smiled at him. "It's okay. I'm not going to fight you on this Edward. I try to learn from my mistakes. I should have never left my apartment, but at least it's over." I let out a breath. "I believe that if the ranger had been unsuccessful, he'd have tried again."

We sat in silence for a while before Edward spoke again. "This is completely off subject, but I was wondering if you planned on keeping your car?"

I answered quickly, I'd actually been thinking a lot about this particular subject. "No. There's no point really. Especially now that Lou or Sidney will be accompanying us most places." I played with a nonexistent thread on the hem of my dress. "But even if that weren't the case, I don't want it any more. It would remind me of that night." I whispered the last part.

"Okay, so we'll get rid of the car." He agreed quietly. "You know Bella, we can still go out alone, just as we did before."

I nodded. "That's true. You have the Vanquish."

He nodded contemplatively before standing. "Come one more place with me?"

"Of course." I said with a smile as I took his hand again.

He led me through the house and out the front door. I found it odd that all our family followed us wordlessly outside until we were all standing on the front steps. As I looked around, I noticed that Rose was missing. "What's going on?" I asked Edward.

He grinned. "Just wait."

About a minute later, I heard the distinctive sound of a loud car engine. I glanced toward the sound, only to see a 1966 Mustang approaching from the direction of the garage. As I looked closer, I realized that this car was not just  _any_ '66 Mustang, this was a Poppy red Mustang convertible, and it was gorgeous.

This was my dream car.

I was so enraptured with the sight of the car that it took me a minute to realize that Rose was the one driving. I finally took notice of her when she stopped directly in front me and stepped out of it smiling like the cat that got the cream.

I looked around bewildered until Edward bent down and whispered in my ear. "Congratulations sweetheart." Rose gave the keys a little shake before handing them to me.

I peeled my eyes away from the beautiful car and looked at my more beautiful fiancé. "You bought me a car?" I gasped out in shock.

He bit his lip as he nodded slowly, unsure of my reaction.

I thought back to the conversation we'd had almost six months before when we were just getting to know one another. It had been the one and only time I'd mentioned my dream car to Edward. He'd remembered every detail.

I didn't think I had it in me, but I actually  _squealed_ in delight. This was not me. This was not Bella Swan. To accept an expensive gift without argument was something I'd never done before.

If I needed further proof that old Bella was gone, this had been it. New Bella was now in command and, evidently, she was a squealer.

I threw my arms around Edward's neck and kissed him passionately, I didn't care that my lip hurt. I didn't care that we were giving our family a show. All I cared about was this man who never ceased to amaze me with his thoughtfulness. I broke the kiss and smiled. "Thank you." I whispered.

"Come on" I urged as I tugged on his hand, pulling him toward the car. I then turned to everyone else. "We'll be back soon." I chirped happily.

It was dark, so we left the top up. We didn't venture too far from the Cullen's house, but there was no way I could go home without trying out my new car.

As I pulled into the garage and cut off the engine, I knew I was smiling from ear to ear. I turned to Edward, who looked just as happy as I did. "Is it okay to leave it here?"

He nodded. "Of course. Bella there are more spaces in this garage then my parents can ever hope to fill."

After exiting the car, I ran my hand along it. "I guess I'm okay leaving it here with your Vanquish."

Edward smirked. "I'd say it's in good company." He said as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.

"Happy?"

I smiled. "Very much so. It's a wonderful gift Edward. Thank you." I snuggled my head against his chest breathing in the scent of him, and wondering why he always smelled so good.

It dawned on me that we'd spent most of our evening like this, sneaking around and stealing moments alone.

"It's getting late." Edward said quietly.

"mm" I mumbled not wanting to move. "How many days?" I whispered, hoping he'd understand my question.

"Sixty-three." He murmured before kissing the top of my head.

We said good bye to everyone, knowing that we'd see them again the next weekend in order to celebrate Father's Day, and Edward's birthday together.

_-V &V—_

I was finished with school, but was supposed to work at WIRI until Thursday, which would be Rose's last day also. After having a long talk with Rose on Sunday afternoon, we both decided that I didn't need to be there for those last few days. Anything she needed help with could easily be done by Jessica, her replacement.

So it turned out that I was out of a job a few days earlier than expected. We spent Sunday afternoon relaxing before we were scheduled to go have dinner with Emmett and Rose.

While Edward showered, I pulled out my laptop, deciding to take this opportunity while alone, to view the photos we'd discussed.

After surfing through a ton of information about my kidnapping, I finally found an article discussing Edward and the police officer, along with a few photos.

Without bothering to read the article, my attention was drawn instead to the photographs and the haunted expression on Edward's beautiful face. I clutched my hand to my throat as I glimpsed his pale face and lifeless eyes.

In the last set of photos, the officer was cuffing him and putting him in the back of his police car. There was only one photo of him sitting in the back of the vehicle; Sidney blocking most of the view with his body.

I committed the look on Edward's face to memory, vowing that I'd never do anything again that would cause that look to appear on his face again.

By the time he emerged from his shower, all traces of my tears were gone.

_-V &V—_

As we ate dinner with Rose and Emmett, we discussed what the police had discovered about the ranger. The abandoned cottage evidently yielded a lot of frightening information.

Rose, ever the reporter, knew the most. "So it seems that he was a lot closer to Geri than we knew."

"Ew." I said as I imagined the Ranger and Geri Chance having some kind of affair.

Rose chuckled. "No Bells, nothing like that as far as anyone knows. They were just like-minded people. He arrested people on outrageous charges, and she fed off of that when she prosecuted them. They were both sadistic and cruel, with a twisted view of the world. Geri was secretly helping him with his court case before she was hit by the bus."

"Anyway, he was only a few days away from his trial for the charges brought against him by the federal government, so you see; he was getting desperate to take out his revenge on you. He was running out of time."

I shook my head as I tried to absorb this information.

_He was planning to torture me, but I wasn't going to live much longer after that._

I shuddered. Edward, Rose and Emmett gave me sympathetic looks.

"I still don't understand why he went after me." I said in a quiet voice.

"Who knows? My guess is that because it was your case that finally got him in trouble with the feds, he viewed you as the cause of his troubles."

"I don't give a shit. His ass is burning in hell right now, just as it should be." My brother said through clenched teeth.

Rose had recorded Edward's appearance on Letterman, which I'd never gotten to see. Edward was helping Rose carry dessert into the living room so we could watch the show, when Emmett lightly touched my arm. "Come with me for a minute?" He asked in a somber tone.

I followed him back to their office. As soon as I walked through the door, I realized why he'd called me back there. Piled on their leather sofa was a mountain of flowers, cards, balloons and little gifts which had obviously been left at the hospital for me. "I had to bring them home Bells. I wanted you to see this before any of it got thrown away, but I knew you weren't ready the day you were discharged."

My fingers ran across the cards lying on top of the pile.

_**We love you Bella, please get well soon.** _

_**Please feel better** _

_**We're praying for your speedy recovery** _

There were photos of me and Edward, some of me alone, even ones of me with Emmett and Rose or Dad.

The flowers were dying, so I knew I'd need to throw them away, but I also knew I wanted to keep the notes. "Thank you Emmett. I want to read them. Not tonight, but someday soon."

He put his arm around my shoulders as I stood staring at the pile. "I was so afraid Bells. On the phone, I heard you screaming." His voice broke before turning hard and cold. "Then I heard that fucker yelling at you." His arm tightened around my shoulders and I wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Emmett, we don't need to talk about this…"

"I've got to get this out." He interrupted wiping his eyes with the back of his free hand. "I was so scared." He whispered. "It was different than with Mom. By the time we heard anything, Mom was already gone. This…" He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "I felt so fucking helpless. I kept hearing you scream in my mind. It didn't go away until I saw you in the hospital."

I wrapped both my arms around his waist. "Emmett, it's okay, I'm okay." I soothed.

He nodded and swallowed hard. "Thank God." He whispered as he held my head against his chest with his big hand and rubbed my hair.

We stood there for a minute holding on to each other before he spoke again. "Rosie just about collapsed when she realized what had happened to you, and I was fucking useless."

"No you weren't Emmett." A quiet voice spoke from behind us. We turned to see Rose and Edward standing there. Rose, with tears in her eyes, was looking at my brother lovingly before turning her gaze to me. "He called the doctor and explained what happened. He prescribed a mild sedative, and then Emmett put me to bed."

I felt awful. "Oh Rose, that much stress, you could have lost the baby."

She walked over and put her arm around me. "Now don't you start Bells. Everything is perfect now, and Baby Swan is going to be perfect too." She said with a smile.

My brother grinned down at me then.

The Letterman show was just the distraction we all needed. Edward grimaced when Dave showed the photo of him in a dress. "Oh Andy, I had no idea. First I find out you're a very talented rapper, then your proclivity for dressing in women's clothing is revealed. Holy shit, you're a complicated guy."

My brother was definitely back to normal. I quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean Edward's a rapper?" I questioned.

Edward stopped smiling to turn and glare at Emmett, who actually managed to look a little sheepish. "You didn't show her that?"

Edward shook his head. "Emmett" He said in a warning tone. "I doubt she will find it humorous."

Emmett just shrugged.

I decided to let it go, knowing that Edward would show me whatever they were arguing about when he was ready.

_-V &V—_

The week was spent preparing for the following weekend, and for the Route 66 trip.

On Monday, I called my father to wish him a happy birthday. We had planned to celebrate Dad's birthday, Edward's birthday and Father's Day all together on the next Sunday.

We slept in every morning. Edward brought me breakfast in bed twice. It consisted of fruit and bagels because he was determined not to burn down my kitchen. The other mornings, I cooked for him.

Every day, my bruises faded just a bit more, and I held out hope that they would all be gone before our trip.

We spent our afternoons shopping, doing laundry and packing for our trip. And, of course I made sure we went to visit my car at least twice.

"Edward, stop being such a wuss." I scolded as I drove my fabulous new/old car along I-5 with the top down.

"Bella, I am not a wuss. Would you please keep your eyes on the damn road rather than me, and would you  _please_ go the speed limit." He barked.

I chuckled. "It's kind of hard to miss you when you're white-knuckling my dash. And I'll have you know I'm only going five miles over the speed limit." I turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "You shouldn't have given me this car if you expected me to go slow."

He grimaced. "I've created a monster." He muttered.

He let out a huge sigh of relief when I finally pulled into his parent's garage. He leaned over toward me, at first I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead he pointed to his hair. "I want you to tell me how many gray hairs I have, because after that trip there's no way I didn't sprout a few."

"Wuss." I snarked as I pushed him playfully away and laughed.

_-V &V—_

On Wednesday afternoon, as we were folding laundry, my phone rang.

_Rose_

"Hey Rose" I answered happily.

"Hey Bells. Look, turn on the television, you've got to see this. Jill Richardson just made a statement to a group of reporters, CNN keeps replaying it."

I cringed. Anything Jill Richardson had to say couldn't be good, but Rose didn't seem upset.

"Why would I want to watch that?" I asked, glancing at Edward who now had a concerned expression on his face.

"Trust me, you will. I've got to go. Talk to you later sweetie." She said before hanging up.

I picked up the remote and switched on CNN. Two reporters were discussing Jill Richardson.

_We were just talking about this statement that unemployed actress Jill Richardson made to reporters not more than twenty minutes ago in which she apologizes to Edward Masen and Isabella Swan. One has to wonder if there is a motive behind this, or if she is truly remorseful._

_Brian, I don't see her being remorseful. One minute she's implying that a man who never actually laid a finger on her is the father of her son, the next she wants us to believe she never meant to hurt him. I think that she, just like everyone else in America, has gotten caught up in the drama of what Bella Swan went through, and now she's trying to salvage what she can of her reputation._

_We're going to replay the statement for those just tuning in, as I mentioned, here is Jill Richardson in front of reporters a short time ago._

The video switched to Jill Richardson standing in front of an office building which was, I presumed, in downtown L.A. Edward sat on the sofa and pulled me down beside him.

' _Good afternoon. As you all know, I gave birth almost two weeks ago to a healthy baby boy. Since that time, I've been working to repair my relationship with my baby's father Spencer Wyatt.'_

' _Because of remarks I made before my son's birth, which I now regret, Edward Masen had requested a paternity test. The results of that test have been widely reported, I won't go into that here except to say that they showed without a doubt that Edward Masen was not the father of my child.'_

' _Back in September, I had been so intent on my career, that when the studio offered me a movie part in exchange for the arranged date with Mr. Masen, I jumped at the chance, even though it jeopardized my relationship with Spencer.'_

' _Let me be clear, Mr. Masen was a complete gentleman during the date, which lasted only for the duration of the award show. After that show, I saw him from a distance at a couple of parties, but that was all. There never was any sort of sexual relationship, tryst, or encounter between myself and Edward Masen.'_

' _Like everyone else, I was horrified when I learned of Isabella Swan's kidnapping, and relieved that she was able to escape. I can only imagine what she must be going through, and I hope the love of her family, friends and fiancé will help her through this time.'_

' _I want to apologize personally to her and to Edward Masen for my previous statement. My misplaced anger when denied the promised movie part because of my pregnancy, and my irrational state of mind at the time, contributed to my decision to make that statement and I regret any pain my selfish and thoughtless act may have caused them. I wish them nothing but happiness in the future.'_

' _Thank you for your time.'_

And with that, the video switched back to the hosts in the studio. I turned off the television and looked at Edward, thoroughly confused. He smirked. "Maybe she's learning how to play the game after all."

The next day we heard that she'd landed a spot on a reality show.

_-V &V—_

Friday promised to be a busy day. Alice and Jasper were arriving in the afternoon, this time without Chris. I supposed someone had to stay in L.A. to run the business. Because of me, he and Alice had missed a lot of work recently.

Before they arrived though, I was supposed to meet with my publisher. Kyle had gotten a buddy of his, well-versed in contract law to peruse my contract. Between he and the publisher, they'd finally come up with an agreement that suited us both.

A clause had been added to protect my identity, and I'm sure the publisher was still scratching his head over that one. When we met face to face, everything would no doubt make sense.

We had also changed the location of our meeting to a private room at the Dahlia Lounge. I forbade Edward from coming with me. After all, I was trying not to raise a lot of attention, and he being with me would defeat that purpose.

"I promise to keep Lou with me at all times." I said as I kissed him goodbye. I was nervous about the meeting, but also worried about him. "Edward, you know this is for the best. If we both show up, so will the paps. With just me, the chances are a lot less." I told him as he sat dejectedly on the sofa.

"You're right." He murmured. "I'll miss you."

We had gotten very used to spending all our time together. It was wonderful, although it was probably a little unhealthy. After what we'd both gone through, I didn't have the heart to suggest we spend an afternoon apart now and then.

The separation Friday afternoon was a necessary evil, not something I wanted.

I was seated in the private room with Lou when Mr. Corday arrived. As he approached the table, I could mark the exact moment when my face registered, and he knew I wasn't Marie McCarty, but Isabella Swan.

"I'm sorry; I was supposed to be meeting with Miss McCarty?" He looked confused.

I smiled. "Hello Mr. Corday, it's nice to finally meet you. My  _penname_ , if you don't mind, is Marie McCarty." I said as I held out my hand.

He shook it while frowning and nodding his head slowly. "Well, I must say that a lot of things are beginning to make sense now." He said before giving me a big smile.

"Such as the request for no mandatory book tour."

I nodded and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Yes Mr. Corday. I'm not opposed to a book tour per se, but I wouldn't want to do one right away. I'd like to keep my identity a secret for as long as possible."

We took our seats at the table. There was an awkward silence before Mr. Corday spoke again. "Miss Swan, er Miss McCarty, do you mind if I ask why you don't want the public to know you're the author of  _Francisco and the Swallow_?"

I cleared my throat. "From the beginning, I've wanted to do this on my own. I don't want people to buy my book because of who I married Mr. Corday. If people buy this book knowing it was written by Isabella Swan, I'll never know if they really wanted it, or if it was because they were a fan of my husband."

_My husband..I just referred to Edward as my husband for the first time._

_I've got goosebumps._

_Don't get distracted. Pay attention Bella._

He smiled then and nodded. "I think we can work with that."

The rest of the meeting went smoothly. I gave Mr. Corday some ideas I had for future books, and we discussed the possibility of doing an entire children's series. It would be months before my book hit the stands and Mr. Corday hinted that he would like a second book to be either finished or in the works by that time.

I left the meeting a very happy woman. On the way back to the apartment, I pulled out my phone and saw a text from Edward.

_**My love-** _

_**Your brother is forcing me to go shopping for 'road trip supplies'** _

_**Pray for me** _

_**Miss you** _

_**-E** _

I chuckled.

Rose's last day of work had been the day before and her farewell party at WIRI was tonight. I dropped my things at our apartment and shot a quick text to Edward.

.  
 _ **Take your time**_

_**I'm going to hang out with Rose for a while** _

_**Miss you too. Love you** _

_**-B  
.** _

"Hey Bells." Rose answered the door with a smile.

"Are you ready for tonight?" I asked.

"Are you?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow. I knew what she meant. I hadn't seen any of our co-workers since my kidnapping, and wasn't sure if I would be up to the barrage of questions they were sure to ask that night.

"I'll be fine." I answered.

"You know if you become uncomfortable, you can leave early." She reassured with a pat on my arm.

I smiled. Rose was always taking care of me. She was going to be a wonderful mother, even though she didn't realize it.

We spent the next hour talking about Rose's bachelorette party which would be held in Vegas at the end of our Route 66 trip, the rest of the bridal party would meet us there. The details weren't a surprise; I'd booked a spa day at the Bellagio Hotel.

Neither Edward nor I were precisely aware of what Dad had planned for Emmett's party which would be happening at the same time.

The talk then turned to Rose's wedding. Almost everything was complete, so Rose had nothing hanging over her head to worry about, and could really enjoy our vacation.

Alice and Jasper arrived while Rose and I were talking. Alice was bursting at the seams for me to see the calendar. As soon as I told her Edward was out with Emmett, she pulled it out of her bag.

"Oh Alice, I can't believe this. It's amazing." I said as I looked at each page.

If I'd seen it a week before, it might have depressed me. Now, with most of my bruises healed, I was thrilled.

When I saw the photo for June, I blushed. Alice had insisted that the perfect shot for Edward's birthday month would be one of me in my 'birthday suit'.

Actually, I was only topless, but even that was covered.

_No way was I going to allow the photographer to see my tits. All my girly bits were strictly off limits to any man but Edward._

The photo itself was an  _homage_ to Natalie Wood as Gypsy Rose Lee. It was an over the shoulder shot of me in sequined panties, topless, as I clutched a fur stole to my chest, my hair piled on my head. It was certain to drive Edward absolutely mad.

Alice was grinning at me as if she could read my thoughts. We chatted with her and Jasper for a few more minutes before they stood to leave.

"Well" Alice began. "We're due at Mom and Dad's for dinner; I just wanted you to have the calendar Bella. Alice explained as she and Jasper hugged us goodbye. We'll see you both on Sunday."

A few minutes after they left, Emmett arrived. "Hello ladies." He said with a grin as he hauled in a couple of bags filled with what I assumed to be 'supplies'.

I looked around. "Where's Edward?"

"He went to your apartment. Bella, that guy is one moody motherfucker." He said with a grin. "He was perfectly fine until the drive home, and then he was really quiet. I couldn't get him to say two words." He said with a shrug.

I frowned. I hoped he was okay. "I'd better get over there. Bye Em and Rose."

"Bye Bells"

Upon entering my apartment, I found Edward seated on the sofa frowning. At first he was staring off into space. When he looked at me, the fog seemed to clear, and he gave me a pained smile.

Before I reached the sofa, he was on his feet pulling me into his arms. "I love you so much Bella." He whispered before kissing me passionately. There was a desperate edge to the kiss.

It wasn't like him. Not at all.

When I was finally able to pull away to breathe, I spoke. "Edward, what's happened, what's wrong?"

He dropped his gaze as his head dipped a little and the pained expression returned. He cleared his throat. "I saw Meghan." He answered in a strained voice.

 


	64. Strange Days & Sucker Punches

 

Edward had seen his old girlfriend. By the looks of him, it didn't go well.

_Why would it go well? This is the woman who broke him._

No wonder he looked so tired and shaken.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I kept my arms wrapped around him.

He sighed and shrugged. "It was really strange. I was waiting for your brother outside of a store. By the way, remind me to never go shopping with him again, he takes for-fucking-ever." Edward said with a smirk.

I tried to smile as I braced myself for what he was about to tell me.

He pulled me down to the sofa and held my hand as he ran the other hand through his hair. "It was a fairly quiet corner of the mall. I was sitting on a bench, waiting, thinking about you." He gave me a soft smile.

"Meghan approached me in an effort to apologize. At first, I just wanted her to go away. I wanted to forget she ever existed." He admitted. "But as she told me her story, I began to pity her."

_That was unexpected_

"She told me she's HIV positive." He explained. "She got it from her druggie boyfriend of course." He muttered as he shook his head.

My mouth fell open in surprise.

"Oh, Edward." I said sadly. "That's awful."

She had caused so much trouble, and hurt the man I loved deeply, but I couldn't find it in my heart to gloat over the sad turn her life had taken.

His eyes darted to mine. "You're such a good person Bella." He said as he let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close.

"I wish I could be more like you. I didn't want to feel sorry for her, or forgive her. In the end, I couldn't help myself."

"You  _are_ good Edward. You're the best part of my life."

He just smiled.

We both sat quietly for a few minutes after that. I was dying for more information, but decided to wait until he was ready.

"She turned her life around and became a nurse. She works with AIDs patients." He continued.

"Really? You described her as so self-centered; it's hard to imagine her as a care-giver." I said quietly.

He nodded. "She's changed. She doesn't look or act like the same person. I barely recognized her."

"She told me that she had wanted to contact me to apologize for a long time. She also said she found someone who loves her and she's happy."

I sighed into his chest.

"She asked about you." He said as his fingers traced circles on my back. "She wished us happiness."

"It does sound like she's changed." I whispered. "I'm glad. Do you feel like this gave you some closure?"

He let out a breath. "I guess so. I had gotten so used to not thinking about her, that today really took me by surprise. I realized as soon as she started speaking that I no longer hated her. I mean, I didn't want to be her friend, but I felt nothing for her." He took a deep breath. "Now that I think about it, I'm glad this happened. It helps me finally put all of that shit behind me. Perfect timing too, just before beginning my new life with you."

We were quiet for a while before I spoke. "Edward, I have to say something. I hope it doesn't come across as insensitive but" I hesitated "I'm  _really_ glad you never had sex with her." I said with a small smile. "I'm glad you didn't for other reasons but, I'm really glad now…" I worried my lip as I thought about it.

He gently released my lip from my teeth with his thumb. "I couldn't agree more. I'm very glad that you're my one and only Bella." His lips were on mine then. This time he wasn't urgent and he wasn't battling against unpleasant memories. The kiss was sweet and full of the love he felt for me, along with the promise of our beautiful tomorrow.

_-V &V—_

"Damn, this place is nice." Emmett exclaimed as we arrived at  _The Ruins_  in downtown Seattle. "I thought this was a private club?" Emmett asked.

"The station owner is a member" Rose said with a smile. "He's reserved the entire place tonight."

"My parents are members also." Edward said matter-of-factly.

I was not surprised.

"Wow, this beats the shit out of the Forks Elks Lodge doesn't it Bells?" My brother asked with a laugh.

I smiled. "The Elks Lodge! I didn't even think of that. Edward we could have had our wedding reception there." I said with a smirk, eliciting snickers from Rose and Emmett.

Edward got a slightly pained look on his face. "I've always told you that you can have whatever you want Bella." He said as we walked through the courtyard of The Ruins.

"I'm kidding Edward." I reached up and pecked him on the lips. "Besides, I want to stay in Esme's good graces."

He gave me a knowing grin.

The place was beautiful and the furnishings so lovely, they seemed more befitting of an elegant hotel than a club in downtown Seattle. Obviously I didn't know a lot about private clubs.

In the ballroom, there was live music and dancing. Another room had a video screen showing highlights of Rose's time at WIRI playing in a constant loop. That room also held the bar. "Emmett and Edward, you guys get drinks while Bella and I visit the powder room." Rose announced after we'd been there less than fifteen minutes.

_Rose isn't even three months pregnant and Baby Swan is already doing a number on her bladder._

Everyone we passed asked how I was, and I had to stop and explain that I was feeling much better. After this happened three times, Rose finally waved at me and carried on to the bathroom alone.

Once I'd answered everyone's questions, I made my way closer to the ladies' room. When I reached it, I waited in the hallway for Rose.

I hadn't realize I wasn't alone in the hall, until someone began to speak. "Hi Bella, how are you feeling?"

I turned to find Mike Newton standing behind me with a sad smile on his face. I immediately put my guard up. "Hello Mike. I'm a lot better." I answered. It was true, most of the bruises had faded away, and my mental outlook had improved a hundred percent in the last week.

"I'm glad to hear that. You gave everyone quite a scare." He cleared his throat. "I'm also glad the son of a bitch is dead." He added in a whisper.

I looked down at the floor without responding, not wanting to think about that.

He was quiet for a minute before continuing. "Listen Bella" I looked up at him "I wanted to apologize for my past behavior. I've always thought you were a special woman, and I would have liked to have gotten to know you better, but I'm afraid I came off as a tool." He grinned sheepishly.

I smiled gently in return. "Sometimes you did, but I was fighting my own demons at the time as well." I admitted.

He nodded slowly. "I understand that now. As much as I hate to admit it, Masen really loves you." He smiled then.

I beamed. "Almost as much as I love him."

"I think you've got that the wrong way round Miss Swan." I heard Edward's voice announce from the doorway. I turned to see him walking toward me, carrying our drinks.

"Newton." He said with a polite nod of the head to Mike.

Mike sighed. "I suppose while I'm at it, I should get all my apologies out of the way. Sorry for being an asshole Masen. Do you think we could start over?" He asked Edward as he held out his hand for a shake.

Edward flashed a smile and took the offered hand. "Absolutely. As long as we're clear on  _boundaries._ " He said as his eyes flashed briefly to my face. "Then we don't have a problem."

Mike grinned. "We're clear." He said before turning back to me. "Good luck Bella. I hope things go back to normal for you now." He glanced at Edward. "For you both." Mike added in a serious tone. "I wish you all the best." He said before walking away.

I raised both eyebrows and looked at Edward. "This has been a weird day." I muttered, but couldn't hold back the smile that was threatening.

"I was thinking  _surreal,_ but  _weird_ will do." Edward chuckled as he handed me my drink. We mingled for a while, eventually making our way into the ballroom.

"Come on Edward, let's dance." He looked at me with a shocked expression, and then took my drink away in order to sniff it.

"No, I'm not drunk."

_Not yet anyway_

"Bella, you're actually asking me to dance?" He said with a crooked smile.

"Come on" I directed as I grabbed his hand. "This offer won't last forever."

We danced sweetly during the first song, but as soon as  _Promiscuous_ began to play I started to sway my hips as Edward placed his hands on them and pressed up against me, his front to my back.

As the song continued, our movements became more and more suggestive. Edward's hands moved slowly up to my shoulders and back down to my hips where he proceeded to hold onto me gingerly.

I knew he was thinking about the remnants of the bruise that was still there, but I didn't want him to be gentle. I thrust my backside toward him slightly until I was grinding in earnest against him. I felt Edward's warm breath on my neck as he leaned down and pressed a kiss just below my ear. "Are you trying to kill me love?" He whispered.

I snickered. "Definitely not. I want you alive and well and waiting at the altar in fifty-seven days."

I glanced at his face over my shoulder to find him smiling brilliantly. "You've been counting too." He remarked before turning me around and pulling me to him so he could kiss me in full view of everyone.

We were happily dancing in our little bubble, oblivious to everything else around us, until I happen to glance across the room and see Victor James seated at a corner table surrounded by his assistant and a couple of office bimbos.

That alone wouldn't have been enough to bother me per se, it was the leering expression on his face that gave me pause, and frankly, made me a little nervous.

Edward and I decided to take a break from dancing, and went in search of Rose and Emmett. We found them seated in the other room, snacking on hors d'oeuvres. Well, Rose was snacking; Emmett was making a meal of it.

"Hey guys" Rose greeted me with a smile. "Be on the lookout, Camille is here."

Edward and I groaned at the same moment, before we both chuckled.

_-V &V—_

Dodging Camille turned out to be fairly easy, especially since one could smell her cheap perfume a full sixty seconds before she entered a room.

There was a tribute of sorts planned for Rose, so we moved back to the ballroom and sat at a small table near the wall.

Wally, the producer, got up and made a nice speech congratulating Rose on her new job. He then went on to surprise us all by laughing and joking about how everyone at WIRI was intimidated by her. When he mentioned the nickname 'ballbuster', and went on to cite instances in which Rose earned that nickname, we all fell apart with laughter.

The evening was winding down. I continued to sit at our table as I watched Emmett and Rose mingle with the other guests. "Will you be okay for a minute sweetheart?" Edward asked. "I'm going to get us a couple of soft drinks."

"Sure." I answered before Edward shot me a beautiful smile and headed toward the doorway.

I sat quietly in my seat contemplating the upcoming weekend. Our last class with Father Pat was the next day, Sunday was the party at the Cullens', and on Monday we began our rail and road trip. I suddenly got little butterflies of excitement as I thought about it all.

"It's a shame that you didn't take me up on my job offer Isabella." I heard the voice of Victor James say over my right shoulder.

I turned to look, and he was standing close. Too close.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Believe me, I won't be missing anything." I couldn't help the acid that leaked into my tone. I didn't owe this man any respect.

"Oh but you see that's just not true." He moved closer until he was standing beside me at the table. I was seated against the wall, so with his movement he effectively blocked my escape.

"I've been offered a chance to do a  _national_ show. I begin work on the pilot in three weeks." He smirked.

"Congratulations" I snarked before turning away from him, hoping he'd take the hint and leave me alone. My eyes scanned the room, not seeing Emmett or Rose anywhere.

"It will be part investigative reporting, but most of the episodes will consist of one on one interviews with famous criminals" He continued "those facing the death penalty or life in prison for their particularly heinous crimes. You know the type."

"The pilot will be of particular interest to you." His tone took on a menacing edge.

The butterflies in my stomach were gone, replaced with knots as I continued to stare away from him.

"I decided to pass on interviewing the usual suspects such as Charles Manson, or Terry Nichols, they've been famous for far too long and their stories have been told ad nauseam." Without turning to look, I could tell that he had moved a little closer to me.

"For my first interview, I chose someone  _newly_ famous. Someone who wouldn't have been well known had not the daughter of his victim become engaged to a movie star." His voice dropped to a whisper as my breath caught in my throat. "I believe you know the man,  _Jeffrey Dryden._ "

I felt as if I'd had the wind knocked out of me, and then my stomach lurched. I stood, not caring that he was blocking my way. I wanted to escape to the sanctuary of the powder room. I pushed against him in order to get past, but he grabbed my forearms holding me there.

"You're going to love the questions I plan to ask about you." I couldn't look at him, but could feel his breath on my face, a mixture of alcohol and cigarettes. "I heard he is quite obsessed with you. I wonder how he would have reacted if he could have seen you tonight." He continued. "Maybe I'll tell him about Masen's hands all over you."

I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat and forced myself to speak with a trembling voice. "Let go of me." I choked out. "Now."

"Hmm. I don't think so." He hummed as he leaned close to my face, his nose almost touching my cheek. I pulled my head back and struggled against the grip he had on my arms. "You know Isabella, the fact that you killed that ranger may turn some people away. I find that's not the case with me. I, in fact, find it very sexy." He breathed out the words while holding my arms in a death grip. "I bet you like it rough."

"Get your fucking hands off her" Edward had arrived. I closed my eyes and sighed in relief. Victor James' grip on my arms loosened slightly and I wriggled free before moving quickly to Edward's side. He pulled me against him as he wrapped his arm protectively around me. "Are you alright sweetheart?" He asked as he kissed my temple.

I nodded.

"I warned you that day in your office James. One phone call is all it will take." Edward seethed.

I wondered what he was talking about. Edward had never been in Victor James's office as far as I knew.

"You can kiss your sorry career goodbye." He barked.

"Who the fuck do you think you are Masen?" Victor bit back at Edward. "You threaten me because I dare to talk to you girlfriend?" A slow smirk formed on his face before he spoke again. "I was just keeping Isabella company while you were  _distracted_ out in the hall."

"By the way, I've fucked every one of those women" His voice lowering to a whisper as he gestured toward the doorway. "Just between you and me, they weren't very good, but who am I to deny you my sloppy seconds" He chuckled "especially when I'm more than willing to treat myself to yours?" With that last remark, his leering gaze rested on my face.

I didn't have time to process what he'd said before Edward had shoved me behind him and launched himself at Victor. The next thing I knew, Edward was pummeling James with his fists.

A bunch of men surrounded us and pulled Edward away from James. They pinned Edward's hands behind his back in order to stop his attack. Victor James staggered toward them, and before they had a chance to stop him, I heard the sickening crack of Victor's fist making contact with my fiancé's face. "Edward!" I shouted as I threw myself at him. The men let him go and grabbed Victor in order to keep him from landing any more punches.

Emmett and Rose had arrived just in time to see Victor hit Edward. "What the fuck?" Emmett yelled as the men were pulling Victor away. My brother was having none of that. I stared in shock as I saw him ball up his fist and give Victor one good punch to his stupid face. "That's for sucker-punching my brother in law you douche." He shouted.

The guys went to grab Emmett but thought better of it when Rose yelled "I don't fucking think so." Realizing that their balls were probably in peril, they backed away and pulled Victor into another room.

I forced Edward to sit at the table so I could examine his face. "Oh Edward, I think you're going to have a black eye." I announced sadly as I kissed him where the bruise was already forming. He gave me a proud smile.

I grinned back. "It's beautiful." I whispered. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry I didn't get back sooner Bella. A group of women stopped me in the hall wanting photographs." He said with a grimace.

"So I heard." I whispered before kissing his cheek.

We didn't linger long after that. Before we left, the guys who had taken Victor away, one of them being Mike Newton, informed us that they warned him not to press charges. "We told him that every one of us would be more than willing to make a statement informing that Victor hit you first Edward." Mike assured.

"Thanks Mike." Edward said as he shook his hand.

Yeah, Victor had no friends at WIRI.

I was relieved. Edward didn't need any more  _incidents_ to deal with. Emmett and Edward put Rose and me in the hummer so we could head home. As I watched out the window, I saw both our guys with their heads together talking and grinning, before they fist-bumped and climbed in the vehicle with us.

On the way home, I told Emmett, Rose and Edward what Victor had said to me.

They were livid.

"Son of a bitch." Emmett muttered.

"Did he mention which network he's doing the pilot for Bella?" Edward asked.

I shook my head.

"Well, no matter, I'll have Alec investigate. He'll never get the chance to do it. I intend to ruin him." Edward muttered.

"Edward, what were you talking about when you said you'd warned him?"

Edward got a guilty expression on his face. "Um." He ran his hand through his hair. "I guess about a month ago, after you told me what he'd said to you, I went to visit him in his office before I picked you up one day."

He kept his eyes on my face carefully studying my expression. "I threatened to dismantle his entire career if he bothered you again."

"Okay." I said in response.

He looked at me incredulously. "That's it?"

I shrugged. "Yeah."

"I mean, you're not going to rant about me overreacting?" He asked.

"Edward, if I'd known about it then, I'd probably have accused you of overreacting. But because of what we've lived through since, and because of what he told me, anything you did a month ago and what you did tonight was not an overreaction." I smirked. "If you hadn't arrived when you did, I was just about to knee him in the balls, HARD, something that would have been completely out of character for me a month ago."

I could hear Emmett and Rose chuckling from the front seat.

Edward grinned from ear to ear as he pulled me against his body.

_-V &V—_

Our last Pre-Cana class was Saturday. We drove down early, intending to return to Seattle the same day. Mr. and Mrs. Combs were back to help teach the class, which was all about children.

I was surprised that there wasn't much of a discussion about 'natural family planning', but Mr. and Mrs. Combs seemed to concern themselves more with the rearing of children not their conception.

Rose and I had already received the literature about the family planning, and we'd both spoken with Father Pat. She was not a fan of the idea, but agreed to at least try. Obviously, she wouldn't have to worry about it until after baby Swan made his or her appearance in December.

About half way through the class, we were in a discussion about handling the stress that comes with raising children and having a career, while still finding time for each other. I noticed that Rose had a panicked look on her face. About a minute later, she burst into tears. My brother looked around fearfully. "Uh, can we have a five minute break Mrs. Combs; I need to speak with Rose."

"Of course Emmett." Mrs. Combs agreed with a concerned look on her face. As soon as she and Mr. Combs had left the room, Edward and I stood to follow them.

"Please stay." Rose said between her sobs.

I nodded and we sat down again. Rose started to speak then. "I can't do this." She whispered.

"Babe what are you talking about." Emmett asked gently. "Have you changed your mind about getting married?" He looked so sad; my heart was breaking for him.

"Oh Emmett" she said between her tears. I'm so sorry" She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. "I most definitely still want to get married. I'm just scared to death of being a bad parent. I know  _nothing_ about it."

"Babe, weren't you listening? During the next part of the lesson, we're going to discuss what to do when we don't  _know_ what to do." He grinned.

"Most people expect you to be able to go to your own parents for guidance when raising your children. But we all know what that means for me." She was still crying. "My Dad barely speaks, and my Mother is a nightmare."

"So then you go to Esme." I suggested. "She will be my go-to person when the time comes, along with Carlisle and of course Dad."

Rose sniffed. "You guys wouldn't mind sharing them?"

Edward and I chuckled. "Of course not, Esme already considers you and Emmett part of the family." I answered as I patted Rose's hand.

She smiled and turned around to hug Emmett. "I'm sorry Monkey Man. I don't know what gets into me sometimes."

"It's okay Babe." He said as he patted her back while looking over her shoulder at us and mouthing the word 'hormones' before flashing a dimpled smile.

_-V &V—_

Edward was sound asleep with his arms wrapped around me. Part of me wanted to get out of bed and fix him a special birthday breakfast. Unfortunately that part was battling with the other part of me that didn't want to leave the bed. Ever.

_To hell with it. We can get coffee and danish on the way to church._

I leaned up on one elbow in order to see Edward's face. He was beautiful, even with the bruised eye he now sported, earned while defending my honor.

_For me._

I sighed. I had to admit that I adored him, and every day my feelings seemed to grow stronger. I hoped it would be like this forever. I had no doubt that it would.

He was so proud of what he'd done. I was very thankful that I hadn't gotten the chance to knee Victor in the family jewels because there was no way I would have wanted to take this moment away from Edward.

I leaned over and began to leave a trail of kisses along his jaw and down his neck before whispering in his ear. "Happy birthday, I love you."

His breathing picked up as a small smile formed on his lips and his arms tightened around me. I watched as his eyes fluttered open. "Thank you sweetheart." He said in a rough whisper.

"I'm sorry I don't have birthday cake for you." I said with a smile. "That will be at your parents' later. I do have a gift though, and I could sing happy birthday to you." I said with a sweet smile.

He blurted out a laugh. "That's not necessary. All I really want is to hold you just like this."

I hummed in contentment as I snuggled against his side. I drifted off to sleep again before the movement of Edward's hand rubbing up and down on my arm woke me.

"We have to get ready for church soon Sleeping Beauty." He whispered.

I nodded.

"Would you like your present now?" I asked groggily.

He looked confused. "Now? You're not waiting for the party?"

I cleared my throat and sat up. "Believe me Edward; I don't want there to be an audience when you open it." I moved until my lips were hovering an inch from his ear. "My gift is for your eyes only." I whispered before pulling back to see his reaction.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he blinked wide-eyed several times before speaking again. "What is it?" He asked warily.

I smirked as I leaned over my side of the bed and pulled the wrapped box from underneath, very pleased with myself for not having to leave the bed.

Edward sat up and let out a breath before tearing the paper. His brow furrowed when he opened the box to find the calendar lying on top, the cover a plain glossy black. He pulled it from the box and I watched as his eyes almost popped from their sockets at the first glimpse of my  _Gypsy_  pose.

"Fuck" He whispered, seemingly unable to take his eyes from the photo.

After an uncomfortably long silence, I started to feel a little insecure.

_Does he like it, or is he trying to think of something tactful to say in order to not hurt my feelings?_

"Edward, would you please say something. I mean, I can take it if you don't like it. Just tell me the truth." I said in a fearful whisper.

His eyes shot up to mine then. They were dark and wild. "Bella, are you actually harboring a doubt that I wouldn't find this photo the singularly sexiest thing I'd ever seen?" He smirked then and his eyes calmed. "Bella, I wish you could see yourself the way I do. Or maybe not, I would be embarrassed for you to know my thoughts at this particular moment Miss Swan."

He set the calendar back in the box and pulled me down on the bed so he could hover over me. He began to leave soft wet kisses on my neck and shoulders as he spoke, "Bella, my self-control is hanging on by a mere thread. Please tell me there are no more photos like that in the rest of the calendar." He asked as he pulled the collar of my shirt away from my neck in order to kiss my collarbone.

"Um. Sorry?" I answered honestly.

He groaned as his hands snaked under my shirt, feeling their way up to my breasts. "I'm never going to be able to let you out of my sight, you're too fucking beautiful."

We needed to stop. We really did. But his hands felt so good. My mind started wandering as I thought about how good those hands would feel when there was no reason to hold back, no reason to hesitate.

"Edward" I whispered. "We should stop." Although stopping was the last thing I wanted to do. I knew if it went on much longer, I would be too far gone to stop this.

"Edward, please."

He froze. "Oh God Bella, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." He sounded more upset than he needed to be.

"Edward, please don't apologize. I can't wait until we don't have to stop. The thought of it is beginning to take over most of my waking moments."

_And most of my dreams as well._

He pecked my lips and sat up, before retrieving the calendar once again. His smile grew as he looked at each page. "How did you do this?" He asked without looking away from the photos.

"Alice" I grinned.

He nodded knowingly.

"Bella, you have captured every one of my favorite Hollywood divas along with some of my favorite Bella fantasies." He announced with a chuckle as he tapped one of the photos. I glanced at it.

"Your sister keeps referring to that one as 'hot for teacher'. I told her that term made me uncomfortable and that I prefer 'naughty librarian' because it doesn't make me feel like a pedophile." I tried to keep a straight face while speaking of something that was utterly ridiculous.

He laughed as he pulled me to him and kissed the top of my head before continuing to peruse the calendar. I noticed that he lingered a bit longer on the 'sexy' photos than he did the others.

When he got to my  _homage_  to Jane Russell from  _The Outlaw_ , he gasped audibly before splaying his hand across his chest. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack." He groaned.

I snickered. "Why?"

"Bella this is too fucking sexy.  _You're holding a_   _gun_." He choked out before shaking his head and laughing. "Ever since you told me you knew how to shoot, I've been fantasizing about you with a weapon." He admitted.

It was my turn to laugh out loud then.

When he got to the last photo which in this calendar was for the month of May, he looked up at me lovingly. "Bella this is perfect." He whispered as he looked back down at the photo which was a recreation of the night he proposed to me. He pulled me closer and kissed me. "I love you so much baby. Thank you."

"You're welcome." I smiled and let out a breath, relieved that he liked the gift.

He looked back at the box, realizing that it wasn't empty. He pulled the cd from the bottom of the box and held it up. "What's this?"

"Well, somehow I knew that you'd want copies of those photos for your laptop, so all the photos are on the CD."

He smiled brilliantly. "You thought of everything baby." He smirked before sighing loudly. "And now if you'll excuse me, I'm starting my birthday with a  _very_ cold shower."

I laughed as I watched him disappear into the bathroom.

_The way he sees me always amazes me. I never feel sexier or more beautiful than when I am in Edward's arms._

_-V &V—_

Rose and Emmett drove to the party in their car, having to first visit Rose's Dad for Father's Day before driving out to the Cullens'.

When we arrived, Dad was already there, and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. He and Carlisle were becoming fast friends. My future in-laws had even invited him to stay over on Sunday night, and he had agreed. I was glad because the next morning would be rather busy for us, as we prepared for our vacation.

We all sang happy birthday to Edward and to Dad, even though his birthday had been almost a week before. As she'd promised, Rose got Emmett a 'DILF' shirt for Father's Day, which he happily changed into then and there, earning an exasperated sigh from Charlie.

Both our Dads were thrilled with the gifts from Edward and me. Carlisle collected antique medical equipment, and Edward had purchased a stethoscope which dated to the Civil War and a doctor's black bag circa 1930.

For Charlie, we'd purchased space for him and two friends of his choosing on an overnight chartered fishing expedition out of Marina Del Rey, along with airfare to California, to be used after the bachelor party in Las Vegas. His eyes were dancing with excitement as he read the brochure.

"Did you give Edward his gift yet?" Alice whispered after she'd cornered me in the kitchen.

I gave her a smug smile. "This morning."

She smiled. "And.."

"What?" I feigned innocence.

"You know darn well what I want to know missy. Now spill."

I looked around to make sure we were alone. "Let's just say, he ran to take a cold shower after I gave it to him."

Alice burst into laughter. "I knew it!"

"Alice" I said with a laugh. "Don't you think it's a little pervy to have this conversation about your own brother?"

"What's a little pervy?" Rose asked from the doorway before walking over to us.

"Bella gave him the calendar this morning." Alice said with a grin.

"Oh God Bella, I don't know whether or not I want to hear about it. Emmett and I are both so fucking horny; I may self-combust if I have to hear about someone else's sexual tension." She said with a smirk.

Alice giggled. I cringed. "Ew Rose."

"Sorry chicka. I'm just keeping it real." She announced as she popped a stuffed mushroom into her mouth.

"Okay Bella, we worked hard on that calendar, you need to give more detail." Alice demanded.

"Well, once he saw  _Gypsy,_ I didn't think I'd ever get him to turn the page." I whispered, constantly checking the doorway to make sure Edward didn't appear.

They both laughed at that. "Just don't let Charlie see it, or Emmett for that matter." Rose advised. "I mean Charlie's pretty cool, but not that cool."

"Yeah, that's not a problem Rose. I would die if Dad saw some of those photos." I knew I was blushing at the thought.

"Good." She continued before popping another mushroom. "Total change of subject, but maybe you'll be able to wheedle out of him who he's bringing to our wedding."

I knew I looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Charlie sent back the RSVP card. He's such a funny guy. Of course since he's Emmett's best man, he needn't have bothered with the response, but on the card he noted that he would be attending  _plus one_."

I stood there for a full minute, not speaking, just blinking as I tried to process Charlie bringing a  _date_  to the wedding. "Maybe he's bringing a guy friend." I suggested.

Rose smirked. "Now don't you think we would have already questioned him on that? Emmett's been bugging the shit out of him, and all he'll say is that he's bringing a 'lady friend', they've gone on a couple of dates, and it's none of Emmett's damned business."

I stood there with my mouth hanging open while Alice and Rose laughed at me.

"May I ask what is so amusing ladies?" I heard Esme's lovely voice inquire from the doorway before she walked over to join us with a smile.

"Evidently, my Dad's bringing a date to Rose's wedding." I announced.

Esme's expression turned serious and she clasped my hand. "Does that bother you honey?" He eyes full of concern.

_Did it?_

"Absolutely not." My voice fell to a whisper. "My Dad's been alone for so long. I really want him to be happy." I admitted, surprising even myself.

"He's oblivious to how attractive his is, sort of like his  _daughter._ " Rose said with a grin. "If he only knew how many of the single women of Forks have had their sights set on him for years, he'd probably go into hiding." She said with a chuckle.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in confusion.

All three women giggled. "Bella, you are so obtuse. For years, Charlie has been summoned to the most ridiculous crime scenes. I still believe that Irene Fletcher took a baseball bat to her own mailbox just so she could have Chief Swan 'investigate' the crime." Rose barked out a laugh. "And Monica Gamble invented a  _stalker_  so that Charlie would come to her house. He never figured it out, not even when she answered the door in a negligée."

I laughed, having heard about that incident before.

_Wow. Dad has a girlfriend? This is going to take a while to wrap my head around._

On the way back to the apartment I was unusually quiet. I could feel Edward's eyes on me before he spoke. "Bella, are you okay?"

"Hmm?" I asked, my mind whirling.

"You're very quiet. Are you feeling well?" He asked.

"Oh. I feel great. Sorry, I'm just a bit distracted."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I took a deep breath. "Evidently, Dad's been dating someone. He won't say who, but he's bringing her to Emmett and Rose's wedding."

"Yeah, Emmett mentioned that. Does it bother you?" He asked with concern, sounding very much like his mother.

"No, not in the way you mean. The only thing that troubles me is that I don't want Charlie to be hurt. He's already had his heart broken once by my mother; I don't want that to happen again." I whispered.

"Have a little faith in your Dad, Bella." He said as he patted my hand. "He's a very smart man."

"Wow, when did you become Charlie's biggest fan?" I asked with a laugh.

He smiled back at me. "He's a great guy Bella, very grounded. I appreciate that very much."

"He found out how you got the black eye didn't he?"

Edward grinned.

_-V &V—_

"Bella, if you forget anything we can always purchase it on the road." Edward was trying to calm my crazy as I dashed around the apartment with my list, making sure I hadn't forgotten to pack anything important.

"Edward, I love you, but it would be best to leave me alone right now. I'm in the zone."

He laughed before he was distracted by his ringing phone. He looked down at the screen. "I'll take this on the balcony." He said with a grin.

I watched him disappear through the glass door. "Cell phone cords!" I announced as I realized I'd forgotten to pack them.

By the time Edward returned, I'd finished double checking my list, and was wheeling my suitcase to the living room.

He smiled before going to grab his suitcase from the bedroom and wheeling it out to sit beside mine. He then grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the sofa.

"Bella, I need to ask you something."

I raised my eyebrows in question as I sat beside him.

"As you know, I'm due to appear on  _Oprah_  this Thursday."

I nodded.

"That was Jazz on the phone. Oprah herself called him to ask if you would consider being on the show with me."

_Crap._


	65. Scenic Views & Meeting Duke

 

The lulling movement of the train as we travelled through Washington was relaxing. So much so that I was in danger of falling asleep where I sat.

The lounge car wouldn't be open until morning, so we had all retreated to the sanctuary of our compartments until we were supposed to meet for dinner later.

"This is so cool." Edward exclaimed as he nosed around the room. He was like a little kid checking out every square inch. "Did you see that the closet that houses the toilet converts into a shower?" He was grinning.

His smile was infectious; I couldn't help but return it. "Yes Edward, I was paying attention when Troy showed everything to us." Troy being our sleeping car attendant.

"This is quite exciting Bella. We're travelling through seven states in forty-eight hours. I'm going to set up the GPS on my laptop so I'll know where we are at all times." He announced happily. I chuckled.

_Boys and their gadgets_

While Edward set up his mini-command post which included laptop, video camera and I-home, I pulled my laptop from my bag and began to work on the book I'd started writing a couple of days before. I was engrossed in the story when I heard a thump and looked in the direction of our compartment door, only to find Emmett's face smashed against the window. I squeaked in surprise. Edward looked up and laughed.

"Edward, from now on when we're in here remind me to pull the curtain across the door." I said while shaking my head.

By this time, Emmett had slid our door open and was lounging against the door frame with a smile on his face. "And remind me to lock the door." I added.

"All set up in here I see." Emmett said to Edward. "I've got my GPS wired in our compartment also. We won't cross over into Idaho and Montana until the middle of the night."

Edward nodded as he pulled out our copy of the itinerary Emmett had printed for everyone. "I've never been to Montana." He exclaimed with wide eyes.

As soon as Jasper, Rose and Alice appeared at our door, we all headed for the dining car. Edward wore his usual hoodie and dark glasses disguise until we were seated and waiting for our food.

As we sat there, we were treated to spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains.

"I can't believe you invited her Emmett. You know Charlie and Bella can't stand that woman." Rose was chastising Emmett.

"Sorry babe, I think she's entertaining." He said in answer.

I took a sip of my drink and tuned into the conversation. "Who did you invite?" I asked.

"Aunt Gladys." Emmett said with a grin.

I sighed and nodded with a frown.

"She will grope every guy there including you." Rose said with a pointed look at my brother.

He snickered.

I'd made a point of saying I wasn't inviting Mom's Aunt Gladys to my wedding but, in the end, I'd given in to my own conscience and sent an invitation to the crazy old bat.

"I sent her one too." I admitted in a whisper.

"What?" Rose gave an incredulous look.

"Rose, Emmett and I don't have that many relatives. After I thought about it, I realized that it wouldn't be right to exclude anyone." I said with a shrug.

"Well Sissy, I'll admit my reasoning wasn't as noble as yours." Emmett said with a wicked grin. "Aunt Gladys is fucking funny, and I enjoy myself when she's around."

"Here's hoping that someday my kids will feel the way same about you." I said with a chuckle.

He smiled as he tapped my glass with his.

"I wonder if her hair's still pink." Emmett asked aloud.

As we talked and ate, not one of us could resist the pull of the beautiful landscape flying past the windows. The dense forest and snow-capped mountains went on for miles and miles, and then suddenly we were in a tunnel going through those same mountains.

Soon after we departed the tunnel, we descended down from the mountains and the landscape changed until we are riding through expansive farmlands.

"It's hard to believe how big Washington is, or how big America is for that matter." Jasper said. "I'm really glad you invited us Emmett."

"Hey you know you're welcome to join us for the rest of the road trip." Emmett replied.

"No" Alice exclaimed as she held up both hands. "Don't even tempt him Emmett Swan. I need to get back to L.A. in order to get some work done, otherwise all of you may be getting married in your birthday suits!"

I frowned as I thought about that.

_I most definitely don't want to marry in my birthday suit, but Edward? ….mmm...naked Edward..._

_I'm kind of okay with that._

_No, no, no. As it is now every female he meets wants to jump his bones. We don't need to add 'Naked Edward' into the equation. I'd have to beat them away with a stick if…_

I happened to glance up in the middle of my musings to find Rose smirking at me.

_Bitch has always been able to read my mind._

"What?" I asked as I shot her a glare.

"I didn't say a word." She answered with a smug smile.

Once dinner was over, we said goodbye to our families, knowing we'd be together all of the next day.

Back in our room, Edward and I sat, his arm around me, as we watched out the window.

"It's so beautiful." I said in an awed whisper.

"Yes it is." He murmured.

I glanced up at him to see that his eyes were trained on my face rather than on passing scenery.

I placed a hand on his cheek and bent my head up to kiss his lips. "I've made my decision." I whispered.

"About what?" He whispered back.

"I'm going on Oprah with you." I answered.

"Are you sure?" He asked; his tone serious.

I nodded. "This is part of your life. I know there are some things I will have to do in order to share that life."

He shook his head. "No Bella, that is my work.  _You_ are my life. As I've said before, I would rather you be happy than do something that makes you uncomfortable."

I smiled at him. "I know that. This is my decision. Who knows? I may actually enjoy it." I looked down at my lap. "Leno was actually kind of fun." I said with a giggle. "The added benefit is that this will drive Rose crazy. Oprah's her idol."

Edward laughed. "Alright. Just know that you are free to change your mind at any time."

"I won't." I stated.

After the sun set, we closed the curtains, and Edward played around with his guitar as I wrote on my laptop. It was comfortable and familiar. I realized that moments such as this would make up a good portion of our married life. Well this and hopefully a whole lot of sex.

_Ugh. There I go again. I really need to shut off that part of my brain for another fifty-four days._

While Edward showered, Troy arrived and converted our seating into a bed. I brushed my teeth and then lay down as I waited for Edward.

When the bathroom door opened, I looked up. That was my first mistake.

_Oh my God._

Edward wore nothing but a towel, slung around his hips. "Sorry, there wasn't a place to set my clothes in there without getting them wet." He explained as he took a second towel and vigorously rubbed his wet hair.

I couldn't answer him as I sat there blatantly ogling his half-naked body.

_This is a sight I will never get used to._

He proceeded to towel his shoulders then his chest. I felt my mouth go dry as I caught sight of his happy trail. As he ran the towel down his arms, I heard him chuckle.

He'd caught me staring. I silently hoped that my mouth hadn't been hanging open.

The room was suddenly heavy with the sexual tension that was always lurking just under the surface whenever Edward and I were alone. I decided that I needed to take my own shower pronto.

I was able to exact revenge on him when I exited the shower clad in only a towel. I heard his sharp intake of breath before I looked over at his face. His expression was intense.

I was faced with a minor dilemma. The bathroom shower was soaking wet. I couldn't carry my dry clothes in there to dress.

I smirked when I thought of the solution. After rummaging in my bag for a moment, I pulled out a pair of panties and a t-shirt. I shot a glance to make sure he was still watching me. He was.

Keeping the towel wrapped around my body, I pulled the panties on, slipping them underneath.

_Edward isn't getting treated to the full Monty tonight._

He'd seen me topless a few times, and even though I was still a little self-conscious about it, I removed the towel and cast it aside before putting on the shirt.

I turned to face him to find him smiling sweetly at me. He didn't say a word; he just took my hand and pulled me onto the bed. I barely had a chance to lie down before his lips were on mine, warm and soft.

We never got too carried away, although every night I questioned my decision to wait until our wedding night to make love for the first time.

Every. Single. Fucking. Night.

_-V &V-_

The movement of the train jostled me awake, but when I opened my eyes I was horrified by what I found. I was lying on the back seat of the Ranger's car as he drove me through the forest.

_No. This can't be real. He's dead. I'm on a train with Edward. This isn't real. This isn't real._

I started to panic. Had everything that happened after my abduction merely been a dream? I squeezed my eyes shut hoping that when I opened them again I would wake up next to Edward.

_This can't be happening._

The driver of the car laughed then. "What's the matter Isabella? Thought you got rid of me?"

At the sound of that voice, I sat straight up, opening my eyes wide in shock and surprise. It wasn't the Ranger in the driver's seat. My frightened eyes were looking upon the one person I'd hoped never to see again, Jeffrey Dryden. I felt my insides go numb and my vision started to cloud.

He turned to face me, a leering smile on his face as he grabbed my upper leg, holding it in a death grip. "You are mine Isabella, and you will  _never_ be rid of me." He snarled.

As soon as the words left his mouth I bit my lip hard to hold back the scream that was building in my throat. I bit so hard that I tasted blood. "I will kill anyone that tries to take you away from me Isabella. Remember what I did to your mother."

Nothing could stop the blood curdling scream that escaped my lips at his declaration. As my eyes shot open, the scene around me changed, but my mind was in such a muddle, that it was hard to distinguish between the dream and reality.

"Sweetheart" I could hear his voice calling me. He sounded far away. "Bella baby it was just a dream." Hands soothing my face and brushing the hair back from my forehead. "Sweetheart, your lip is bleeding."

My entire body was shaking, and my breaths were coming in short pants as I tried to wake up fully.

' _You'll never be rid of me. Remember what I did to your mother.'_

I started to focus on my surroundings. The train. We were on the train. I tried to calm my breathing, only to scream again when I heard the loud banging on the door.

"Bella" My brother's panicked voice sounded from the hallway. "Edward, open this fucking door." He demanded.

Edward moved me to one side in order to reach the door. Emmett pushed inside with Rose behind him. "Is she okay?" He asked Edward. "We heard the scream." He said as he crouched in front of me and took my hand in both of his.

I reached for Edward's hand with my free one as I buried my face in his chest. "I was in the Ranger's car" I choked out. I felt Edward draw in a breath. "I thought I was back there and that everything that had happened since had been a dream." I whispered. I couldn't help the tears that were trailing down my cheeks as I spoke. "But then" I took a breath "then he.. he wasn't the Ranger any more, he was Jeffrey Dryden." I choked out with a sob. "He told me that I'd never be rid of him; that he would kill anyone who tried to take me away from him." I whimpered.

Rose handed Edward a wet paper towel in order to wipe the blood from my lip before he wrapped his arms around me and let me cry it out. After a few minutes, I heard him whisper to Emmett and Rose that he'd let them know if he needed them. I was sobbing quietly when I felt them kiss my head before leaving our room.

When I woke again, I could see light filtering in around the edges of the curtains. I turned to look over my shoulder at Edward only to find him watching me intently.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" He whispered.

"I'm so sorry" I said as I turned to caress his cheek. "I disturbed everyone's sleep."

"Damn it Bella" He said in an exasperated tone. "Would you please stop apologizing? You had a fucking nightmare. If I lost sleep, it's because I love you and I was worried about you."

"Please stop feeling guilty for things you have no control over." He added in a softer tone.

"I'll try." I said in a small voice.

At breakfast, I tried to apologize to Emmett and Rose, but they would have none of it. "Bells if that had happened to any one of us, would you expect us to apologize?" Rose demanded.

"No" I admitted.

"What am I missing?" Alice interrupted.

"I just had a nightmare. Since Emmett and Rose's compartment is next to ours, they heard me scream." I said quietly before taking a sip of my tea.

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Do you have a lot of those?"

"I used to, before Edward." I said. "This was strange. I was in the Ranger's car again. After I thought about it this morning, I decided that the motion of the train may have triggered my subconscious."

Alice sighed. "You know, the day _it_  happened." Alice said in a whisper. "I was having all kinds of crazy visions. I tried to call you, but I guess it was too late." She muttered sadly.

"It's over and done." I attempted to sound convincing. "I'm trying my best to put that day behind me. Besides, I have more important things to worry about now." I said as I plastered on a smile, trying desperately to change the subject.

Alice smiled knowingly. "Like appearing on Oprah in two days" She announced.

Rose's fork dropped clattering onto her plate. "Back the fuck up and repeat what you just said Mrs. Whitlock."

Alice giggled. "I  _said_  that Bella is appearing on Oprah with Edward this week."

Rose's mouth fell open in shock, causing the rest of us to laugh loudly.

She finally closed her mouth and took a deep breath. "Well, I was going to ask this anyway, but now I'm not going to be timid about it." She pursed her lips. "Edward, I may never ask another thing of you for the rest of my life, but I'm asking this: Introduce me to Oprah?" She said with a frown.

Edward smiled brilliantly. "I think that can be arranged."

_-V &V—_

After breakfast, all six of us spent the next few hours hanging out in the observation lounge. Because of the windows which curved up into the ceiling, it afforded amazing views of the Montana landscape.

During the night we had ridden through Idaho, and were now in Montana, Edward was thrilled.

"While we have a little time off before the wedding, Rose and I have decided to do a little house hunting." Emmett announced.

This wasn't a surprise to me. I knew that as soon as they found out that Rose was expecting, she and Emmett had discussed the desire to leave the apartment and buy a house. "We really like Mercer Island" Rose said, "but we also wanted to look out on Bainbridge Island."

"For the last couple of weeks, we've been jotting down home features we can't live without, and then some others that would be nice to have."

"I just thought of another one to add Babe" Emmett exclaimed as he stood up to stretch.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"A toilet in the shower just like in our train compartment." He answered with a stupid grin. "That way I can take a leak while I shower."

_Good grief._

"Not that I don't do that already" He continued as he looked out the window "Oooh, buffalo!" He said in an awed voice as he pointed at his latest distraction just before pressing both palms against the window, reminiscent of a small child, his nose a half inch from the glass.

"He really is five years old isn't he?" Alice asked with a disgusted look on her face.

Rose merely shrugged.

"Ali, I'm standing right here, therefore I can hear everything you say." He told her while still keeping his eyes glued to the herd of buffalo.

After we passed them, he turned to face her.

"I'm a guy. All guys piss in the shower."

"You are full of doodie Emmett. I'll have you know that my husband does not urinate in the shower." Alice whisper-yelled before turning to Jasper. "Do you honey?"

At her question, we all turned to stare at Jasper, who proceeded to give the best 'deer in the headlights' impression that I'd ever seen. "Uh.." was all Jasper could say.

Emmett and Edward cracked up at poor Jasper's expense.

"Oh hell, now I've got to pee." Rose announced before she unceremoniously left.

The train stopped for about twenty minutes somewhere in Montana. Edward and I took the opportunity to step off and stretch our legs, both of us wearing hoodies and sunglasses in order not to be recognized.

After that, we were back on board. We passed miles and miles of open range inhabited mostly by cattle. We also passed the Indian Reservation in which Chief Sitting Bull lived after he surrendered.

We were relaxing before dinner in our room when Emmett banged on the door again. He had an announcement. "The paps must have gotten wind that you're on the train Edward. I was just up in the observation car, and it seems a couple of them boarded the train back in Minot. As soon as they saw me, they snapped my fucking photo." He frowned.

"Damn it" Edward muttered.

"Don't worry about it Edward. There's not a whole lot they can film." I said as I took his hand.

Sure enough, the two paps Emmett mentioned were watching for us. When we went to the dining car, they followed but kept their distance.

It was annoying and kind of creepy because it felt as if they were eaves dropping on our conversation. I must not have been the only one to feel that way because everyone was rather subdued during the meal, even my brother. Edward deposited me back in the room afterwards and said he was going to have a word with Troy.

Alice and Rose appeared a moment later. "Come on Bells, we're going to have some girl time in Alice's room."

The look on Alice's face made it clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer. I followed them into Alice's empty compartment. "Where's Jasper?"

"All the boys are speaking with Troy and the conductor to find out what can be done about the paps on board." Alice answered as she poured orange juice and vodka into a glass and handed it to me. "Sorry, I don't have the ingredients to make anything fancier. You'll have to settle for a screwdriver." She then handed Rose a glass. "And you'll have to settle for orange juice." She said with a wink.

We made ourselves comfortable on the bed. I giggled when I saw the GPS tracking our trip. "Jasper too?"

Alice quirked an eyebrow. "He  _is_ male after all." She then narrowed her eyes. "And evidently  _pees_ in the shower. Ugh, when we get home, he's never using the shower in the master bath again."

Rose and I laughed.

_-V &V—_

I fully expected to be tossed off the train if we got any louder. Alice and I were having a contest as to who could better remember the lyrics to every silly song that Rose could name. One of us would sing the first verse of a song and if we messed it up, we had to take a swig of our drink as punishment.

_Alice was going to run out of vodka at this rate._

Rose, the one not drinking alcohol, seemed to be enjoying the game a lot more than Alice or me…that was until Alice had to sing 'My Sharona'.

The boys had come to check on us once, early in our game, before deciding to hang out together next door in Rose and Emmett's compartment. We had a suspicion they were drinking as well.

Alice began, " _Ooh my little pretty one, pretty one. When you gonna give me some time, Sharona?_ " She jumped up on the seat opposite the bed and started to swivel her hips in time with the song as she swung one arm and held an invisible microphone in the other. " _Ooh you make my motor run, my motor run. Gun it comin' off the line Sharona. Never gonna stop, give it up. Such a dirty_   _mind. I always something something something. And I can't remember the line Sharona…M M M My Sharona_..." She sang before collapsing in hysterical giggles on the bed next to us.

"Okay Alice, you know what to do." Rose directed with a laugh. "You really fucked that one up. And you were doing so well too." She turned to me while Alice took a drink from her glass. "Bells, I want to hear a verse of 'Too Sexy For My Shirt'."

I stuck my tongue out at her and began. I wasn't drunk, but I definitely was less inhibited than usual. " _I'm too sexy for my love. Too sexy for my love, Love's going to leave me_." I camped it up by flexing my non-existent muscles like the guys in the video, eliciting laughter from my audience. " _I'm too sexy for my shirt. Too sexy for my shirts. So sexy it hurts._ " I vamped around the small space as I raised both arms above my head, palms together, and gave a little Egyptian head bob. I happen to glance toward the door only to see our guys standing there laughing at me.

"Okay, I'm done." I announced as I felt the blush overtake my face before flopping down on the chair.

Alice giggled hysterically before turning to her brother.

_She's definitely had the most alcohol._

"Oh Edward, I've been meaning to ask how you like Bella's birthday gift?" She slurred before winking at him.

He cleared his throat. "I liked it very much."

"Pfft. You're always so  _proper._  Oh!" She exclaimed as if she'd just experienced a eureka moment. "I've got the perfect song for you brother dear."

She unceremoniously removed me from the chair so she could stand on it again. She looked at Edward and mouthed 'perfect' before she started singing at the top of her lungs. " _My blood runs cold. My memory has just been sold. My angel is the centerfold. Angel is the centerfold._ " She couldn't sing any more, she was laughing too hard. So was Rose.

Emmett and Jasper looked confused.

I gave the girls a dirty look before grabbing Edward's hand and making a fast exit.

_God know how they're going to explain that one to Emmett and Jasper._

_-V &V—_

"Jasper and Alice make a fine pair. We had a couple of drinks and he was acting as silly as she was." Edward chuckled. "I hope they survive the night."

"Maybe it's the altitude?" I asked with a smile, having no fucking clue what I was talking about.

Once I was ready for bed, I lay there and watched Edward fiddling with the I-home.

"Are we going to listen to music?" I asked, feeling rather sleepy by that time.

He pressed his lips into a flat line before he spoke. "I have a theory. I'm hoping music will keep the bad dreams away."

He started the playlist with one of my favorite artists, Loreena McKennitt, and crawled behind me into the bed. I turned to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck in the small space.

"You take such good care of me. Thank you Edward." I whispered. I initiated the kiss this time, he responded immediately and passionately.

I hope I never got used to the feeling of falling asleep in his arms. Aside from making me feel safe and loved, there was the feeling that I was exactly where I was always meant to be.

Sometimes I imagined what things would have been like if Edward and I had met as children. Even though I was two years younger than him, I had the feeling that we would have been best friends. As we got older, it would have probably been difficult to keep us apart. The thought made me smile.

_-V &V-_

Part of my brain was trying to determine if I was dreaming. Similar to the night before, I sensed that I was moving. I was terrified to open my eyes only to find myself once again in the backseat of the Ranger's car.

I took a deep breath and willed my eyes to open slowly. I  _was_  in a car, but it most definitely wasn't the Ranger's. I was in the back seat of a stretch limo, and Edward was seated beside me.

I turned my head to better take in the sight of him. He was even more mouth-watering than usual in his dinner jacket and black pants. I looked down at myself, not surprised to find I was wearing my wedding gown. "Champagne Mrs. Cullen?" Edward asked in a husky voice.

I was only able to respond with a nod.

_If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up._

Edward reached over to the control panel and the next thing I knew, the privacy screen between us and the driver was in place. We were alone, well relatively, and we were  _married._  It seemed as if we had waited a lifetime for this day to finally arrive.

I'd only had a sip of my champagne, before Edward was taking the glass away and setting it down beside his own. His lips found mine then, his kiss urgent as his hand snaked up under my dress stopping to caress my leg just above the knee.

"Baby forgive me, but I don't think I can wait any longer. Tell me you want this." He pleaded as his tongue licked and his lips and teeth nipped at the flesh on my neck and shoulder.

"I want it Edward. So much" I whispered.

While one hand was busily caressing my thigh and slowly making its way further up my leg, his other hand clasped the side of my neck, before drifting down slowly to the top of my dress and gently slipping it down just enough to uncover my breasts. "Beautiful" he whispered. I gasped as he took one nipple in his mouth and swirled his tongue around it before sucking gently. I surrendered to the feel of his lips on my sensitive skin, unaware that I had been sliding down on the seat until I was lying across it with him on top of me. When I felt his teeth gently tease me, I moaned out loud.

There was a trail of warmth on my leg along the path where his hand had traveled. When his fingers reached my panties, I writhed encouragingly against his hand. His fingertips were running along the lace at the waistband when he spoke again. "Let me make you feel good Bella" He whispered.

I tried to answer, but it came out as a small squeak.

He reached down and cupped my sex, his fingertips feeling every bit of me through the lace. It was such a new and exhilarating sensation. Edward had never touched me there before and the heat from his hand was almost too much to endure. As wonderful as his touch felt, I wanted more. I wanted more contact. I wanted him to touch me under the lace. I wanted more of  _him._ I closed my eyes as I melted into his touch.

Feeling bold then, I decided to reciprocate. I moved my hand until I reached the button of his trousers. "May I?" I whispered as I peeked at him through half-closed eyes.

"Allow me." He answered just as quietly. I felt the absence of Edward's touch as he undid his trousers and then his warm hand clasped one of mine, pulling it down to feel his boxer-clad erection.

And my oh my what an erection it was.

I had nothing in my experience to compare it to, but I was fairly certain that as far as penises went, it stood to reason that Edward's had to be perfect. After all, everything else about him was. I closed my hand over it, as my eyes shot open wide, surprising even myself that I'd been brave enough to touch him  _there._

I realized at that exact moment that we were no longer in the limo, instead we were lying in bed in the train compartment, and my hand was gripping Edward's very prominent morning wood through his sleep pants. He didn't say a word as his bright green eyes opened wide in surprise and stared into mine.

"Oh God." I muttered as I realized I'd just grabbed my fiancé's junk in my sleep.

_Fuck my life._

_-V &V—_

"Bella sweetheart, please come out." Edward pleaded from the other side of the bathroom door.

_Little does he know that I am never coming out of this bathroom. Never. Never ever._

Edward had been trying to coax me out for several minutes before he finally decided to play dirty. "Bella please come out, I need to use the facilities."

I sighed. He knew I wouldn't send him to someone else's compartment. After all, I wasn't a bitch. I was just mortified.

I yanked the door open and dove past him onto the bed, pulling the covers over my head in one swift movement. I heard him chuckle as he climbed in beside me, wrapping his strong arms around me, probably so I wouldn't escape again.

"Liar" I whispered.

He laughed out loud then. "I had to get you out of there somehow."

I sat there for a while, not speaking before finally working up the nerve to apologize. "I'm sorry I molested you in your sleep." I muttered from under the blanket.

I could feel his body shaking with laughter. "Yes, please don't do that ever again Bella. I would rather you molest me while I'm fully awake so that I can enjoy it more." He was still laughing.

"Don't tease. I'm really embarrassed. Does it help if I tell you it was all because of a dream?"

_Why the hell did I just admit that?_

"Please come out from under the blanket Bella." He asked. "I really need to see your face baby."

Knowing I could never deny him, I blew out a breath and pulled the blanket off of my head. "Okay."

He smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "Now, let me hear about this dream."

I knew I'd eventually tell him anyway, so I decided to get it over with. "It was our wedding day. We were in the limo, I'm assuming on our way to the reception." I shrugged. I hesitated then, editing as I went. "Let's just say that things were getting a little hot and heavy."

His eyebrows shot up and his smirk turned into a smile.

"You touched me  _down there._ " I gestured down with my eyes. "And when I went to touch you the same way" I cleared my throat. "I don't know. I guess as soon as I touched your, uh,  _manhood_ " I smirked "It woke me up. From what I remember, it was kind of  _impressive._ " I said with a giggle.

He laughed as he moved until he was propped up on one elbow, partially hovering over me. "Would you like me to refresh your memory baby?" His voice low and rough.

I didn't answer; I just stared into his eyes. It was just like in my dream; his warm hand clasped mine and pulled it down to rest on his clothed erection.

_Fuck me._

I cleared my throat. "Like I said.  _Impressive._ "

He smiled. "I hope I don't disappoint you sweetheart, but the first time we make love will  _not_ be in the back of a limo."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, still not removing my hand from his man business.

_I may keep it there forever._

"Yes. I have plans for you." He whispered.

His words sent a thrill through me and my hand gave him a little squeeze in response.

I watched as Edward closed his eyes and bit his lip. "Baby, if you do that again you may just ruin my plans."

"Uh oh. Sorry. It seems my hand has a mind of its own." I giggled again.

He chuckled.

"Edward, I'm glad we're not doing it in the limo. I'm a total germaphobe, and there's no way of knowing how many nasty prom-night cooters have rubbed all over those seats." I said in a serious tone, causing Edward to collapse into laughter.

After a moment, I joined him in his laughter, proud of myself for never removing my hand, which I had renamed 'Edward's peen cozy'. I was just coming to the conclusion that I probably needed to add a second hand in order to fully cover Edward's considerable size, when we were interrupted by a loud banging on the door. The sound startled me, and I pulled my hand away, causing Edward to groan.

"Guys, rise and shine. We've got a bit of a situation out here, so hurry up." Emmett boomed through the door.

Edward leaned down, giving me a sweet kiss. "Precisely why Emmett will not be anywhere around when we make love for the first time."

"It's probably for the best that we have to get up Edward."

"Why's that?" He asked.

"Well, it's either that or you spend the rest of the morning letting me grope you." I replied.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." He grinned.

_-V &V—_

We followed Emmett to a part of the lounge car that was temporarily closed to the public. This was where we found Jasper speaking with a man in a suit, along with Troy. The two paps were seated beside them calmly watching us as we approached.

I was confused.

The man in the suit turned to greet us. "Mr. Masen, Mr. and Miss Swan, how do you do, I'm William Morgan from Amtrak's Chicago office." He said with a smile. "You are probably not aware of this but, as I was telling Mr. Whitlock; these two gentlemen were found lurking outside of your sleeping compartments during the night."

I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.

"We feel certain that they were hoping to snap a few sensational shots, and make a fair chunk of money for their efforts, but thankfully Troy here thwarted their plans."

We smiled gratefully at Troy.

"What can you do to them?" Jasper asked.

"Unfortunately because no crime was committed, the most we can do is have them removed from the train at the next stop." Mr. Morgan said with a frown. "Please accept our sincere apologies."

Edward interrupted him. "Mr. Morgan don't trouble yourself about it. Unfortunately, because of my career, this sort of thing comes with the territory." He then flashed his Hollywood smile. Mr. Morgan gratefully shook his hand.

It was at that moment that I noticed my brother's face. He was glaring at the two paps with absolute disgust, taking me back to the way he reacted to the paps invading my life back before Tanya made her statement all those months ago.

It was early, only six o'clock, so we left Emmett and Jasper, grabbed a couple cups of coffee and headed back to our compartment until the train was due to stop in an hour. During the night, we had crossed into Minnesota.

Our sleepy group exited the train at St. Paul to stretch our legs. "I'll be glad to have a workout." My brother said as he groaned. "Hey Eddie does your Gramps have an exercise room?" Emmett asked.

"As a matter of fact, he does, but it's a small one. I have a membership in the best fitness club in Chicago; we could go out there tomorrow if you like."

Emmett grinned. "Sounds good." He said before looking back toward the station and starting to laugh. "Check that out. Fuckers can't even walk straight." He said as he pointed.

We looked back toward the building only to see the two paps being escorted by Amtrak security away from the train and into the doors of the station. The best way to describe their demeanor would be 'dazed and confused'.

"What's their deal?" I asked.

Emmett grinned and rubbed his hands together. "Well little sister. Did you really think I would let them off that easily?"

"Emmett what did you do?" I asked, almost afraid to know.

"Hey, I never laid a hand on either of them." He grinned widely. "For the last ten minutes, they've been closed up in their roomette waiting for the train to stop. Have you seen the size of those roomettes?"

I shrugged.

"Well, they're basically the size of a small closet with two seats jammed in there." He smiled wickedly. "Let's just say that, while Amtrak security held them in the hallway, I prepared their roomette for them."

Then it dawned on me, Emmett's calling card, "You farted didn't you?"

He grinned wider. "Several fucking times. Almost made myself gag, and that  _never_ happens. I think this train trip has been wreaking havoc on my digestive system." He muttered as he rubbed his toned abdomen.

I wanted to be disgusted, but it was difficult to do that when everyone around me was laughing hysterically. "As soon as I vacated the roomette," Emmett continued, "Troy and the security guard shoved those fuckers in there and closed the door. Troy was supposed to videotape them through the door window for me. If it's funny enough, that shit's going on Youtube."

_-V &V-_

After breakfast, we spent the morning in the lounge, the highlight was the time spent following the Mississippi River for over a hundred miles through Minnesota. After we crossed into Wisconsin I went back to our room to take a nap, not wanting to be a zombie when I met Edward's grandfather for the first time. I woke to find Edward quietly packing our things. "Why didn't you wake me?" I whispered.

He stopped packing to smile at me. "You looked like you needed the rest. We'll be arriving in Chicago in an hour or so."

I'd slept through lunch, so while Edward left to purchase a box lunch from the café for us; I took a quick shower and changed into a sundress and sweater. I had butterflies in my stomach as I thought about meeting Edward's grandfather for the first time.

By the time Edward got back, I was ready to go. "You look beautiful baby." He said before giving me a sweet kiss.

"Do you think your grandfather will like me?" I asked as we ate.

He frowned as he thought about that. "I have to admit that I'm a bit worried."

At his words, my old insecurities reared their ugly heads.

_I knew I wasn't good enough for Edward or his family. I think I feel sick._

"Bella, you have to remember that my grandfather is a widower. He's also very charming." He grinned. "I'm afraid if I'm not very careful, he may just steal you away from me."

"Oh Edward" I exclaimed with a relieved smile. "He's got nothing on you in the  _charm_ department. It must be genetic."

He laughed.

_-V &V—_

"Move your tushies" Alice demanded once we'd retrieved our luggage. "The limo should be waiting right out there."

We followed her to a waiting black Rolls Royce limo parked in front of the station. "Hello Manny" Alice and Edward said at the same time to the driver.

"Hello all" The older, distinguished looking driver answered. "I trust everyone had a pleasant trip." He asked as he ushered us into the vehicle. The boys stayed back to help load the luggage in the trunk.

_-V &V—_

Alice managed to be the first one to the front door, once we'd reached the house. Well,  _mansion_  I guess would be the more correct term.

As we followed behind, we watched as she flew into the waiting arms of an older gentleman waiting in the foyer. "Alice honey, you never change." He remarked with a laugh as he patted her back.

She pulled away with a smile as Edward walked up to give his Grandfather a hug. There was definitely a strong resemblance between Edward and Duke. I wouldn't be surprised if photos of Duke at a young age showed the same distinctive bronze coloring to his hair, which was now snow white.

Introductions were made. "Duke" Edward said with a proud smile. "This is my Bella."

"I'm so happy to meet you" I said quietly as I reached out my hand in order to shake his.

"Sorry my dear, that just won't do." He said as he pulled me into a warm hug. Six months before, such a gesture would have sent me immediately into a panic attack. Today, from this man, it felt right. I closed my eyes and released the breath I'd been holding as I relaxed into his embrace.

After the way I'd heard Alice and Edward speak of their Grandfather, I wasn't surprised that Duke was a wonderful man. I was however a bit taken aback at how down to earth he seemed. The man I got to know over the next several hours seemed like he would be more at home having a bite to eat at the Forks Diner back home than at brunch with the Mayor, even though the latter was precisely where he'd been earlier that day.

"Personally, I'd like to tell all politicians to shut the hell up and get real jobs." Duke said while we were having dinner. "But unfortunately, they have all the power, _especially_ in Chicago. I only deal with them in order to get their help in improving things for our veterans."

Just like Edward's parents, Duke worked tirelessly for the people and causes closest to his heart.

"Are you a veteran Duke?" Emmett asked. No surprise that he and Duke had taken an instant liking to each other.

"Yes I am." He chuckled then "Irritated the hell out of my father when I enlisted during my last year of college too."

Those of us who had just met him looked confused.

"The children of the rich didn't go off to war in my day." He clarified. "Unless of course they had aspirations for political office. But as we've established,  _that_ was never one of my goals." He said with a chuckle.

"My father forgave me after I returned from the Korean War in one piece. I met my wife while home on leave and was immediately smitten." He said with a wistful smile. "We were married less than a year later."

_So soon? Now I don't feel as weird about marrying Edward less than eight months after we met._

"The only thing I regret is that I didn't meet her and marry her sooner." He said as he turned to look out the dining room window.

A gloomy silence hung over the room as both Edward and Alice, no doubt, were remembering their Grandmother. Duke cleared his throat. "I was finished my stint in the army before our marriage, and completed the requirements for my degree. After that, because I didn't relish the thought of having to leave Elizabeth for any reason, my old man got his wish when I played it safe and took a position with his company."

"The rest as they say is history. Here I sit, a lonely widower, inflicting the boring details of my mundane existence on you young folks." He smiled ruefully. "Please excuse the ramblings of an old coot."

We all spoke at once then. "Duke, what are you talking about?" Emmett's voice drowned out everyone else's "I could listen to this kind of shit all day..er, sorry about the language." My brother said sheepishly.

Duke laughed "Hey Emmett, did you miss the part about me being in the Army? I had quite a salty vocabulary in my day. Elizabeth gave me hell for it on a regular basis."

The more I learned about this man, the more I realized how well he and Charlie would get along.

After dinner, Duke's housekeeper Maeve showed us to our  _separate_ rooms. Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock, it seemed, would be the only couple to  _share_ a bedroom.

_Yep, Duke and Charlie will get along fabulously._

My sleep was restless, not because I was plagued with nightmares, or even by beautiful dreams of Edward. The truth was that I had a hard time trying to sleep in a new place without him beside me.

I wasn't surprised when, sometime in the middle of the night I felt the bed dip and within seconds Edward was holding me in his arms. "Couldn't sleep." I heard him whisper before I succumbed to a deep dreamless slumber.

_-V &V—_

"The first time you'll be meeting Oprah will be when you walk out on stage." Oprah's assistant, Kay, advised as we sat in a waiting room. "After the show, she would like to personally meet the family members who came with you today, if that would be alright."

Edward chuckled. "That would be more than alright Kay." He answered in a voice as smooth as silk. "Our family has been dying to meet Miss Winfrey." He flashed the Hollywood smile, and Kay was soon a puddle of goo at his feet.

_Another one bites the dust_

I smiled and rolled my eyes.

Kay recovered and was all business again. She told us that she would be back to get us in less than ten minutes.

We watched on the monitor as Oprah showed a couple clips of Edward's movies, including a very short preview of  _The Harvest of Avarice._

"As you all know, Edward Masen is scheduled to be a guest on today's show." Uproarious cheering and applause ensued, to which Oprah eventually raised her hands and good naturedly got the audience to quiet down. "Okay so we have a little surprise. A few audience members are already aware of this, but most of you are not. We were able to coax Edward's beautiful fiancée to appear on the show with him." The cheering and applause started again, and Oprah continued to speak right over it. "Please welcome Edward Masen and Isabella Swan."

I took a deep breath and looked into Edward's eyes. His reassuring smile calmed my nerves somewhat. He clasped my hand, giving it a little squeeze before he led me from the waiting room.


	66. Shock Therapy & The Mother Road

 

Oprah wasn't one for handshakes, she liked to hug. I found it nice.

"Welcome, welcome." She said with a happy smile as we took our seats next to hers.

After a couple of minutes, the audience finally stopped clapping and cheering. "I'm trying to remember when I saw you last." Oprah asked Edward as we settled into our seats. "I think it was about a year ago, you'd just finished filming  _Time Stands Still."_

Edward nodded. "Yes that sounds about right."

"So I hear that you arrived in Chicago last night?"

We nodded.

"After travelling from Seattle by train?" Oprah asked, clearly amused.

"Yes" Edward spoke up.

"And how was that?"

"It was different." He answered with a smile.

"I've heard from a few people who took that trip." She continued. "Some hated it; others would do it again without a second thought."

"Well, it wasn't as comfortable as flying first class, I'll admit" Edward replied. "But it wasn't bad. We got to see a lot of America which isn't possible from an airplane."

"Very true." Oprah nodded and smiled. "Were you bothered by screaming fans at all?"

"No, no, not really." Edward continued. "We posed for a few photos with some of the other passengers. Aside from the two photographers that boarded the train the day before we arrived here, there weren't any problems."

"Oh dear, so what did you do about them?"

I could see the smirk Edward was trying to hide. No doubt he was thinking about Emmett's solution. "They were removed from the train in St. Paul." He answered with a grin.

"Well, I hope your stay in Chicago proves uneventful. Someone told me that you lived here as a child?"

"Yes, although I was quite young when we moved to Washington. My Grandfather still lives here. He's here with us today, seated right over there as a matter of fact." Edward said as he gestured toward his grandfather sitting in the front row flanked by Alice, Rose, Jasper and Emmett.

Duke waved, and the audience applauded loudly, prompting him to stand and bow theatrically before blowing a kiss to Oprah.

She was beaming. "Oh my, I can see where you inherited your charm Edward."

Duke was smiling from ear to ear as he sat back down.

"And what is your name sir?" Oprah asked.

"Duke Masen." He said with a grin.

"Welcome Duke."

The audience applauded again.

"I had no idea that you had family here in Chicago." Oprah said, turning back to Edward. "Although I bet some of your die-hard fans here in the audience did."

Cheering and applause.

"Let's talk about the movie you just finished. When will it be released?"

"Not until December. You got a very early preview."

"I have my ways." Oprah grinned. "It's set during World War II?"

"My part of it is. There are also flashbacks to significant events during the 1930's."

"The Great Depression?"

"Yes."

"I can't wait to see it."

Edward smiled.

"So you're here visiting family, and the parents are back home in Washington?"

Edward nodded.

"See I'm learning a lot about you that I didn't know before." She turned to me then. "Isabella, may I call you Bella?"

"Yes, of course." I gave her a nervous smile.

"I hear that your father is a chief of police."

I nodded.

Oprah turned back to Edward. "Does that make you nervous at all? Knowing that her Dad carries a loaded weapon most days?"

Edward and the audience started to laugh as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees while rubbing his hands together.

"No. Not at all." He said with mock sincerity, obviously fibbing.

More laughter.

"I want to hear about when you proposed. Did you get the father's permission?" Oprah was obviously enjoying this.

Honestly, I'd have to admit that I was enjoying it too, especially the fact that Edward couldn't stop grinning.

"Actually I did." He stated proudly.

"Aww." Oprah exclaimed as she pressed her hand over her heart and the audience  _awwed_ with her. "And of course he gave you his blessing?"

"Absolutely." cue cheeky grin.

She then turned to me. "Bella did you suspect that Edward was going to propose when he did?"

"We'd talked about it in a roundabout way, but when he actually did it, I was taken by surprise, yes." For some reason I was comfortable talking about this with her.

"This was in England?" Oprah asked.

"Yes" I answered, thinking back to that night. "And he bought me a house!" I blurted excitedly.

Edward and Oprah both chuckled. I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks.

"Don't be embarrassed Bella. It's not every day that a gorgeous man asks you to marry him  _and_ buys you a house."

I chuckled, still feeling the blush warming my cheeks.

_Why am I so at ease speaking with this woman?_

"I know I am not alone when I tell you that I'm happy for you both, and wish you all the best." Oprah said as she reached over and patted both our hands.

I realized at that moment that the secret to Oprah's success was her uncanny ability to put people at ease. We could just as easily have been having this conversation over tea at my kitchen table.

Her tone turned a little more serious. "Now, the last few months have been nothing short of crazy for the two of you. How have you been able handle that, especially you Bella, the media attention, the fans, a lot of people would have run screaming for the hills by now?"

I looked at Edward's beautiful smile and the words came easily. "I don't enjoy being the center of attention" I grimaced. "Obviously" My statement causing muffled laughter from the audience. I glanced at the smiling faces of our family in the front row. "Especially when people are less than kind." I added softly. "But I've come to realize that even a bad day spent with Edward is better than my best day spent alone."

Earning me another 'aw'.

"I'm pretty sure that he feels the same way." I smiled gently as I turned to look at him.

"Without a doubt." He whispered and gave me a swift kiss on the back of my hand.

"You guys are too sweet." Oprah announced. "Maybe things will calm down from here on out. The wedding is this summer correct?"

"Yes, but I'm sure you'll understand if we choose to keep the details private."

Edward and I both knew that reporters had been trying to sniff out information ever since they'd discovered our engagement.

"Completely understandable." She nodded before fixing her gaze on me. "Now Bella, if I could be serious for a moment, I wanted to explain my reasons for having you here today." She studied my reaction. "First of all I wanted to meet the amazing young woman who has been responsible for such a dramatic change in young Edward here." She grinned. "But also, I wanted to let you know how your recent ordeal has resonated with not just victims, but ordinary folks all over this country."

Edward reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together.

"When I announced that Edward was a guest, my office was literally swamped with phone calls from fans of this show  _begging_  to have you appear as well."

My mouth fell open in shock. "Um.." I stuttered.

Oprah noticed my expression. "Relax. We are all friends here today." She held me in her gaze.

_I swear to God if Dr. Phil walks out on this stage, I am out that door like a shot._

"My intention is not to put you on the spot, but would you mind if I asked a couple of questions about that night?"

I glanced out at the faces in the audience smiling back at me hopefully. I remembered all the cards, letters, flowers, balloons and little gifts I'd received while in the hospital. It had touched my heart when I learned of the people who had waited outside the hospital for news.

_Maybe this would be an opportunity to give something back_

For the first time since my abduction, I actually felt myself wanting to talk about that night.

"I wouldn't mind." I answered softly.

Oprah gave me a small smile. "What made you decide to fight back Bella?"

I hunched forward slightly and wrapped my arms around my stomach. Edward let go of my hand and began to gently rub my back. I willed my mind to think back to when I woke up in the ranger's car.

"He thought I was still unconscious, so I didn't make a sound." I said in a voice barely above a whisper. "He was talking to himself about me, or rather  _ranting_ about me. I didn't have time to stop and try to understand why he hated me so much." I took a deep breath. "All I could think about was getting back to Edward and my family."

I thought about my mother visiting me in my dreams.

"My mother fought. She couldn't save both of us, but she saved me." My voice dropped to a whisper and my hands shook slightly as my thoughts returned to a Saturday evening seven years before.

"Bella, you don't have to.." Oprah started.

I cleared my throat. "It's okay." I turned to Edward; his face grave and sad as his hand continued to rub slow circles on my back.

"I had to make it back." I stated simply. "For Edward. I couldn't leave him."

Edward swallowed hard as Oprah leaned over and patted my hand again. "It's an incredible story Bella." She said with no small amount of emotion in her voice.

She continued. "Is there forgiveness for someone like the ranger?"

I rubbed my forehead with my fingers and gave a small laugh without humor. "It's funny, I haven't really thought about that lately." I frowned. "I suppose it's easier to forgive what he attempted to do because he wasn't successful. I'm having a harder time forgiving myself." I trailed off.

Oprah frowned. "For his death?"

I nodded.

She blinked several times as she processed that.

She then turned to Edward. "We've all seen the footage of you that night as you waited for news. I'll be honest Edward, it was difficult to watch. It was such a private moment. Your own personal  _dark night of the soul_ as it were."

Edward nodded and cleared his throat. "Word reached me that the authorities had found a wrecked car in the forest. There was a fatality. I couldn't get the police to say if the body was Bella or not. Most of the video footage of me was taken during the time that I had convinced myself that Bella had  _died_." He said, whispering the last word and wringing his hands as he spoke.

I reached over and slipped my hand through his arm, giving his upper arm a slight squeeze. He patted my hand and looked at me.

"How about you Edward, is there forgiveness for something like this?"

Edward turned back to Oprah and his face hardened. "No." He shook his head. "I'm not that noble. If I had lost Bella, I'd have lost everything." He said in a desperate voice. "I can't even think of forgiveness at this point."

I glanced over at our family, their faces no longer smiling. Rose and Alice were dabbing their eyes with tissues.

Oprah nodded in understanding.

"Bella, I want to return to something you said a few moments ago. You admitted that you're having a difficult time forgiving yourself."

I nodded.

"I've spoken with a lot of victims over the years, and I have to admit that it's not uncommon for you to be haunted by those feelings. A lot of the time it would manifest as maybe blaming yourself for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Clearly that's not what happened here, this man stalked you, and planned what he would do."

"It's downright tragic that you would feel in any way responsible for his death."

I looked down at Edward's and my joined hands.

"I wish there was some way to convince you that the only person to blame here is the man who got out of bed that morning with the intention of harming you."

The audience applauded.

Oprah continued. "You've probably heard this many, many times from Edward and your family, but I am so gratified to have you here today safe, well and healing." She said sincerely.

I mouthed  _thank you_ before she continued.

"If it would be alright with you, a few members of the audience would like to say a few things."

I turned to look at the audience and noticed a solitary microphone stand positioned in the aisle next to the front row with a few people lined up behind it. The first woman in line began to speak. "Bella, hi. My name is Sarah."

Sarah then went on to tell her story. One morning, a few weeks before my abduction, a man had grabbed Sarah's teenage daughter as she waited for the bus, and attempted to force her into his vehicle. Thankfully, Sarah had gone to great lengths to teach her children how to fight off a would-be attacker. Sarah's daughter remembered to go for the eyes and the groin, and was able to escape.

The audience applauded loudly.

The next person up was named Maria. Maria was walking home when a man with a knife attempted to force her into a dark alley. Maria was convinced that if she complied, she would never leave that alley alive. She fought her attacker and was stabbed. As soon as the attacker saw the blood, he fled the scene.

"Maria" Oprah asked. "Do you regret putting up a fight? I mean if you hadn't you may not have gotten injured?"

"No. Never. I know in my heart that the only reason I am standing here today, alive, is because I fought back."

Oprah nodded. The audience applauded loudly.

I was aware of Edward's gaze on me during the entire exchange, no doubt gauging my reaction. More than once he whispered, asking if I was okay.

And so it continued until everyone in the line had taken their turn at the microphone. One was a teenage girl who claimed to have been inspired by my actions when she fought off a potential rapist in the parking lot of her after-school job two days after my ordeal.

As each person told their story, I could feel myself tensing and holding my breath as I waited for confirmation of each happy ending. Some of the perpetrators had been apprehended, some had not, and one had died.

Died at the hands of his potential victim.

It was the last story that sent a chill to my heart. Her name was Maya. About two years before, while home alone she had answered the door to one of her neighbors.

In retrospect she knew she shouldn't have opened that door, but at the time there was no reason to regard him as anything other than a friend. Upon learning that Maya was alone, he forced his way inside. Maya fled up the stairs. She didn't get far before he grabbed her, hitting her several times in order to force her surrender.

Maya fought, but she was losing. With the last of her courage, she kicked out blindly against her attacker causing him to lose his balance and tumble down the stairs, smashing his head against the bottom tread before crumbling in a heap on the floor.

He lingered in the hospital for about a day before his family decided to remove him from life support. She gave me a knowing look. "I wished at the time that I could have stopped him without it resulting in his death, and I still wish that, but when I think of what could have happened to me and what that would have done to my family…" Maya furrowed her brow. "It took over a year, but I finally reconciled myself to the events of that day, and I'm more than okay that I was the one who made it out alive." She smiled brightly.

The applause was deafening.

The morning had been surprising in so many ways, but I couldn't say that it was unwelcome. I'd finally been forced to face the feelings I'd intended to suppress until my next visit with Dr. Miller.

When the cameras stopped rolling, Oprah turned to Edward and me. "I am so sorry. Halfway through the show, I realized that you didn't know what had been planned. Kay assured me that she left a phone message with all the details yesterday morning."

"The phone service while we were on the train was a little iffy." I explained.

"I apologize if any of that today made either of you feel uncomfortable." She began. "It was never my intention to do that.."

"No, please don't apologize." I interrupted. "I mean, it was helpful to hear from other people who have lived through similar circumstances. This was a good thing, I think." Although I sounded a bit like I was trying to convince myself.

I knew I would be pondering the things I'd heard for days to come.

Oprah insisted that we all stay for lunch; this included our family members seated in the audience. We were ushered into a large room consisting of groups of comfortable seating and a large luncheon spread catered by  _Table Fifty-Two,_ one of Oprah's favorite restaurants.

The restaurant specialized in southern cuisine, and before I knew it, Oprah and Rosalie had bonded; firstly over southern cooking, and secondly over their chosen professions.

"I'm glad you told me you were pregnant Rosalie, I was beginning to worry that you may have an eating disorder." Oprah announced with a chuckle.

"Believe me" Rose said around a mouthful of cornbread, "even if I wasn't pregnant, I'd be stuffing my face. "I haven't had food like this since the last time I visited my Mother's family in Georgia."

Rose wasn't the only one to hit it off with Oprah. At one point Duke was deep in discussions about veteran's issues, while Alice wanted to talk fashion. Oprah asked Alice to appear on her show, along with Christopher, as soon as things weren't so hectic.

At one point I saw Oprah practically doubled over in laughter at something my brother was sharing with her.

I cringed at the thought.

Edward was unusually quiet as we ate and chatted with Oprah and her staff. I could tell something was bothering him.

I waited until everyone was involved in their own conversations, noting that Jasper and Oprah were practically in a huddle on the opposite side of the room, before I led Edward to a quiet corner. "Edward, is something wrong?" I whispered.

"Bella, are you really okay with what happened on the show?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Edward, I'm fine."

He frowned. "See that's just it Bella, you're  _fine,_ until you're  _not._ "

I could tell that he was on the verge of freaking out again. "Is this about my nightmare? Are you afraid that today will trigger another bad dream?"

He nodded. "That's part of it." He looked away, I could see his jaw flex in frustration. "The other thing is that Jasper and I have been unsuccessful in our attempts to torpedo Victor James's new show."

I kept my face blank in order to mask my disappointment.

"I'm sorry Bella, but it seems that the show's producer hates my guts."

"Why?" I asked softly.

He smirked. "Oh you know, the usual, we worked together on a movie, and I refused to date her."

I rolled my eyes. "You really need to tone down your sex appeal."

"You really think so?" He asked.

I smirked. "No, not really. I kind of like the fact that other women want you and I'm the one that gets you." I said with a playful wink.

He relaxed then and smiled. "Now you understand a little of what I feel when men drool over you." His voice dropped to a very quiet whisper "Which reminds me; please tell me that the photographer for the calendar was either a woman or gay."

I giggled. "Why Edward, are you afraid I may have shown the goods to another man?"

He groaned and rolled his eyes.

I continued to smile. "Rest assured that although the photographer was male, and not gay, although I never thought to ask him that" I laughed softly. "He didn't see any more of my body than is visible in the photos. Alice and I were very careful."

He widened his eyes before flashing the panty dropper just to torture me. "Very good to know Miss Swan." He said before dipping his head and giving me a sweet kiss on the lips.

Our kiss was interrupted by a throat clearing close by. Upon turning toward the sound, we found a beaming Oprah, along with her assistant Kay, standing beside us. "Sorry to interrupt, but I needed to have a quick word with you both."

"Of course." Edward answered with a smile.

Oprah gestured toward Jasper. "Mr. Whitlock informs me that you're having some difficulty shutting down production of the pilot for a proposed television show."

"Yes, we're going the legal route now, hoping that if we can't stop the show from airing at least we can control what they say about Bella." Edward answered.

Oprah nodded her head sagely before speaking. "My dear Edward" She said as she looped her arm through one of his. "You should have said something. I realize you have a lot of clout in the movie industry, but that's not the same as television. That's my medium honey, and I have more clout than I know what to do with most days." She said with a chuckle. "Nothing would please me more than to help you out."

I smiled excitedly while Edward looked relieved. "Are you sure?" I asked, hoping she'd say yes.

Oprah let go of Edward and grabbed my hand. "Consider it done. Besides, I'm hoping that this will make up for earlier. I apologize again for that." She said sincerely.

"Please don't. It forced me to stop avoiding the subject. When you began asking me about the ranger" I drew a breath "I struggled, I'll admit. But once I'd answered the questions, I felt better."

"That's more than I could have hoped for Bella." She said with a kind smile.

_-V &V—_

"After our weddings, you are enrolling in yoga class with me Bella." I loved how Rose never asked, she informed.

"Oh am I really?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm in my voice.

Alice giggled.

"Yes, you are." Rose quirked an eyebrow.

We were back at Duke's house, and all the men had gone for their workout, including Duke. Having no desire to sweat in public, Alice, Rose and I had opted to stay at the house.

"It's a yoga class for pregnant women. I don't want to go alone, so you're attending with me." She stared me down, daring me to challenge her.

"Alright Pregzilla. You know, you are even bossier than you were before, if that's possible." I said with a laugh. "But if all the tabloids come out with a story about me being pregnant, you're fixing that shit." I said with a glare.

Rose sighed. "Bitch." She muttered.

"Ho." I muttered back, before we looked at each other and burst into laughter. Alice shook her head and laughed with us.

"Who am I meeting tonight again?" I asked Alice. Duke had informed us that his other children and grandchildren were coming for dinner. He'd been able to keep them away the night of our arrival, knowing we were exhausted, but tonight the entire Chicago branch of the Masen family would descend upon us.

"I think my Mom's brother and all her sisters are supposed to be showing up. They're all very nice Bella, well with maybe the exception of my Aunt Evelyn and her daughter Claire." Alice rolled her eyes. "They're kind of bitchy, but Aunt Evelyn's husband, Uncle Walter, is a lot of fun." She beamed. "He'll try to get Aunt Evelyn tipsy; it always makes her lose the bitch façade." Alice giggled.

I could feel myself becoming a little nervous. All in all, I would be meeting approximately six Aunt and Uncles, along with eight cousins, one of which would be bringing along their fiancé. Claire, the bitchy cousin, and eldest of Duke's grandchildren, was getting married in the fall.

By the time Edward and the men arrived, I was dressed in a sundress, courtesy of Alice, and sitting in my room writing on my laptop. He entered freshly showered and looking like sex on legs in his jeans and green button down shirt, precisely the shade of his eyes. I closed the laptop and set it aside as he approached.

"You look gorgeous." He said as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I decided to dress up a little since I'd be meeting your relatives." I smiled nervously.

He gave me a puzzled look. "Bella" He said in a surprised tone. "You seem more nervous about this dinner than you were about Oprah."

I gave him a pained smile. "I guess I am" I shrugged. "I don't want to embarrass you."

He chuckled. "How in the world could you embarrass me?" He asked. "Besides, Duke's the only one whose opinion matters. The rest I couldn't care less about." He smiled. "You are smart, witty, and beautiful. My male cousins will envy me, and my female cousins will wish they were more like you." He punctuated his last few words with sweet kisses to my cheeks, nose and forehead.

"Flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Movie Star." I smiled.

"Oh yeah?" He asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Definitely, but you'll have to wait fifty-one days to collect." I giggled.

Edward groaned before pulling me into a passionate kiss.

_-V &V—_

"I blame myself for the way she turned out." Duke lamented over breakfast the next morning. He was speaking of his eldest daughter Evelyn. "She and Anthony are the oldest, and they seemed to gravitate towards me when their mother was busy with the two little ones. I know I spoiled Evelyn more than I should have, feeling a little guilty that Elizabeth couldn't spend as much time with her once Esme and Annette arrived." He sighed.

"Duke, stop blaming yourself because she chooses to be a bitch." Alice piped in. "I'm thankful Mom wasn't here, I have no desire to see her and Aunt Evelyn going at it again." Alice shuddered.

Even if Alice hadn't warned me about their Aunt Evelyn, I would have known immediately that she wasn't someone whose company I craved. She asked probing questions which, at the same time were condescending. First, it was about mine and Emmett's education, and then about our careers. She was quick to point out that both she and her daughter attended Ivy League schools.

She also seemed to sneer at Charlie's profession. I thought Rose was going to come out of her chair and pummel her for that one. Once Evelyn's husband was able to ply her with alcohol, she was nicer, but still nowhere near as wonderful as Esme's other sister Annette. She was sweet and kind, very much like Esme herself.

Duke's son Anthony looked and acted like him, although he was a bit more reserved. The cousins were very personable, with the exception being Evelyn's daughter and only child, Claire. She barely spoke, and kept a bored facial expression for the duration of the dinner. Her fiancé Brian was just as lacking in personality.

By the end of the evening, I had to admit that the one Masen cousin who stole the show, and everyone's heart, was Annette's youngest child Fiona. She was ten years old, and already strikingly beautiful. She had the same color hair as Edward, and Annette and Esme for that matter, along with the same beautiful green eyes.

Everyone doted on her, but if she was spoiled, I couldn't see it. She more than made up for her Aunt's rude behavior.

After our breakfast with Duke, it was time to say goodbye, Route 66 was calling.

As much as we were anxious to start the road trip, all four of us were loathe to leave him. As soon as he took in our long expressions he spoke. "I'll see you all again soon. Esme has convinced me to come out to Seattle just before your wedding Rose and Emmett, and stay through Edward and Bella's."

I smiled happily at this news, before hugging him goodbye. "It was a joy and a pleasure to meet you my dear." He said before kissing my cheek.

"I'll see you in July" He said as he shook Emmett's hand and hugged Rose goodbye.

I hugged Alice and Jasper. "I wish you could come with us." I whispered.

"Look, you people thought I was a Nazi in Disneyland" Alice remarked with both hands on her hips. "Can you imagine how you'd feel cooped up with  _both_ Emmett and me for days?" She finished with a giggle.

"If you decide to do this trip again, nothing will stop us from being there." Jasper added.

As soon as we were in the vehicle, Emmett handed us each a detailed itinerary.

I pulled out the Route 66 guide that I'd purchased weeks ago. "John Steinbeck called it "The Mother Road, the road of flight." By the time  _The Grapes of Wrath_  was published in 1939, the road had indeed been a road of flight for 250,000 refugees escaping their barren lands wrought by drought in the mid-1930s in Oklahoma. It was Steinbeck who framed the road's capacity for pathos and redemption." I read aloud. "Although Jack Kerouac only mentions 66 briefly in his book  _On the Road_ , it acquired something of the aura of Beatnik cross-country driving." I continued.

Emmett drove us first to Jackson Boulevard at Michigan Avenue, which was the official starting point of old Route 66. After a brief photo op marking the beginning of our road trip, we piled back in the car. Emmett pulled up the Route 66 playlist on his Ipod which he and Edward had spent weeks compiling, and hit play. Edward and I grinned at each other as Chuck Berry sang us out of Chicago.

_Well if you ever planned to motor west  
Jack, take my way, it's the highway, that's the best  
Get your kicks on Route 66_

_Well it winds from Chicago to L.A._   
_More than 2000 miles all the way_   
_Get your kicks on Route 66_

Emmett had mapped out our days so that we would drive until it was time to eat dinner, obviously stopping along the way for photo ops, lunch and bathroom breaks. Each night we would stay in one of the classic Route 66 motels along the way. During the first day our goal was to reach Meramac Caverns in Stanton Missouri in order to tour it before closing time.

"Damn it Rosalie, your bladder is cutting into my driving time." He complained as we stopped for yet another bathroom break. "Couldn't you have held it for another thirty minutes? We're almost there."

"There is no  _holding it_  Emmett. You stop when I say so or you can continue this trip minus your balls." She barked.

I buried my face in Edward's chest to muffle my laughter.

"You don't understand" Emmett whined. "These caverns are Jesse James's hideout, and we need to get there before closing time."

"Is that so?" She snarked as he pulled into a parking space. "Let's put it this way Emmett, you're going to need a hideout of your own if you keep pissing me off."

_-V &V—_

"Not only did the sound of dripping water make me need to pee again, but now I'm craving ice cream after seeing that formation that looked like an ice cream cone." Rose announced as we headed for the car.

Emmett chuckled. "Okay, let's get you fed and then we'll check in to our motel."

"I think you've been recognized" Emmett announced during dinner.

We glanced to the side and, sure enough a couple of fans were approaching our table. Edward looked at me imploringly. "Go ahead; better to get it over with before we eat." I encouraged with a smile.

_-V &V—_

The Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba Missouri had been around since the 1930s. I was pleasantly surprised when the owner told us that the entire place had been fully renovated the year before.

Emmett had reserved two suites for us. "Sorry y'all, Emmett and I are taking this one." Rose remarked as she grabbed one of the room keys. "I have to try the bed with the 'magic fingers'." She announced with a laugh before turning toward the door, Emmett following in her wake.

The owner had just explained that one of the suites had a bed equipped with the coin-operated 'magic fingers' massage from the 1960s.

"I guess that leaves us with the Jacuzzi suite." I said with a smile as I grabbed the other key.

After Edward got his shower, I decided to take a nice hot bubble bath. It felt wonderful to lie back in the tub with my eyes closed and allow my entire body to relax after a long day of travel.

I was roused from my state of semi-consciousness by the sound of voices on the other side of the door. It didn't sound like the television, and after a moment I realized that Edward was having a hushed conversation with my brother.

I hurried with my bath in order to join them, worried that something was wrong.

By the time I got dressed and entered the bedroom however, Emmett was gone. I looked at Edward, ignoring how his eyes roamed over my body. "Was that Emmett I heard?"

Edward nodded. "Yeah. He didn't say why, but evidently he needed to vacate their suite for a little while."

_Weird_

I shook my head, knowing I'd never completely understand my brother.

Edward turned down the bed before pulling me to him. "Let's go to bed."

His words sent a thrill through me, and I thought about how I couldn't wait to hear him utter them in another fifty days. When that night arrived however, I didn't plan on getting a lot of sleep.

_-V &V—_

Early the next morning, we sent Emmett and Rose a text saying we'd meet them in the coffee shop next to the motel for our caffeine fix before hitting the road once again.

Edward was sipping his coffee while I enjoyed my tea in companionable silence when Emmett came barreling over to our booth, dropping into the seat across from us. I looked around, not seeing Rose anywhere.

He looked a little frantic.

"Emmett where's Rose?" I asked.

He shrugged. "She's still getting ready." He answered with a scowl.

"Are you two fighting again, because I have no desire to put up with that for another two thousand miles?"

"Nah." He answered, not losing the frown.

I frowned back, not liking his demeanor one bit. "Emmett what's wrong?" I asked with real concern.

At that moment the waitress arrived to take his order. "Black coffee please." He said in answer.

After she left, I asked again. "You're not acting like yourself."

"Well, maybe the fact that I'm sporting the worst case of blue balls in my  _life_ , has put a damper on my good mood."

_Why oh why did I ask?_

_I will never fucking learn._

I heard Edward snort out a laugh beside me.

"You know what Emmett, never mind. Sorry I asked." I muttered, turning back to my tea.

Emmett continued, disregarding the fact that I had spoken. "You two are lucky. You don't know what you're missing." His voice, mercifully, had dropped to a whisper.

"Yeah, Emmett, we are so  _not_ having this conversation." I said, trying to shut him down.

"Rose just had to try out that stupid bed with the damned 'magic fingers'." He complained. "The problem is that she started  _moaning._  Just like last night, I had to escape that room. My dick was trying to hijack my brain." He actually shuddered.

I snorted.

_His brain was hijacked years ago._

Edward had one hand covering his face as he shook with silent laughter.

"I have no doubt my dick  _hates_ me for leaving when I did, but I couldn't take any more." He muttered in disgust. "The moaning was bad enough, but when she starting rolling around on the bed…" He sighed. "I think she's trying to kill me, or destroy my manhood, maybe both."

The waitress eyed him suspiciously as she set his coffee on the table, having heard his last remark.

"Emmett, please stop talking." I directed.

We sat there in silence for a moment before Rose arrived. "Good morning" She chirped happily, sounding more like Alice than Rose.

She leaned down and kissed Emmett. "Monkey man, why the sad face?"

Emmett glared at her. "You know."

Rose smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but those massaging fingers felt  _so_ good. I was so stiff from sitting in the car all day yesterday. I didn't intend to get you worked up." She said in a whisper.

I looked around the coffee shop, trying to plan Edward's and my escape.

"Yeah, okay." Emmett tried to smile.

Rose leaned in and pecked his lips.

Emmett sighed heavily before turning back to us. "How long until your wedding again?"

"It's seven weeks from today." Edward answered before I had time to think.

Emmett nodded. He seemed to be mulling something over before finally making a decision and reaching into the front pocket of his jeans.

"Bella, this is for you." He said as he set a shiny new nickel on the table in front of me.

"Thanks?" I responded to his gesture in confusion.

He smirked then. "Like I said, you two are lucky that you haven't had sex, because you don't know yet what you're missing. It makes it a lot harder to abstain if you know."

_I could argue that it's pretty damn hard no matter what…_

"Oookay." I answered, still confused.

He continued to smirk. "Do yourself a favor and hold that nickel between your knees until your wedding day. I promise you won't regret it." He boomed before laughing loudly.

Every pair of eyes in the coffee shop turned to look in my direction at his declaration.

_Oh my God._

I was certain that every inch of visible skin turned scarlet as soon as I grasped the meaning of his words.

Soon Rose and Edward, the traitor, were laughing along with him.


	67. Milkshakes & Big Moo

 

I was aware that I was behaving like a petulant child. For some reason, I couldn't seem to stop myself. Emmett's little stunt had unleashed my usually dormant inner bitch.

After making the 'nickel between my knees' joke, he casually threw around words such as  _abstinence_ , and  _virginity,_ while I sulked into my tea. Because he was Emmett, the thought never occurred to him that he may want to lower his voice to save me further embarrassment.

The sad thing was that I wasn't surprised.

I left the table in a sulk. I walked back to our room in a sulk. I zipped my suitcase in a sulk. After that, I sat in the backseat of the rental car for at least an hour, not surprisingly, in a sulk.

We stopped to take photos of a giant rock on the side of a hill which had been painted to look like a frog. If I hadn't been in such a bitchy mood, I might have enjoyed it.

Emmett simply didn't get it. He had as much as shouted my virgin status to an entire diner full of people. What made matters worse was Edward's cavalier attitude toward the entire incident. He had laughed along with Rose, and somehow, even though I knew they weren't laughing  _at_ me, it kind of felt that way.

Granted, he tried to apologize several times until I finally told him quietly that I needed a little time to get past my mood. He left me alone after that, so I stared out the window and  _sulked._

If I'd been at home, I could have escaped to my room for a little solitude while I typed on my computer, something that had always seemed to cure my bad moods in the past. Unfortunately, I didn't have that option, instead I had to suck it up and deal with the fact that I was trapped in a vehicle with three other people.

_I bet a hot make-out session with my fiancé would put me in a better mood._

I laughed bitterly at the notion, not willing to venture further down that path of self-torture. Most days you could cut the sexual tension between Edward and me with a knife.

Make that  _every_ day.

We would be driving to Tulsa, which was just under five hours from where we began our trip this morning, that didn't include the stops which I'm sure my brother had planned along the way.

I knew that I'd need to get out of my foul mood before lunch, or I'd ruin everyone's day.

As I watched out my window, I could hear Edward speaking with Jasper on the phone. Evidently Jasper was arranging for a television interview in Tulsa for that evening.

"I don't care how many interviews you schedule during this trip Jasper, as long as they agree not to air the segment for a few days. So far I haven't seen any photographers, but if they get wind of what we're doing that will change."

I lay my head back against the seat and before long I could feel my eyes drift closed.

_I looked down at the sparkling blue water of the pool. Mom had purchased a membership to our community pool so that Emmett and I could go swimming while she tutored._

' _Come on Bellaboo, I promise I'll catch you' Emmett was standing in the deep end with his arms stretched toward me. Of course the water wasn't deep to him, but it was definitely over my head, and I was petrified._

' _Emmett, I don't want to go under' I said in a pleading voice._

' _Bells, I won't let you go under. I would never let anything happen to you. If you want me to teach you to swim, you have to trust me.'_

_I bit my lip. 'Yeah Bella, stop being a little chicken.' I heard the voice of my nemesis, Joey Webb tease. Of all the kids in the neighborhood, he'd decided to single me out, and make my life miserable. I'd hoped that with my brother visiting, he'd leave me alone._

_No such luck._

" _Shut the fuck up you little assmunch." Emmett bellowed at Joey._

_I giggled even though I didn't know what that meant, but it sounded funny._

' _Or what?' Joey challenged. I had always suspected Joey was stupid, now my suspicions were confirmed. Emmett was fourteen but as big as most seventeen year olds. Joey was eleven and a lot bigger than me, but puny when compared to my brother._

' _Or maybe I'll come out of this pool and teach you a lesson.' My brother was angry._

' _I'm going to report you boys if you don't stop fighting and cursing.' One of the Moms sitting poolside cautioned._

' _Sorry' Emmett muttered._

_Joey laughed loudly._

' _Ignore him Belly.' Emmett said while shooting a glare at Joey. 'Jump, I'll catch you.'_

_I inched closer to the edge. I looked down at the water, noticing that I could see all the way to the bottom. I lifted my leg, rubbing my foot against my other leg as I tried to work up the courage to jump._

' _You promise?'_

_Emmett nodded._

' _Oh would you just jump already' Joey barked at me before I felt something shove against me hard, causing me to lose my balance and fall into the water, banging my leg against the edge on my way down._

' _Bella!' Emmett shouted in surprise and anger._

_I hadn't even had a chance to hold my breath._

_Two strong arms immediately pulled me from the water as I sputtered and gasped for air. 'You're okay Belly, just breathe. I've got you.' My brother soothed as he carried me across the shallow end and out of the pool. 'You'd better run, because I am going to fucking kill you.' He shouted, although I knew his words weren't directed at me. I glanced in Joey's direction. He must have been smarter than I thought because at Emmett's threat, he bolted toward the exit, disappearing with a group of his friends._

' _That horrible boy!' My friend Lianne's Mom commented as Emmett sat me down on a chaise near the shallow end._

' _Here Bella' Lianne said as she handed me a towel. While Emmett dried my face, Lianne sat down and draped her arm around my shoulders._

' _You okay now?' Emmett asked once I seemed to have caught my breath._

_I nodded._

' _Bella, this isn't the first time that kid has picked on you is it?' He asked._

_I was afraid to tell him, knowing that he'd do something to Joey. If that were to happen, it would only make my life harder once Emmett went home._

_I shrugged._

' _No it isn't Emmett. He's mean to Bella every day.' Lianne said the words I didn't want to admit._

' _What other kinds of things has he done?' Emmett probed._

' _He calls her names all the time. Like 'loser' and 'dummy' and 'ugly'.' Lianne said sadly. 'Your Mommy told on him, but Joey's Mommy wasn't very nice to her.' Lianne informed._

_She paused to think for a moment before continuing. 'Um. Sometimes he steals Bella's toys if she leaves them in the yard.' Lianne began. 'Last week he took her toy washing machine. We found it in his yard. It was ruined because he filled it with dirt clumps and turned it on.'_

_I dropped my head, not wanting to look at my brother's face. I was certain he was ashamed of me._

' _Belly, look at me.' He whispered._

_I forced myself to look at him, tears brimming in my eyes._

' _What's all this?' He asked as he wiped the tears away with a corner of the towel._

' _I don't want you to think I'm a loser.' I whispered._

' _I could never think that Sissy.'_

' _But I didn't fight back.' I said sadly. 'I_ am _a loser.'_

_Emmett frowned. 'Sissy, that kid's a couple years older than you, and a lot bigger. I wouldn't expect you to be able to fight him.' He rubbed his chin. 'But I could probably teach you a couple of things.' He added with a grin._

_The next day we arrived at the pool late. I didn't realize that Emmett had been plotting his revenge on Joey, and needed him to think we weren't going to show up._

_As we entered through the gate, I saw Joey's eyes widen in surprise and fear as soon as Emmett fixed him in his gaze._

_The next thing I knew, my brother had Joey cornered against the fence._

_Emmett never laid a hand on him, but whatever he said had Joey red-faced and looking absolutely terrified about a minute later._

_Before the day was over, Joey's Mom complained about Emmett and me to the neighborhood association, and in retaliation my Mom complained about Joey, resulting in all three of us being banned from the pool for the rest of the summer._

_It didn't matter. Mom went out and purchased an above ground pool for us the next day. It was only three feet deep, but that was enough. Emmett worked with me every day, and by the end of that summer, I had happy news to share with my Mom._

' _Mommy!' I shouted as Emmett, Lianne and I ran to the driveway upon her return from the grocery store._

' _Hi kids' She said, smiling brightly._

' _Guess what Mommy! I now know how to swim!' I bubbled over with excitement. 'And tomorrow Emmett says he's going to teach me how to kick Joey Webb in his nuts if he's ever mean to me again.' I added with a proud smile, although I couldn't understand why kicking some nuts would bother Joey one little bit._

_Maybe Emmett knew something I didn't. Does Joey really love nuts and stash them away like a squirrel? I didn't understand, I only knew that I trusted my brother bear._

_I shrugged as Emmett guffawed. Our Mom laughed and shook her head. 'Oh Emmett' She sighed._

I blinked my eyes open and yawned. Edward was watching me as I fought off the blanket of sleep. I sat up a little straighter in my seat and stretched.

"Bella's back." Emmett announced happily when he saw me. "Sorry I embarrassed you Sissy." He sang.

I sighed. The dream, which had actually been a memory from a summer spent in Phoenix with Emmett, had served as a reminder of just how much my big brother loved me. Yeah he was loud, sometimes crude, usually always embarrassing, but I wouldn't trade him for the world.

I could never stay angry with him.

"I forgive you brother bear." I said truthfully.

"I knew you couldn't stay mad for long." He grinned at me in the rearview mirror. "You totally missed the miniature Hubble telescope Bells!"

"Bells, you didn't miss anything." Rose said with a giggle.

"Everyone ready for lunch?" Emmett asked.

At the mention of food, my stomach growled.

_That's what I get for skipping breakfast._

"I think we are." Edward answered, still watching me warily.

I smiled sheepishly at Edward. "Hi."

He smiled back tentatively. "Hi." He frowned. "You're better?" He asked in a whisper.

I nodded. "I'm sorry for my silly irrational behavior."

I watched as he sagged in relief before pulling me against him. The seatbelts kept me from getting as close as I would have liked. "Baby, we're all entitled to be in a bad mood sometimes." He said before pecking my lips.

About a minute later we pulled into the  _Steak and Shake._ Emmett and Rose immediately exited the vehicle. No doubt Emmett was starving and Rose had to pee. When I opened my door, Edward held me back for a moment. "Bella" He whispered.

I turned to him, one hand on the open door. "Yeah?"

Edward frowned. "Who is  _Joey Webb_?"

"Joey Webb? He's a boy I used to know in Phoenix. Why?" I cringed, remembering the dream.

Edward pursed his lips and nodded. "Would you care to explain why you were talking about his  _nuts_ is your sleep?"

I laughed for three solid minutes at Edward's question. After I finally regained control of myself, I explained exactly who Joey Webb was, and how his  _nuts_ figured prominently in my self-defense training that summer. "Unfortunately, I never got to kick Joey. He must have taken Emmett's threats seriously because he left me alone after that. He and his family moved away a couple of months later." I giggled again, realizing what Edward must have been thinking during my sleep-talking.

He chuckled along with me and shook his head.

_-V &V-_

_Steak and Shake_ was a Route 66 fixture, having been there for almost fifty years. After eating a round of their signature steak burgers, we ordered milkshakes to go.

My side by side was heaven through a straw.

"Here's a little mood music to carry us down the road." Emmett announced once we were back in the car happily sipping our milkshakes. He reached over and pressed play on his Ipod.

 _My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,_  
And they're like  
It's better than yours,  
Damn right it's better than yours,  
I can teach you,  
But I have to charge

Rose and I burst into laughter.

"Emmett, I know for certain that song was not on our Route 66 playlist." Edward admonished with a laugh.

Emmett responded with a cheeky grin as Rose and I began to sing along while bouncing in our seats:

" _I know you want it,_  
The thing that makes me,  
What the guys go crazy for.  
They lose their minds,  
The way I wind, I think it's time"

_-V &V—_

"Damn, I wish we were passing through here at night. I've never taken you to a drive-in movie Babe." Emmett shot a dimpled grin at Rose as he pulled into the 66 Drive-in Theatre in Carthage Missouri.

Rose laughed. "Um, maybe  _after_ the wedding." She replied a little more suggestively than I was comfortable with.

"Okay, I'm out of here." I announced as I stepped from the car.

We took photos and walked around a little. "This is really cool." Edward said with a grin.

I looked at the large movie screen. "Yeah, I could see myself enjoying one of your movies on that giant screen." I knew I was smiling like a fan-girl.

He laughed. "Especially if I flashed my ass."

"Hmm" I nodded with a sigh as I took in the giant screen before suddenly realizing what I'd just revealed. I turned to look at his face only to find him smirking at me. "Just shut up." I said in mock irritation. "You make it sound like I'm obsessed with your butt."

_I totally was._

"That's okay Bella; I only caught a slight glimpse of yours in England, and I'm a fan. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be opposed to another glimpse sometime soon." He added playfully.

_Hmm_

_-V &V—_

"But Rose, it's a Giant Fucking Whale!" Emmett exclaimed. "And it's blue!"

Rose was tired. I was tired. Edward was tired. We all wanted nothing more than to arrive in Tulsa in order to check into our motel. Since eating lunch at the  _Steak and Shake,_ we'd stopped to see a sculpture of a giant set of praying hands.

Immediately after that, Emmett insisted that we stop to see the old truck that was the inspiration for  _Tow Mater_ from  _Cars._ That was in Galena, Kansas _._  I chuckled when I realized that Edward was just as thrilled as Emmett to have his photo taken next to the old rust bucket.

Then there was a photo op on a bridge, then the world's largest totem pole, then another bridge, making it the third of the day, I think, and now we were on our way to the big blue whale.

Rose sighed. "Do you promise this is the last stop today?"

Emmett took one hand from the steering wheel and placed it over his heart. "I swear."

"Okay, but as soon as we're done here, I need food." She whined. "Let's go see this whale."

"That's some whale." Edward announced as we stood there gazing at the big blue concrete monstrosity. Actually, the whale was pretty cool. The lake upon which it sat used to be a popular swimming hole. Swimming was no longer allowed, but the whale had become a Route 66 icon, and was kept in good repair.

We entered through the whale's mouth. As Emmett and Rose walked toward the tail, I felt Edward gently tug at my hand. I turned to see that he was pulling me toward a ladder. We climbed it to find ourselves inside the whale's head. The space was large enough to crawl around and look out the tiny portholes on all sides.

I found out pretty quickly that Edward wasn't interested in looking out the windows. He had something else in mind. The next thing I knew, he pulled me flush against him. "I've been dying to get you alone all day Miss Swan." He breathed against my lips.

I gave him a little smile. "Knowing my brother, we won't have long, so if you want to kiss me you'd better hurry up." I whispered.

That was all the encouragement he needed. "Your wish, my command." He replied with a smirk before licking his lips and brushing them against mine. My breath caught in my throat as his hands gently cupped each side of my neck, pulling me closer before claiming my lips in a passionate kiss. The world surrounding us fell away, leaving just Edward and me. I realized that's how it had always been, and how it always would be.

As Edward's lips moved against mine, I felt his hands move down my body and grasp my hips. His warm tongue traced the edge of my bottom lip as his hand moved to cradle my bottom, pulling my body even closer.

"Aw geeze. Now I have to bleach my eyes." Emmett whined. We broke the kiss, and I proceeded to bury my blushing face in Edward's shirt, peeking out to look at my brother with one eye.

" _Never_ do that shit in front of me." Emmett continued. "As much as I like you Eddie, I find I'm conflicted. I mean, I think of you as a brother, but it's hard not to want to pummel the shit out of you when you're grabbing a handful of my sister's ass cheek."

"Emmett, shut the fuck up. They're  _engaged._ " Rose snarked. She then turned to us. "We'll wait in the car. Don't be too long." She added with a grin.

We were both chuckling as we climbed down the ladder.

Once we were seated in the car, Emmett took one last look at the blue whale before starting the engine. "Next to having my photo taken with  _Mater_  earlier, this has been the highlight of my day." He grinned. "Well, except for the  _last part_." He muttered before shooting a glare at Edward. "It's a shame the whale doesn't have a name though." He pondered as he pulled back on to the road. "Maybe I could come up with one." At this point, I wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or to us. "Not 'Big Em', that's already been done."

Unfortunately, for reasons known only to God and Emmett himself, I knew that the term 'Big Em' was my brother's pet name for his junk, more specifically his…well, whatever.

"I know for a fact that I will regret asking, but what are you talking about Emmett?" I asked.

Rose shook her head in disbelief. She usually just ignored him and let him rattle on when he was like this.

"Well, someone's already named a whale after their  _dick_ Bella." He answered in a condescending tone. "Although why Melville had such a lame-ass name for his dick is beyond me. Reminds me of that  _idiot_ with the shaved head who calls himself a musician." He continued to babble. "So, since I can't name it after my dick, and it's blue, maybe I should name it after my balls." He announced with a chuckle.

I heard Rose start to cackle. "This is the summer of  _blue balls_ after all." He shot her a goofy smile as she continued to laugh.

Edward was laughing too while covering half his face with one hand. I wasn't certain if the cause was my brother's idiocy or the fact that my jaw had dropped onto my lap.

"The only problem with that is I don't have a pet name for my balls… I'll have to think about that one." Emmett continued.

"Emmett! You are such a cretin. I wasn't positive before, but now I am. I would rather be driving across country with  _Rain Man._ " I barked.

"And for the record, Melville did  _not_ name his most famous literary character after his…. _penis._ " I whispered the last word although I was  _not_ in very polite company. Well, with the exception of Edward.

"Bella, Bella, Bella" He sighed. "I actually wrote a paper about this in college. Melville would never explain the reason for choosing the name "Moby". The dude's name was  _Herman Melville._ It stands to reason that he wouldn't have named his dick something lame like 'little Herman', and he didn't have me around to suggest 'Big Mel', so he just made up some shitty name like 'Moby'."

I stared at the back of his head in disbelief as he continued. "As soon as I found out that Moby Dick was a  _sperm_ whale, I knew I was right. He should have just titled the book ' _My Dick Moby'._ "

"There is most definitely something wrong with you." I muttered.

"Why?"

"Because you seem to find something sexual in every situation. Not everything in this world pertains to  _sex._ " I argued.

"I'll agree that not  _everything_ does, but you're naïve if you can't see how most things do."

I glanced at Edward, and he shrugged, seeming to agree with Emmett.

All I knew was that Emmett had ruined one of my favorite books for me.

I decided to let it go, and refrained from sulking as Eric Clapton sang us into Tulsa:

 _So there I was in Hollywood,_  
Thinking I was doing good,  
Talking on the telephone line.  
They don't want me in the movies  
And nobody sings my songs;  
My mama says my baby's doing fine.

_So then I started winking,_   
_Then I started thinking_   
_That I really had a flash this time._   
_That I had no business leaving,_   
_And nobody would be grieving;_   
_You see I'm on Tulsa time._

_Living on Tulsa Time._  
Living on Tulsa Time.  
Gonna set my watch back to it  
'Cause you know that I've  
been through it.  
Living on Tulsa Time.

_-V &V-_

"Wow" That was the only word able to slip past my lips when I opened the door of our room to find Emmett standing there in cowboy hat and boots. "New look for you?" I asked with a grin.

He smiled. "When in Rome little sister. You ready?"

My heart sank a little at the prospect of leaving Edward, but he had assured me that as soon as his interview was over, he'd meet us. "Give me a couple minutes." I asked with a pleading look.

Emmett nodded and gave me a little smile. "We'll be in the car."

I closed the door and turned to find Edward standing right behind me. "Bella, I want you to go out and have fun. This interview would be boring for you. I promise I'll be there as soon as I can."

"But you don't have Sidney or Lou with you." It was my turn to worry for  _his_ safety.

"The television studio is having someone pick me up here and drop me off at the club after." He assured. "I'll keep in touch by text I promise." He said as he pulled me against him and kissed my forehead.

I sighed. "I'd rather stay with you and we could ride to the club together."

Edward frowned. "If you must know, it is precisely because Sidney and Lou aren't with us that I feel better knowing you're with Emmett and Rose rather than waiting for me in a studio full of strangers." He admitted.

I gave him a small smile, not willing to challenge him. I liked to think I'd learn my lesson when it came to scoffing at Edward's overprotectiveness.

"I love you" He said as he tenderly kissed me goodbye.

"I love you too. Hurry please."

_-V &V—_

We were sitting in a dark corner of a comedy club in downtown Tulsa. Emmett and Rose thought it would be fun to do a little something different tonight.

I smiled to myself when I realized that Emmett in his cowboy attire actually fit right in. Even the comic was wearing cowboy boots.

I listened as he droned on about different news stories, making fun of the latest celebrity mishaps. I laughed uncomfortably along with everyone else at his take on the antics of Mel Gibson, Lindsey Lohan and Charlie Sheen.

' _You know sometimes I wonder if there are any sane people in Hollywood'_ He continued.  _'Even if some of them are sane when they arrive, it seems like they don't stay that way for long.'_

I wondered if that was how the outside world viewed Edward and me, as just another couple caught up in the insanity of Hollywood. They probably thought we were crazy too.

Maybe they were right.

After I thought about that, I realized that the most insane and traumatic events of both our lives had taken place far from the glitz and glamor of tinsel town. Neither of us could blame those events on Hollywood.

I sighed. It was getting rather late and I hadn't heard from Edward since we'd arrived. His interview had been just about to start then, and he promised to text me as soon as he was on his way to the club.

I excused myself to visit the ladies room. "I'll come with you." Rose informed. On the way back to our table, I glanced at my phone again. No messages.

"I'll be there in just a minute; I'm going to text Edward." I told Rose.

_And I want a little peace and quiet to do it._

She looked hesitant. "I shouldn't leave you alone."

"I promise I'll only be a minute. I'll stand right here by the doors."

She thought about that before nodding her head in agreement. "Okay, but if you're not back in five minutes, I'm going to come looking for you."

I smiled. As soon as she disappeared, I sent my text.

_**E-** _

_**Where are you?** _

_**-B** _

Less than a minute later, I received a response.

_**B-** _

_**Miss me already?** _

_**-E** _

I sighed.

_**E-** _

_**Always** _

_**-B** _

I glanced around and noticed that two women were eyeing me while whispering to each other.

_**B-** _

_**On my way. Interview ran longer than I expected. Are you texting during the show?** _

_**-E** _

I smiled.

_**E-** _

_**No, I stepped out into the hall.** _

_**-B** _

_**B-** _

_**I'm phoning you.** _

_**-E** _

Less than thirty seconds later my phone lit up with an incoming call.

"Edward." I whispered into the phone.

"Hey Baby." He answered in a breathless voice.

"How was your interview?"

"It was as I expected, kind of boring." He answered. "I did run into a couple of fans as I was leaving."

"Oh?"

"I'm certain that my photo will be on the internet tomorrow, I only hope that the press won't figure out what we're doing."

"I hope not. We don't need paps following us all the way to California."

"I have to admit I've enjoyed being able to escape all of that, especially with you. You're my favorite travelling companion." He chuckled. "As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be averse to repeating this entire trip again sometime after we're married, so that I can make love to you in every state along the way." He whispered.

_Yes, please._

"Uh.." was my brilliant response. I could hear him chuckling. "Are you toying with me Mister Movie Star? Because if you're trying to get me all hot and bothered, I'll have you know that it's working."

He chuckled. "I always mean what I say Bella, and if you think I'm getting you hot and bothered now just wait until our wedding night."

_I… I…._

I could hear him continue to chuckle as I tried to regain the power of speech.

"Bella, are you alright?" He asked.

"Aside from the fact that you just melted my panties, I guess I'll live." I said, proud that I'd remembered how to string a sentence together, albeit a rather silly one.

Edward blurted out a laugh.

"I really hope the driver didn't hear what you just said to me Edward." I admonished slightly.

"He didn't. You shouldn't worry so much Bella." He said in almost a whisper.

"How much longer until you get here Edward?" I was growing impatient.

"I'd say the estimated time of arrival is just about now." He whispered in my ear as I felt his arms wrap around me from behind.

I spun around to face him and threw my arms around his neck. After he kissed me thoroughly in full view of the club employees, I sighed and rested my head against his shoulder.

Eventually Rose came looking for me, and dragged us both to the table.

Later that night as I lay curled against his side in bed, I brought up the subject again. It was a stupid idea considering where we were, but I tended to do a lot of stupid things since falling in love with Edward.

"Did you mean what you said?" I asked in a whisper.

"Hm?" Edward breathed.

He must have been almost asleep. "Oh sorry, go back to sleep. We can talk in the morning." I whispered.

He cleared his throat and turned his head to face me. "No, that's okay. What were you asking?"

"I just wondered if you really meant what you said tonight, on the phone."

I could see his smile in the dark. He reached for me and pulled me closer. "Most definitely."

I sighed.

"Bella, I spend a lot of time thinking about what it will be like when we finally make love. It's become my new obsession." He chuckled darkly.

"I'm sorry I'm making you wait."

"You're not making me do anything baby. I want what's best for you, for us. I agree that it would be hypocritical to plan this big church wedding and then break the church rules right before. I mean, we've waited this long…" He sighed. "If waiting makes you feel more comfortable, then we wait."

"You are too good to be true." I said sincerely as I wrapped my arms around him, needing to be as close as possible.

"Sleep baby." He breathed.

_-V &V—_

It was Sunday morning. We checked out of the hotel early in order to attend Mass at Tulsa's gorgeous Holy Family Cathedral before hitting the road once again. Although we tried to be inconspicuous by sitting in the back, Edward and I were immediately recognized during Mass. We slipped out soon after Communion, knowing we didn't have a lot of extra time to spend with Edward's fans if we were to reach Amarillo before sundown tonight.

"Please tell me that the next hotel has a pool." Rose pleaded with Emmett as we drove along toward Arcadia Oklahoma. I'd come to realize that most of the older motels along Route 66 did not have swimming pools. That was an amenity added to the more modern ones years later.

"As a matter of fact, it does. The Big Texan has a pool shaped like the great state of Texas." Emmett stated with a dimpled grin.

Edward and I laughed from our spots in the backseat.

"Oh thank God. It just doesn't feel like a summer vacation if I don't get a little time to relax poolside." Rose answered with a smile.

We arrived at the Round Barn in Arcadia before lunch. It was built over a hundred years ago, well before Route 66 even existed. We had our obligatory photo session and visit to the gift shop where Emmett bought another t-shirt and I bought another refrigerator magnet as a memento. We continued our trek a very short distance up the road to the giant soda bottle.

After those relatively silly excursions, our next stop would be a sobering one: Oklahoma City. We had discussed whether or not to do this, and had ultimately decided that it was necessary.

Paying a visit to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial brought home the fact that the history of our nation was fraught with hardships, struggles, and sometimes tragedy. Although places like Route 66 are a welcome diversion from the horrors of the evening news, you couldn't escape the fact that the road itself had its roots in another American tragedy, the Great Depression.

As we road along, I preferred to think of the thousands that had driven it for fun in the last sixty years. But if I were to let my mind travel back just a bit further, I would think about the families of migrant workers who used the road to escape the certainty of starvation, while searching for a new life in California.

A few minutes after entering the museum, I realized that I had not mentally prepared myself for what was to come. And then I understood that there was  _no way_ to adequately do that. How do you prepare your mind and heart to witness the aftermath of pure evil?

All four of us drifted apart, needing space to process the images that greeted us. I was able to keep the tears at bay until I saw the gallery of faces belonging to those lost that day, every one smiling, frozen in time. I allowed a few tears to escape then. I didn't let myself think about the madmen responsible. I chose to spend the time there thinking about the victims and their families.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rose head for the exit when she couldn't take any more, followed closely by my brother. I sighed and turned to find that Edward was right beside me. I slipped my hand into his as he looked down at me with a sad smile. Without a word, we left the building together.

_We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity._

The next leg of the trip was spent in relative silence, none of us in the mood to listen to music. Over lunch a short time later, Rose and Emmett quietly shared a little of their visit to ground zero in New York with Edward and I. Understandably, because of what happened to me while they were on that trip, just a few weeks before, this was the first time they'd spoken of it.

We weren't exactly glum on the ride to Amarillo, but we weren't as light-hearted as we'd been the day before. The sight of the Big Texan Restaurant and Motel did much to life our spirits.

After checking into our rooms, we walked over to the restaurant to eat. Emmett was thrilled to have his photo taken with another large fake animal. "I still think I'm a little partial to the Blue Whale, but Big Moo here is pretty fucking awesome." Emmett said as he posed, holding the reins to the giant bull.

"And I think it's safe to assume that this one's not named after somebody's  _dick._ " Edward added sarcastically, drawing forth laughter from Rose, Emmett and I.

"Edward, I believe you are going to get along just fine as a member of this family." Emmett announced with a smile.

"So, Eddie you gonna take the challenge?" Emmett asked as we sat in The Big Texan restaurant, perusing the menu.

"Yeah, ah, that would be a  _no_ Emmett." Edward answered with a smirk. "I have no desire to prove myself a glutton and possibly be in agony for the next twenty-four hours just to give you a good laugh."

Edward was of course referring to the special offer made by the restaurant that, anyone who could eat their 72 ounce steak dinner, complete with all the trimmings, would get it for free.

I was proud of Edward; he was definitely learning how to handle my brother.

"You disappoint me bro." Emmett sighed and returned to reading the menu. "Well, I'm not doing the challenge alone, so… how about we share an order of fried mountain oysters to start?" He asked with a dimpled grin.

"Oysters?" I asked. I didn't care for them, but I wondered if Edward did.

Edward chuckled. "Nice try Emmett. Again, I don't feel the need to prove anything to you by eating  _bull testicles._ "

Emmett guffawed.

"Emmett that is just  _nasty._ " Rose chastised. "If you eat that in front of me, you are sleeping in the car."

_-V &V—_

After dinner, I lay across the bed in our room, checking my e-mails. When I felt the bed dip, I turned to find a smiling Edward sitting beside me. He casually reached for my laptop and slid it away before moving closer to me.

"Let's go for a swim." He said in a low husky voice.

"It's late Edward, I'm pretty sure the pool is closed."

"So?" He winked and then stood up abruptly in order to remove his shirt. It was then that I realized he was wearing his swimsuit. I felt my mouth go dry. It had been quite a while since I'd seen so much of Edward. I sat gaping at him for a moment before recovering my wits.

"Uh" was all my brain could force my mouth to utter.

As soon as I realized that going swimming offered the opportunity of making out with a wet and practically naked Edward, I bolted off the bed, headed for my suitcase. Unfortunately on the way my foot caught on the leg of the chair and sent me sprawling face down on the shag carpet.

_Shit_

"Bella!" Edward exclaimed as he hurried to help me up.

"I'm okay" I muttered through my embarrassment as I struggled to my feet.

This time I took my time as I made my way to retrieve my swimsuit from my case. I looked at my bikini clad body in the mirror before re-entering the bedroom. I looked no different than usual, aside from the red rug burns now gracing both knees, courtesy of my tumble.

_Oh well, at least all the bruises are gone._

Upon exiting the bathroom in my royal blue bikini, I pretended not to notice how Edward's gaze lingered on my newly exposed skin. As we neared the pool, I silently hoped that no one else had the same idea, and that we would be alone. Imagine my delight when my wish was granted.

I sat on the edge of the pool, as Edward slipped quietly into the water. It was a silly notion, but for some reason I felt that if we were quiet, we would remain unnoticed and maybe the outside world wouldn't intrude on our little bubble.

Edward swam across the pool and then back to be. Once he was close, he gripped the edge of the pool one hand on either side of my knees. "Come in" he coaxed.

"I will in a minute." I smiled.

He looked curiously at my knees then. "Was this from your fall just now?" He asked, gesturing to my red knees.

"Yes" I sighed, annoyed by my moment of klutziness.

Edward leaned in and gently kissed each knee before tugging on my hands to pull me into the water. I slid down until I was immersed up to my shoulders. He closed the distance between us, and the next thing I knew his arms were around me and he was kissing my neck, then my shoulder, before attacking my lips.

I wrapped my legs around his waist as he moved us both into deeper water.

The kiss quickly became heated. Edward's lips on my lips, Edward's tongue finding mine, and Edward breathing in my low moan as I pulled my legs tighter around him. One hand ran through his hair, and other moved down his back until my fingertips touched the waistband of Edward's swimsuit. One of his hands settled on my bottom, holding me firm against him while the other ran up and down from my waist to the top of my ribs, lightly grazing the side of my breast with each pass.

The air around us became charged as we breathed our 'I love yous'. It was times like this that had my brain busily calculating, down to the minute, how much longer it would be until our wedding day.

"Well now, this is all kinds of  _fucking uncomfortable_ for me." Emmett's voice sounded from the direction of the pool entrance.

Edward broke the kiss and heaved a frustrated sigh, but I refused to let go of him.

"I know now that I am being punished." Emmett muttered with a frown as he heaved himself into a chair.

"Where's Rose?" I asked.

"She'll be here in a minute." He answered, never losing his frown. "You two are killing me."

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Emmett."

He smirked then and shook his head. "Don't lie to me Bells. You are most definitely  _not_ sorry." He let out a big sigh. "I'm going to start announcing myself three minutes before I enter a space. That way  _maybe_  I'll be spared from witnessing your next round of PDAs."

We both smiled sweetly at him.

As usual, he was easily distracted. As soon as he got a good look at the pool, he smiled happily. "Damn, it  _is_ shaped like Texas. I'm taking a swim across the Lone Star State." He boomed as he whipped off his shirt and jumped in.

Nothing ever put a damper on Emmett's good spirits for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off—explanation of 'nickel between the knees' from last chapter. It's an old saying..If a female holds a nickel between her knees, she is not able to spread her legs apart and therefore not able to Have Sex / Get Pregnant. There you have it. Emmett finding yet another way to completely embarrass his sister in public.
> 
> The quote at the Oklahoma Bombing Memorial is from their Mission Statement.
> 
> Song recs: 'Milkshake' by Kelis ; 'Tulsa Time' by Eric Clapton


	68. Teepees & Tribal Law

 

"Your knees look better" Rose said with a smirk as she sat down on the lounger next to mine.

I chuckled. "I can't believe you thought I did  _that._ " I snickered before leaning toward her and continuing in a whisper. "I mean, really Rose? I go from innocent little virgin who hasn't even seen her fiancé naked, to uninhibited sex goddess grinding my knees into the carpet while giving said fiancé a BJ. Seriously?"

She laughed out loud. "Well, when you put it like  _that,_ I guess I see your point." She laughed again. "All I know is that you and Edward are wrapped so tight that I feel sorry for anyone without a forty mile radius when all that sexual tension is finally released." She blurted out a laugh.

She was quiet for a minute. "You haven't seen Edward  _naked?_ " She asked in awed amazement.

I blushed furiously as I shook my head.

"Wow" She whispered.

It was Monday morning, and the guys were rearranging the luggage in the car before they would join us for a swim. We'd decided to do a late check-out in order to have a little more time by the pool.

"Can you see a difference Bells?" Rose asked as she gestured toward her stomach. I sat up and removed my sunglasses.

My mouth fell open when I saw the small but pronounced bump below her belly button. "Rose" I said in a whisper. "You're starting to show."

We smiled at each other. "Oh I'm so excited." I exclaimed as I leaned over to hug her.

"It is exciting isn't it?" She grinned. "It's less than four weeks until the wedding, so it still won't be obvious to anyone who doesn't know."

"What does it feel like?" I asked.

"It feels like I should be able to  _suck it in_  but I can't" She giggled. Rosalie Whitlock actually  _giggled._  "Here, feel it, it's sort of hard."

I reached over and gently touched the bump with my fingertips. It  _was_ hard. "Baby Swan" I breathed.

At that moment Rose and I were the only guests by the pool. Soon after the guys arrived, other guests, most of them female I noted, started to trickle through the gate.

_I have a strong suspicion that the word is out that Edward is here._

It wasn't that people were bothering us. They weren't. They were actually pointedly ignoring us.  _But_  I couldn't help but notice how the other females let their eyes linger on Edward's gorgeous body a little longer than was polite.

I couldn't blame them. I found myself ogling him at every opportunity. He caught me more than once and gave me a playful wink.

From the expression on Rose's face, I was sure that Emmett was getting his fair share of looks as well.

As soon as it got a little too crowded for comfort, we decided it was time to leave.

_-V &V—_

I loved Esme Cullen. In fact, she was one of my favorite people. During the ride to the Cadillac Ranch, Edward had a phone conversation with his mother that drove home one of the many reasons why I loved this woman. Somehow, when Edward mentioned that we were visiting the  _Cadillac Ranch,_ Esme mistook it for the  _Bunny Ranch_ , the brothel made famous by cable television.

"Mom! We are  _not_ going to the  _Bunny Ranch_. What the hell? Why would we want to visit a brothel?" As soon as Emmett, Rose and I heard this we burst into uncontrollable laughter.

My brother was laughing so hard that I was surprised he didn't run off the road. Once we quieted enough for Edward to speak, he continued. "Mother, we are going to the  _Cadillac Ranch._ It's a spot in the middle of a field where a bunch of Cadillacs are half-buried in the ground and you're free to write or paint a message on them."

He listened as I wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes.

"It's considered to be artwork, a sculpture if you will."

I heard Rose snickering.

I grabbed my copy of our travel itinerary and fanned my face in an effort to keep the laughter at bay.

"No Mom, we don't have plans to visit the Bunny Ranch." Edward answered as he shook his head. With those words I lost my flimsy grasp on my self-control and laughed until my stomach hurt.

As I thought about Edward's Mom, I realized that at times like this, she reminded me very much of my own mother.

_-V &V—_

"Babe, I'm not comfortable with you climbing up there." Emmett sounded almost frantic as he stood behind Rose while she climbed up the front of a car at the Cadillac Ranch, in order to write her message.

In reality, Rose was only two feet off the ground, but my brother stood behind her in a protective stance, ready to catch her if she slipped. "I'll only be a minute Monkey Man. It's hotter than hell out here, so I promise to be quick.

Edward and I walked, hand in hand, further down the line of cars. Once we found a deserted spot, he handed me a paint pen.

We walked to opposite ends of the same car in order to write our messages. I contemplated for a moment what to write. As I added an exclamation mark to what I'd written, I heard Edward chuckling behind me. "Really Bella?"

I turned to smile at him. "What did you expect me to write?" I smiled sweetly. Edward laughed lightly as I walked over to see what he'd written. In silver paint, encircled by a heart, he'd written:

'E + B'  
6-28-10

I wrapped my arms around his waist. "That's really sweet." I told him with a smile. "Makes me feel kind of stupid for writing 'Frodo Lives'." I chuckled.

"Don't feel stupid." He answered. "It's very  _you._ "

"Okay, I won't feel stupid, especially since that's not the only thing I wrote." I grinned as I tugged on his hand and led him back to where I had been writing. Just around the corner from my 'Frodo Lives', I had written:

B 'heart' E  
'47 more days'

He smiled brilliantly before pulling me into his arms for a kiss.

"It's hotter than the pits of hell out here, and you two are wrapped around each other again." Rose said with an exasperated sigh. "Emmett and I will be in the car."

_-V &V—_

For the next hour, we were treated to music with a  _southern flavor_  as Rose called it. We were singing along to 'Dixie Chicken' when we pulled into the parking lot of the _Midpoint Café._

"This is it" announced my brother "We are officially halfway from Chicago to Los Angeles."

We ate lunch at the café and made sure to have our photo taken before we got back on the road.

Approximately one hour after that, we arrived at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari New Mexico. Edward said the motel was over seventy years old. It truly was a Route 66 landmark with its cool neon signs, and the fact that each room came with its own garage.

Sadly, they didn't have a pool, but they did have wifi. Emmett insisted that we not go to dinner until it was dark enough to enjoy all the neon signs in Tucumcari, so Edward and I lounged around our room watching television. I surfed the net a little, that was how I came across a 'breaking news' story about  _us._

_Edward Masen and fiancée Bella Swan were guests on the Oprah Winfrey show last week._

_Now word has reached our ears that they've been spotted in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and now Amarillo Texas. It doesn't take an expert to realize they're in the midst of a road trip across the mid and southwest._

I went on to read, to my horror, that the news site was offering money for photos and information about our trip. So they were, in effect paying people to spy on us.

"Edward, I think you need to see this."

Edward frowned. "I'm wondering if we should have Sidney and Lou fly out here. We may need them."

"I don't know." I said with a shrug. "No one's bothered us yet. Let's wait and see."

He agreed, but we did bring it up later at dinner.

Emmett understood our concern, but had a couple of ideas of his own. "We're going to go off the beaten track in a couple of days. If they've figured out that we're driving Route 66, they won't expect that."

"Besides" Rose began "They real paps haven't followed us. I can't see ordinary citizens doing something crazy just to make a little money. The paps yes, but not the people we've seen on this trip."

I hoped she was right.

_-V &V—_

We left Tucumcari bright and early the next morning, headed west. Our first stop was Santa Rosa for breakfast at Joseph's Restaurant, another Route 66 landmark. A vague feeling of anxiety had been creeping over me since sometime the day before. As I poked at the omelet on my plate, I felt Edward's eyes on me.

"You okay?" He asked in a low voice.

I shrugged. "I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought." I answered as I forced a small smile.

We sat quietly for the rest of the meal, content to let Rose and Emmett do most of the talking. I searched my mind, trying to understand where the anxious feelings were coming from. I knew I was beginning to feel nervous about the wedding. Up until now, there had been other things to keep my mind off of it. With a little over a month to go, the day was suddenly looming large.

I was still quiet as we toured the Route 66 Car Museum. After an hour, Edward and I had seen enough. "Rose, Edward and I will be up front."

Emmett shot me a dirty look, "Come on Edward" I said as I pulled him with me toward the gift shop. Rose was in her element, and it would be a while before Emmett would be able to pry her away from the antique cars.

We were the only people there, aside from the lady behind the cash register, so we chatted freely as we browsed. "Baby, I know something's bothering you. You can't hide it from me." Edward whispered as he looked at the Route 66 shot glasses.

I sighed. "It's funny that even though we've know each other a relatively short period of time, you already know me so well." I smiled up at him. "I'm starting to freak out a little about the wedding" I held my hand up to stop him from speaking. "It's okay Edward. I believe it's a bride's prerogative to get nervous, excited and a little crazy from time to time. I promise to keep it to a minimum."

He grinned as he squeezed the hand he was holding. "Bella, I was just going to mention the fact that we'll be in Vegas in a few days. It would be very easy to elope." He gave the impression that he was joking, but I knew that if I agreed, we'd be headed to Vegas by nightfall.

"Thank you for the offer, but I think we'll stick to our original plan." I leaned up and kissed his lips. "Besides, Rose and Emmett would kill us if we messed up their bachelor parties."

Edward groaned as he wrapped his arms around my waist, not caring that the cashier could see us. "I  _hate_ the fact that we will be in separate hotels while we're in Vegas."

"Me too." I breathed as I laid my head against his chest.

My Dad and Emmett's buddies had decided that 'the guys' needed to be far away from the women during our Vegas weekend, and insisted on separate accommodations. I knew I'd miss Edward terribly, but I'd be with Rose and Alice, so I intended to make the best of it.

_-V &V—_

"I should be less than an hour." Edward assured. We were standing in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Albuquerque, and Edward was leaving me with Emmett and Rose while he was interviewed by one of the local television stations.

He kissed me goodbye before heading for the small meeting room which had been reserved.

"So we've got approximately one hour before Eddie is finished." Emmett announced. "I'm playing the slots."

I followed Em and Rose over to the slot machines and watched them as they played happily. There was nothing even vaguely appealing about it to me. Before long I wandered away, watching the activity at each gaming table as I passed.

_Blackjack, Craps, some kind of Poker, and a couple other games I didn't recognize at all._

I eventually settled on watching the Roulette table; that at least was a game I sort of understood. A cocktail waitress approached me, and I ordered some kind of slushie with alcohol in it. As I sipped the delicious concoction, feeling the beginnings of an alcohol buzz, a voice interrupted my solitude. "Isabella Swan?"

I turned to find an attractive woman in business attire smiling at me. She looked all wrong for the setting. Most of the patrons of the casino were tourists dressed in casual wear, but she was in business chic. I felt sort of frumpy in my shorts and peasant blouse. "Yes?" I answered.

"I thought that was you. I had a tip that Edward Masen was here giving an interview. Do you have a moment?" She asked sweetly.

The alcohol must have affected me more than I'd realized because before I could register what I was doing, I found myself nodding in answer to her question.

Her smile widened. "I'm Connie Clark. I'm a reporter. I write a column for the  _Albuquerque Star_ , but I also freelance."

"Okay." I wasn't sure why she was telling me all of this as I continued to sip my very delicious drink.

She lowered her voice and brought her head closer to mine, a little too close than was comfortable. "You know Bella; I can call you Bella right?"

I gave her a confused look as I realized she wasn't waiting for permission.

"It seems that so much has happened so quickly between you and Edward, do you ever worry that the spark may fizzle out as abruptly as it began?"

I frowned. That question tapped directly into my latent insecurities. I took a large sip of my drink before answering. "No, I don't think that will happen."

"No?" She looked a little taken aback, I wasn't sure if it was because of my self-confidence or because she believed that Edward and I were doomed.

I shook my head. "I know what I feel for Edward, what we feel for each other. I know in my heart that it will last."

_I admit though that I'll never understand what he sees in me and I'll never see myself as beautiful enough or interesting enough to deserve him._

_Edward is patient, kind, and loves me beyond reason_

_It will never make sense to me_

Her eyebrows raised in surprise as a smug smile played on her face.

_Shit. Did I just say that out loud?_

I felt myself begin to panic despite the alcohol buzz.

"You don't feel worthy of Edward?" Connie spoke again.

I looked away, refusing to respond.

She waited. When it became obvious that I wouldn't say any more, she continued. "Since you don't' seem to want to talk about that, I'll change the subject." The smug smile returned as she spoke again in a whisper. "A little bird told me that a colleague of yours has taped a pilot for what was supposed to be a new television show, but it was shot down by none other than Oprah Winfrey herself."

My mouth dropped open slightly, but I wasn't able to find the right words to respond.

"Bella, putting what happened to you aside for a moment, you have to agree that what Oprah did was unfair. Maybe I'm biased because I'm a reporter, but it seems to me that your new friend used her clout to trample all over Jeffrey Dryden's right to free speech. As loathsome as he is, the public deserves to hear his story."

Upon hearing those words I finally found my voice. Once I started, I discovered that the alcohol had little or no effect on an angry Bella. My voice began, low and menacing, "Free speech? Enlighten me Connie; what could Jeffrey Dryden possibly have to say while exercising his right to  _free speech_  that would be of interest to anyone?" I narrowed my eyes, not waiting for her answer. "Admit it" I said with a sneer. "The only thing of interest to come out of his mouth would have to do with me" my voice raising slightly at the end.

Connie's mouth fell open slightly at my words. " _ME_ " I gestured with a thumb to my chest. "The only living witness to the horrific crime which earned him a place in prison for the rest of his pathetic life. What were you hoping to hear him say Connie? Maybe you wanted to hear in detail how he ripped the clothes from my mother's body before he raped her? How he intended to do the same to me? How every time she attempted to save me, he would hurt me more? How he cut my wrists? Broke my bones? What great insight were you hoping to gain from the words of a sadistic killer Connie?"

I had to suck in a lung full of air as I fought back the angry tears. Connie on the other hand looked… regretful? "I.." She started, but I didn't want to listen.

"People like you make me sick. You're so worried about the rights of fucking criminals, what about  _my_ rights? Don't I have the right to never again hear my name pass the lips of the animal who took my mother away from me?" At this point Connie looked down at her feet. "What about my mother's rights? Doesn't she have the right to be here with me planning my wedding? Seeing my brother marry?" I took in a ragged breath as I thought about Baby Swan. "Holding her grandchildren for the first time? Those rights were taken away from her. Anyone who thinks the rights of a murderer should have more weight than those of their victims is fundamentally disturbed." I sighed; Edward would be looking for me soon. "You know, I don't know why I even bother." I muttered before turning on my heel and walking away.

I knew I'd probably said too much, but on the other hand, it felt good to get it off my chest, especially with a member of the media.

I needed to pull myself together, so I found the nearest ladies room. After splashing water on my face and giving myself a good talking to, during which I decided to let this incident die, I was ready to face Edward again.

He found me not ten minutes later watching Rose and Emmett still playing the slots.

"How was your interview?" I asked.

"Same old, same old." He answered with a smile.

_-V &V-_

"This place is right up your alley Eddie boy." Emmett announced as we had our photos taken in front of the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup New Mexico. "If we weren't already booked at the Wigwam for tonight, I'd like to stay here." He added.

The El Rancho had been a 'home away from home' for many movie stars back in the day. Because of the western landscape, the studios would often film nearby, so The El Rancho was quite popular amongst Hollywood stars such as John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and so on. As a matter of fact, every room in the hotel is named for a star that stayed there.

"I know you're dying to stay in a cement teepee, but the next time we do this trip, we're staying here." Rose announced with a smile.

I had to admit that I was more than intrigued with the idea of staying in the  _Katherine Hepburn_ room.

The best we could do today though, was to eat a late lunch in the hotel restaurant. As we ate, my mind wandered as I imagined how many stars from Hollywood's Golden Age had eaten in this very restaurant. I turned to Edward. "I bet Gloria Powell has stayed here."

He grinned and nodded. "I'm sure you're right." He answered. "I was just thinking of Duke. He would go out of his mind if he got to stay in the  _John Wayne_  room. I think we may have to make that happen."

_-V &V—_

As we crossed the state line into Arizona, I hadn't realized that I'd sighed audibly until I saw Emmett peer at me in the rear-view mirror. "You okay Sissy?"

"Yeah" I answered as I looked down at my lap.

We were pushing our luck to arrive at the Painted Desert before it closed, but somehow we made it. It was hands down one of the most amazing places I'd ever seen. Having read nothing about it before we got there, I had no idea what to expect. As we drove through, pulling over often to photograph, I couldn't believe some of the landscapes that met my eyes.

More than once it felt as if we'd been transported to the surface of another planet.

From the moment we'd entered the park, a storm had been bearing down on us. We hadn't lingered long at any one stop as we tried to stay ahead of it, but about halfway through our driving tour, it finally caught up with us.

For the remaining stops, Rose and I cowered in the car as our fiancés in a misplaced attempt to prove their courage, hopped out of the car, taking photos as bolts of lightning struck all around us.

_Jackasses_

"Emmett and Edward get the hell back in this car." Rose shouted several times to no avail.

By the time they'd pulled that stunt for the third time, I was pissed. "Edward, I am asking you not to do that again." I pleaded.

He just laughed off my concern. "Bella honey, these photos are going to be amazing."

"Not if you're struck by lightning." I tried to sound harsh, but it was very difficult as I looked into those beautiful green eyes.

"Just one more" He promised as he flashed me the panty-dropper before jumping out of the vehicle yet again. But, he didn't take 'just one more'. We stopped at least three more times, all the while pleading with the men not to be so reckless.

During what turned out to be the last stop, Rose turned to me with narrowed eyes. "This means war."

By the time the guys piled back into the car, we'd made our plan for revenge.

We stopped for dinner where, once again I found I didn't have much of an appetite. My nerves had already been on edge after my run-in with the reporter, and Edward and Emmett's stunt in the Painted Desert had added to my anxiety.

Rose had coerced me into agreeing to her plan to punish Edward and Emmett, but I was unsure if I'd be able to go through with it.

"Fuckawesome!" Emmett exclaimed as we pulled up to the office of the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook Arizona.

"They do realize these are teepees not wigwams don't they?" I asked.

"This place has been here so long, I don't think the name matters Bells. Just look at it, this is amazing." He grinned.

We all laughed at his exuberance, but I had to admit I was excited as well. Stuff like this seemed to bring out the little kid in me. Whereas, most of the time Emmett's inner child was in full control, mine usually chose to remain hidden away.

Before we exited the car, Rose lowered the boom on our men.

"What do you mean you're sharing a room with Bella?" Emmett bellowed at Rosalie.

"Exactly what I said. You two didn't consider our feelings at all while you were acting like motherfucking  _Stormchasers._  I suppose you'll think twice next time you decide to do something so foolish." Rose snarked before her voice softened. "Suppose something had happened to you Emmett, then where would Baby Swan and I be?"

Emmett looked truly sorry while Edward appeared to be in serious pain. "Babe, I've already learned my lesson. I promise never to be a douche again, only" He turned to Edward "No offense Eddie, but I can't share a room with Edward." He said before Rose pointedly ignored him and walked into the office. He followed after her like a lost puppy.

Edward turned to me. "Bella, tell me you're just teasing your brother." He started. "I'm sure you can see  _reason._ " He said in an authoritative tone. "Rose is clearly overreacting, must be the hormones."

_Typical man_

This caused me to get my back up, and I narrowed my eyes. "Rose  _and I_ are not overreacting. I was  _afraid_  Edward. I can't bear to think of something happening to you, or my stupid brother for that matter."

"Tell me honestly, what would you have done if I'd been the one jumping out of the car during a lightning storm?" I questioned.

He frowned. "I probably would have forced you back into the car."

"Exactly. Unfortunately, Rose and I didn't have that option seeing that you two are so much bigger and stronger than we are."

He was quiet for a couple of minutes. "I'm sorry Bella; I should have considered your feelings." He looked at me sadly. "I got caught up in the moment and I've realized that Emmett is like the pied piper of insanity. It's so easy to follow him, sometimes to my own detriment." He added with a chuckle.

"Don't I know it." I laughed. "I forgive you."

"Does this mean you'll change your mind?" He looked at me hopefully.

I sighed. "I don't know. Rose will probably kill me if I give in."

At that moment, Rose and Emmett emerged from the office. "When you're ready Bella, we're in Wigwam number one." She announced as she breezed past.

I hesitated for a moment, and then reluctantly followed her.

I lasted about an hour.

"Would you stop fidgeting." Rose snarked.

I couldn't help myself; for the last hour, Emmett and Edward had sent so many pleading texts that Rose and I finally had to shut off our phones. At first the texts had been amusing, but after a while I started to feel that the punishment was far worse than the crime.

It was about this time that I realized how pathetic I was. I'd become so dependent on Edward, and he on me that it was physically painful to be apart. I felt like a drug addict.

I sighed loudly.

"Alright, alright." Rose barked as she stood, grabbing her bags.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"It's clear that you're not going to make it. Truth be told, I'm having a hard time as well, but don't tell your brother because I'll deny it." She winked. "I'll send Edward back to you."

I smiled happily. While waiting for Edward, I hopped into the shower, knowing Rose would give Edward the spare key. As I let the warm water run over my body, washing away all the cares of the day, my mind drifted once again to the wedding, and I promised myself to call Esme the next day. I felt a twinge of guilt that I hadn't done a lot of work toward my own wedding, but if there were any problems, Esme hadn't mentioned them.

When I emerged from the shower, I was surprised to find no Edward waiting in the room.

_Why isn't he here yet?_

I opened the door and looked out over the parking lot. It was dark, and I could see no movement. I glanced down toward Wigwam number 4, and saw the rental car parked there.

I picked up my phone in order to send him a text, and found one there from Rosalie. It was sent over twenty minutes before.

_**Edward got his own room. I phoned him, he should be there in a couple of minutes.** _

I then noticed another message sent from Edward about ten minutes before.

_**B-** _

_**Do you know how frustrating it is to knock and knock and knock, but get no answer?** _

_**I'm hoping you're in the shower and not mad at me. I truly am sorry.** _

_**I love you. (I'm in number 6)** _

_**-E** _

As fast as lightning, pardon the pun, I had thrown my belongings back in my bag and was wheeling my suitcase in the direction of wigwam number six. The door was standing open when I arrived, and my beautiful fiancé was lying across the bed, slightly propped up against the headboard, arms crossed behind his head. The moment he saw me, his face lit up in an expression of pure joy.

He bolted from the bed, and before I could take a breath, I was swept into his arms. "I don't like it when you're upset." He breathed against my lips. "I  _really_ don't like it when I'm the cause."

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm sorry too Edward. I'm never listening to Rose again. I was absolutely miserable."

That night my sleep was filled with a mixture of dreams and nightmares. There were visions of my mother during happy times. Then ones of her disappearing, vanishing right in front of my eyes as I stood by helplessly calling after her. I saw my Dad, Emmett and Rose looking at me with concerned eyes. After that, the dreams became even more confusing. They were filled with Edward and places we'd visited on Route 66, but at every stop, I would see Victor James, or the Park Ranger, or Gerry Chance, or worst of all, Jeffrey Dryden glaring or laughing at me.

I woke with a shudder.

Thankfully, Edward was still sound asleep beside me. My overactive subconscious didn't need to cause him to lose sleep. As I lay there, I watched as the gray light of dawn started to filter into the room. I drew in a deep breath and let it out quietly. This was the first time I'd woken up in Arizona since my mother's death.

The few times I'd successfully forced myself to remember what it was like living here before the events of that horrible day, I'd remembered that I liked it. It was never _home_ , that term was reserved for Forks alone, but Mom and I had enjoyed our time here.

I lay on my back staring up at the ceiling as I let the happy memories wash over me. A few minutes later my mind returned to the present.

I glanced around me, never having let myself appreciate the teepee until now.

_This room really is cool._

The space was completely round with a wall cutting through the top half of the circle, behind which was housed the toilet, sink and shower. Each room was decorated in a western motif with rustic furniture.

Edward's hand, which had been lying on my stomach under the t-shirt twitched just before his fingertips began to run light circles over my skin. He was awake.

I turned my head to find his eyes burning into mine. "Everything okay?" He asked in a hoarse whisper.

I nodded.

He drew in a breath, his eyes never leaving my face. "Talk to me Bella." He said in a pleading voice.

He knew me well. "It's just that being in Arizona again has kind of made me think about a lot of things."

Edward winced before closing his eyes.

"Damn it. I am the most insensitive person on the planet." He muttered. "I've been so wrapped up in this trip that it didn't cross my mind… and then I made you worry yesterday. I could kick my own ass for that.."

I chuckled. "Edward stop. If anything, you and Emmett took my mind off of my anxiety by giving me a whole new set of worries." I shook my head in exasperation.

I then went on to tell him about the would-be reporter cornering me in the casino, and my response to her. His immediate look of anger morphed into one of wonder as I recounted my rant.

"I've been thinking about it off and on since yesterday, and have made a conscious decision that my past will no longer interfere with my present or my future with you. I'll never forget my mother or what happened, but I've gotten past the point where those memories and emotions have such a strong hold that they literally cripple me."

He smiled then, still looking at me in awe.

"What?" I questioned.

"You are an amazing woman Isabella Swan." He announced before kissing me fiercely.

_-V &V—_

Over breakfast, my brother was still excited about having slept in a cement teepee. "Don't get me wrong, I've stayed in some beautiful places, but strictly speaking ' _cool factor'_  this motel wins." He shrugged. "Although, I think if I stayed in that hotel in Florida, you know the one with underwater rooms; that would probably be cooler, but just barely." He said with a dimpled grin.

Emmett's cheerfulness worked on me like a tonic. It was hard to spend time with him and not have at least a little of his euphoria rub off on you.

He caught me smiling at him, and his smile faltered a bit. "Bells, I need to tell you something."

"What's that?" I asked.

His tone turned serious. "I called Aunt Lola last night."

"Oh."

"She wants us to stop by to see her."

Aunt Lola was my mother's sister. Before Mom's death, we were constantly driving up to Flagstaff to visit her, or Aunt Lola would drive down to see us. During all that time, I was always struck by how different my Aunt and my Mother were from one another. After Mom's death however, I was struck by their similarities, all the little things I hadn't noticed before.

I'd only seen Aunt Lola a handful of times in the past seven years, but every visit had been painful.

I nodded. "We should stop." I said quietly.

"I promise we won't stay long." Emmett added.

I turned to Edward. He gave my hand a little squeeze as he smiled reassuringly.

_-V &V—_

Before we'd see Aunt Lola, we had another stop to make. Emmett had his heart set on purchasing a Navajo blanket. He and Edward had planned a side trip to the Hubbell Trading Post. It was an authentic trading post dating back to the late 1800's located in the heart of the Navajo Nation, and was still active today.

On the way there, we discovered something else that Emmett had his heart set on.

"Emmett, you can't just  _join_ a tribe." Edward tried to tell him.

"Why not? I  _did_ sleep in a teepee last night." He argued. "Besides, Dustin Hoffman joined a tribe."

_Huh?_

"Emmett what are you talking about?" I asked.

"In that movie where that big transvestite offers to be his woman."

Edward chuckled. "Emmett, I believe you're referring to  _Little Big Man._ "

_Of course Edward would be familiar with every movie ever made._

"Yeah, that's it!" Emmett boomed. "He joined that tribe, and he was a white dude."

"Emmett, out of curiosity, how many head injuries have you sustained while playing football?" I asked.

Edward smirked at me.

"Uh, three I think. But I fail to see what that has to do with this discussion." He answered.

"Suffice it to say that you can't  _join_ a tribe. You have to be born into one." Edward explained.

"That sucks" Emmett argued. "What about  _A Man Called Horse_? That starred that Dumbledore guy."

"Again Emmett, that's a work of fiction. I'm sure there were times in history where that actually happened, but it wasn't the norm." Edward answered calmly.

Emmett sighed. "If what you say is true, my day just turned to shit." He muttered.

When we arrived at the Trading Post, the three of us begged, pleaded and threatened him not to embarrass us. We should have saved our breath.

He behaved as we toured the house and grounds that once belonged to the Hubbell family, and I'd almost fooled myself into believing that he'd accepted Edward's explanation.

We crossed the threshold into the front room of the trading post, our footsteps sounding against the old wood flooring as we walked around, taking it all in. We passed through another doorway to find a room filled with items crafted by the Navajo people.

There was an older Navajo gentleman seated behind the jewelry counter who gave us a welcoming smile. Emmett strode right over to him and shook his hand. "Hey, how's it hanging?" He asked.

I cringed. At first the man's eyes widened in surprise, but then he smiled. "It's a good day." He answered.

Emmett nodded. "Uh, I was thinking about buying a blanket."

The man gestured toward an entire display of blankets in various sizes and colors.

Emmett pursed his lips and glanced over there before turning back to the man. "Um, so, how long have you been a Navajo?" He asked.

I scooted closer to Edward and grabbed his hand, neither of us able to take our eyes off of the train wreck that is Emmett Swan.

The man chuckled. "All my life." He answered quietly.

Emmett frowned. "So I guess it's true that you have to be  _born_ into it? I mean, there's no way to just  _join_?"

The man continued to smile. "I'm afraid that's the way it is, yes."

"Are you sure there's not some kind of initiation or anything I can do to become a member?" He persisted.

The man laughed. "No, we are not a Fraternity."

"You know, you may want to suggest next time there's a meeting of the elders or whatever you call it."

"The Tribal Council." The man offered.

"Yeah, the tribal council. You may want to suggest that they change the rules, because I'd make one  _fuckawesome_  brave."

Rose, having heard enough, strode up behind Emmett and landed a loud smack on the back of his head.

"What?" He questioned as he looked at her.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to choose a blanket.

I silently made my way closer to the counter. "Thanks for putting up with my brother with such good humor. We think he may have a brain tumor." I added the last part in lieu of ' _He's loud and obnoxious, but means no harm._ '

The man laughed. "It's fine. Believe me, I'm used to it." He said before rolling his eyes.

Before I could make sense of his words, my thoughts were interrupted by an unfamiliar booming voice coming from the room behind where he sat.

"I'm so fucking bored!"

The man turned toward the doorway and said in a raised voice. "Ben, we have customers."

Just then a young Navajo man appeared in the doorway. He was almost as big as my brother. "My bad." He said as he gestured toward himself with a sheepish dimpled grin. "Sorry."

The older man sighed. "That's my son." He shook his head. "He's seventeen."

"Is it okay if I leave? I mean the customers aren't exactly beating down the doors." He asked his father. "I promise I'll work a full day tomorrow. I'm supposed to meet the guys."

"Only if you go home and clean up all that mess you left in the yard yesterday."

Ben's mouth fell open. "But I'm not done with my experiments."

"I think they stress over and over on  _Mythbusters_ that you shouldn't try those stunts at home. You're lucky you haven't ended up in the emergency room." His father answered. "Clean every bit of that up before you go out."

Ben looked dejected. "But I'm attempting to make a smoke bomb, or maybe tear gas, I haven't decided. It will take too long to clean that shit up. The guys and I planned to play paint ball and then crash a pool party this afternoon." He shot his father a pleading look. "There's going to be  _college girls_  there." He smiled and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Clean up first." His father insisted without cracking a smile.

Ben frowned again. "Does the term  _cockblocker_ mean anything to you, old man."

"One more word and you'll be grounded."

Ben left in a huff.

His father just shook his head.

I stood there for a moment, absolutely stunned by what I'd witnessed.

"It was like watching a scene between Charlie and Emmett from ten years ago." I whispered to Edward, causing him to laugh quietly.

Emmett had the nerve to fist-bump the man before paying for his blanket, reminding him that 'tough love' was the best kind for a teenage boy and telling him to 'stay strong'.

Once we were back in the car with our purchases, I couldn't hold back any longer. "Emmett, did that kid Ben remind you of anyone?" I asked with a smug smile.

Rose and Edward started to snicker while Emmett pondered the question. "Nope. I can't say that he did."

There was silence for a few minutes before I heard Rose groan audibly. "What's wrong babe?" Emmett asked as three pairs of concerned eyes turned in her direction.

"I just decided that I want this baby to be a girl."

Edward and I laughed as Emmett continued to look confused.

_-V &V—_

"Wow Aunt Lola, you look  _different._ " I announced after hugging my Mom's sister.

"I just wanted a change" She responded as she ran her fingers through her short  _platinum_ bob. Last time I'd seen her, her hair was shoulder-length and brown.

It was then I noticed a man come around the corner, from the direction of Lola's bedroom. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders in a very familiar way. It didn't shock me that she obviously had a boyfriend, I never knew a time when she didn't. What shocked me was that the guy standing behind her couldn't have been any older than Emmett.

As soon as his hands touched her shoulders, Lola reached up and patted one of them. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Drew."

We said our hellos before Aunt Lola spoke again. "I'm sure you're all hungry, let's have lunch and we can catch up."

As we ate lunch and talked, I was reminded once again of the similarities between Lola and my mother. Even with the blonde hair, I could see it. Instead of making me sad though, the only emotion I felt was one of happiness. I found myself welcoming those glimpses of my Mom as I watched Lola talk and laugh.

Before we left, Lola assured us that she would be attending  _both_ weddings.

I had tried to phone Esme as we rode along, but only reached her voicemail. I left a message explaining that I would be available to help with the wedding plans as soon as we arrived home.

The next couple of hours went by in a blur. Emmett was determined to arrive at the Grand Canyon as quickly as possible. The landscape leading to the Canyon surprised me. For the last two days, we'd been driving through wide open spaces with sparse vegetation, especially if you compared it to back home.

Leading to the Grand Canyon however, the landscape looked more like Washington than anything I'd seen since we left. Every few minutes Edward would announce our elevation. The temperature was dropping as the elevation increased. It was almost chilly when we stepped out of the car at the first Grand Canyon scenic viewpoint.

I had to admit that the view was breathtaking, but unlike the Painted Desert, there were a lot of tourists cramming into each overlook. To make matters worse, people started to recognize Edward. At first he happily posed for photographs and signed a few autographs, but at our third stop, the crowd became stifling. We decided we'd seen enough, and with Edward's arm wrapped tightly around me, we made our way back to the car.

We let Rose and Emmett enjoy the rest of the stops while we opted to stay in the car, enjoying a few moments of alone time. It had been a very busy day.

"I'm beat" I announced on the drive away from the Grand Canyon "I can't wait to have a bath." I said while stifling a yawn.

"Don't fall asleep yet Bells" Rose said from the front seat "wait until we've reached our last stop of the day."

"It had better be a hotel." I muttered, not wishing to play tourist any more today.

"Well actually… we're going to a brothel." She said with an evil grin. "Don't tell Esme." She added conspiratorially.

_That woke me up_

"What the hell are you talking about Rose?" I snarked as I shot her a glare.

I was trying not to panic.

_Whatever the hell she has planned, I'm staying in the car. And so is Edward._

By the sounds of the laughter emanating from my brother and Edward, it became clear that they knew something that I didn't.


	69. Red Garters & Fuzzy Dicks

 

"What is this?" I asked as we parked in front of an old two story building in Williams Arizona.

The sign out front read 'The Red Garter Bed and Bakery'. I was beyond confused.

"Come on Bella, let's go check-in." Rose said with a sly smile.

"Not before you explain that nonsense about a brothel." I demanded.

Edward and Emmett chuckled again before Edward took my hand and began to explain. "Bella, Rose heard about this place and made reservations for tonight. It's a bed and breakfast."

"Oh" I said, still frowning.

"It's also an old bordello." He grinned. "Downstairs where the bakery is now, used to be the saloon."

Rose interrupted. " _Upstairs_ " She said suggestively "Was where they got down to business." Earning chuckles once again from the guys.

"So it's not a brothel now?" I asked, needing reassurance.

"Not any more. Come on, I've booked you and Edward in the best room. It has its own sitting room. I figured it was the least I could do because we took the room with the 'magic fingers' back in Missouri." She said with a laugh.

The innkeeper showed us to our rooms. Rose and Emmett were staying in the 'Madam's Room'. It was very nice, but didn't compare to ours.

"Here you are, this is the 'Best Girl's Room'." He announced as we trudged into the sitting room, adjacent to the bedroom.

I eyed the bed through the large archway skeptically. "Um, how old are the furnishings?" I asked, suddenly fearful of sleeping in a hooker's bed.

"Most of the furnishings are antiques." He answered.

"What about the bed?" I blurted. I needed to know.

Edward laughed loudly.

The innkeeper grinned. "The beds are antiques, but the bedding is new Miss, no more than two years old.

I breathed a sigh of relief at his words.

Edward and I barely had a chance to freshen up before Emmett and Rose were knocking on the door. "Wow this room is really nice guys." Rose announced as she and Emmett proceeded to make themselves at home.

I nodded. "Why do you think it's called the 'Best Girl's Room'?" I wondered aloud in my naiveté.

Rose snickered. "It was probably used by whichever girl was bringing in the most money at the time."

As it dawned on me exactly  _how_ the  _Best Girl_ was earning that money, I cringed. "Ew."

Emmett looked wistfully around the room "Oh if these walls could talk" He said quietly.

I nodded as I glanced around, this building was over a hundred years old, and had witnessed a lot of history during that time; world wars, the great depression, the dust bowl and the migration west on route 66, just to name a few.

I should have known that my brother's thoughts wouldn't travel down the same noble path as mine.

"Just think about it, we could hear all kinds of stories about cowboys getting their freak on!" He boomed.

We laughed.

At dinner that night, Rose, who'd done a bit of research on the subject, told us all about the town of Williams. It had been a typical 'Wild West' town. The Red Garter was one of many saloons/bordellos which had once lined the street along the railroad tracks.

"Prostitution was outlawed here in the early 1900's, but the law wasn't strictly enforced. From what I read, The Red Garter was a functioning bordello all the way up until the 1940's. Business kind of dried up when all the men were away fighting in the war." She snickered. "Oh!" She exclaimed "And a man was murdered on the staircase at about that same time."

I frowned. That fact was a little unsettling to say the least.

_Thankfully he wasn't murdered in our room._

"Know what else Bells" Emmett began, enjoying my discomfort. "There's a ghost" He said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Sure there is Emmett."

"Would I shit you Bells?" He said with a grin. "Her names' Eva and she may just come sit on your bed while you're in it, or  _visit your dreams_ as has been known to happen."

_Oh dear Lord_

_Damn Emmett. He knows how skittish I am._

I glared at my brother as he continued to smile.

_-V &V-_

I was awoken by the feel of soft warm kisses on my neck and behind my ear. Without opening my eyes I began "You probably should go, I'm sure my fiancé will return at any moment. I felt Edward's lips curl into a smile against my neck.

"Is that so?"

I nodded, still not opening my eyes.

"I should have known that someone as beautiful as you would be spoken for. Are you certain I couldn't persuade you to give me a chance?"

I shook my head.

Edward sighed, playing along. "What's so great about this fiancé?" He asked.

"Hmm" I pretended to think. Edward chuckled lightly. "Well, he's rather easy on the eyes." I was grinning now. "And he's very smart,  _when_  he's not listening to my brother." Edward let out a quiet laugh against my neck. "He's the best part of every day and now that I have him, I don't know how I'd ever live without him." I said seriously as I opened my eyes. "I hope I never have to find out."

Edward moved until he was hovering over me, his beautiful green eyes looking at me intently. "No worries Miss Swan, I'm not going anywhere."

"Good to know." I whispered before pulling him down until his lips met mine in a soft and gentle kiss. Edward wrapped his arm around me, pulling me against him as his other hand moved slowly up my back until it was tangled in my hair. I moaned low into his mouth, praying my will power would hold.

_Forty-four more days_

_-V &V—_

"Feeling better today?" He asked as he watched me cross the room on my way to my suitcase.

"A lot better."

_Who would have thought I'd have slept so well in a haunted brothel?_

I snickered. "Although after all these days of eating out and sitting in a car, I'm afraid my butt may not fit into my wedding dress." I said with a laugh as I bent over to dig into my suitcase.

"Hmm" Edward began "I wouldn't worry, your butt looks pretty good from here."

I tried to look indignant as I turned to face him, hands on my hips, but as soon as I saw his smile, I was lost. "Better than pretty good actually." He added as he wiggled his eyebrows.

My only response was to chuckle and shake my head as I turned back to my bag. "I could actually use a run, would you like to come with me?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes, I think I would." Whereas Emmett and Edward seemed to find time for a run almost every morning, I hadn't done any real physical exercise, apart from walking or swimming for ages. I thought back and realized that I hadn't  _really_  exercised since my abduction. I lightly shuddered at that memory.

I hadn't heard Edward climb out of the bed and come up behind me. Suddenly his hands were on my shoulders. "What's the matter sweetheart?"

I shrugged. "Just trying to remember the last time I worked out. It was before, you know." My voice trailed off.

Suddenly the hands on my shoulders were gone and I felt both of Edward's arms wrap around me from behind pulling me against his hard chest. "Don't think about it Bella."

I smiled and turned to look up at his face. "I'm not worried. You're with me."

He nodded. "And I'll be damned if I ever let anyone hurt you again." He said in a low voice.

"Let's go for that run." I said by way of changing the subject.

We passed Emmett and Rose in the hallway, carrying coffee and tea to their room. Knowing that they didn't have a sitting room, I offered ours. "Edward and I are going for a run; you can use our room if you like."

"Thanks guys" Emmett muttered as he turned, headed toward our room. He looked terrible.

"Rough night Emmett?" Edward asked as he unlocked our door.

"Fuck yeah." He exclaimed. "She heard  _a noise_." He said while shooting a quick glare at Rose.

I saw Rose struggle unsuccessfully to control her laughter. I bit my lip.

"Bells, I'm sorry for teasing you last night, because when I went to investigate the noise, I swear I saw that  _ghost._ " He paled when he said the last word.

"He ran back to our room like his ass was on fire." Rose blurted.

We were all laughing at poor Emmett's expense, as he proceeded to glare into his coffee.

"But that's not the best part." Rose started to laugh so hard then that she could barely speak. "The best part was the dream afterwards where he woke up yelling. I'm surprised you didn't hear him."

Emmett glared at her again. "Laugh it up Rosie. I'm glad my discomfort brings you so much amusement."

I pulled my lips into a hard line, trying to wipe away the smile.

Emmett blew out a big breath and looked down into his coffee again, grasping the mug with both hands. "It was horrible." He muttered. "And it's all your fault Rose, talking all that shit about the 'Wild West' last night." He made air quotes with two fingers before grasping the mug with both hands again.

"The dream started out pretty fucking cool because I was a cowboy. I was right outside this building when it was still a saloon. I made sure to look at my reflection in the window and I was like ' _sweet, I look all rugged and shit_.' Then I looked around. Everyone on the street had stopped what they were doing to stare at me. I did a quick check to make sure I had remembered to zip, if you know what I mean."

Edward and I snickered.

"It was then I realized I was the  _only_ man." He winced. "The women in the street started moving in my direction, and I'm talking  _running,_ not walking. One of them shouted, 'We haven't seen a man in so long…' At that moment, the saloon girls started pouring out of the Red Garter, and surrounded me. They started to grab me, but the hookers were the most eager. It was  _Night of the_  fucking _Living Dead._ " He said with disgust.

Edward, Rose and I exploded into laughter.

Emmett continued, "I finally managed to break free of the crowd, and took off running. It took about two seconds to realize that I was  _naked_ , those crazy zombie bitches had ripped off all my clothes." He announced, appalled.

The three of us were literally in stitches.

"While I ran, I turned and saw them getting closer. They kept shouting that they didn't want to hurt me; they just wanted my  _man meat._  And  _that's_ when I woke up screaming." He shuddered. "I felt so dirty." He muttered.

"Oh Emmett" Rose said through a snort of laughter "It was only a dream, and besides, all they did was rip off your clothes."

"Yes, but they wanted to do more." He said with a scowl.

We continued to laugh.

I realized that, after what I'd lived through, I probably shouldn't have found this situation funny, but it was Emmett after all, and his ridiculous subconscious. I couldn't help but laugh my ass off.

_-V &V—_

"Just think, if we were here for dinner instead of breakfast we could have the  _Shishka-Bobcats_  or the  _Chunk of Skunk._ " Emmett announced with a laugh.

We were sitting in the  _Roadkill Café_ in Seligman Arizona, perusing the menu while Edward and Emmett were reading the fake menu items. Obviously, because of the name of the restaurant, all those were variations on the same theme: Dishes made from road kill.

"I don't know Emmett; I think I'd prefer the late night choices:  _A Smear of Deer_ or  _Fender Tenders._ " Edward said with a grin.

I watched them with unbelieving eyes as they both laughed loudly.

Rose wasn't amused. "Hey, need I remind you that there's a pregnant woman right here?" She snapped, pointing to herself. "I spend most of my days vacillating between stuffing my face or feeling nauseated, so put a sock in it."

Our guys looked a little remorseful, but never lost their smiles.

After visiting the Route 66 shops in Seligman, we were back on the road. This time Edward drove. "Good God Bells, it looks like an entire family of homeless people has been living in the back seat." Rose announced as she slid into the car.

I gave her a sheepish look and shrugged. "We were stuck in here for a long time yesterday." I admitted as I grabbed an empty Pringles can and shoved it into a trash bag.

We stepped from the vehicle an hour later at the General Store in Hackberry Arizona. All four of us seemed to drift in different directions once we were inside. As I wandered around looking at the Route 66 memorabilia, I sensed my brother beside me. "Bells, can I talk to you about something?" He looked serious for once.

"Sure Emmett." I answered.

"Rose and I have been choosing the music for the  _special_ dances at the wedding reception." He cleared his throat. "Normally there would be a dance between the groom and his mother." He said in a whisper.

I knew about this because Edward had been planning the dance with his Mom for our wedding. Of course this wouldn't be an option for Emmett.

_No wonder he seems sad. My poor brother._

"I've been thinking about it, and" He hesitated before looking into my eyes. "I don't want to skip it. I'd really like to have that dance with you, if it's okay." He swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving mine.

My sweet, crazy brother actually looked as if he'd been agonizing over this. I patted his hand reassuringly. "Of course Brother Bear, I'm really touched."

Emmett looked relieved. "What song did you choose?" I questioned, needing to lighten the conversation.

He grinned. "I was thinking I'd surprise you."

This made me slightly uneasy, and he must have read it on my face.

"Don't worry Sissy. I promise no Jay-Z."

"Yeah, and no Eminem, no Flo Rida, no 50 Cent, no.."

"I get it" He interrupted. "No rap, I promise." He wrapped his big arm around my shoulders, giving me a half hug. "Thanks Bella."

"Thank you for asking." I returned his smile.

_-V &V—_

Edward drove us across the desert, with a stop at the  _Baghdad Café_ , the diner made famous by the movie of the same name. None of us but Edward had seen the move, but he insisted we have dinner there.

As we got closer to L.A., the fact that we were drawing near to the end of our road trip began to sink in. For the next couple of hours, we went back over the highlights of the trip, beginning with the moment we boarded the train in Seattle.

It had been a whirlwind couple of weeks. None of us were prepared to repeat the trip any time soon, but we definitely wanted to do it again someday.

After battling the busy L.A. traffic, we'd finally reached the end of the road. Because of our stops and side-trips today, it was getting late when Edward parked the car, and we made our way to the Santa Monica Pier for our last Route 66 photo op. We'd taken several good shots before the crowd started to approach Edward and me wanting photos and autographs. Edward indulged them for a few minutes before we made a hasty departure.

The familiar camera flashes greeted us as we approached the car.

_The paps._

Edward scowled. "Welcome back to L.A."

_-V &V—_

It was late evening by the time we made it to Edward's house. We were greeted by more paps waiting outside the gates, but Edward just drove past, ignoring them. Once inside, we were greeted by Sidney and Lou, who would be accompanying us on our Vegas excursion. We were due to meet up with Alice, Jasper and Chris the next day; but for tonight, we all preferred to relax.

"This is gorgeous Edward." Rose remarked as we lounged in Edward's pool. "If I had this view, I'd never leave the pool. They'd have to drag my pruney ass out of here." She laughed as she looked out over the lights of the city.

"I've always liked it." He answered with a smile, his eyes also drawn to the view.

"So what are y'all doing when we finally get back to Seattle." Rose asked. "Or are you staying here?" At that question, Emmett looked out at the lights, away from us.

"I think we'll do a little house-hunting. After the wedding, Bella and I want our home to be in Seattle." Edward said quietly as he wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer in the pool. "We both know that I'll be travelling when I'm filming, but we'll make it work somehow."

Rose and Emmett both smiled happily. "We're going house-hunting as soon as we get back too. We don't want to live in the apartment with a baby." Rose announced. "Maybe we can find homes near each other?" She smiled widely.

I liked the idea, but I wasn't sure how Edward would feel about it.

_-V &V—_

You'd think after being together practically every minute for weeks that Edward and I would welcome a little time apart. That simply wasn't the case. We both must have looked dejected the next day as our departure for Las Vegas got near. My brother even noticed. "Would you two please cheer up? This weekend is supposed to be fun." He boomed.

He was right of course. Edward and I smiled sadly at each other. We spent the morning doing laundry, and the afternoon folding and packing. "Bella, I need to give you something." Edward said quietly as we stood in the bedroom repacking our suitcases.

He held out his hand to reveal a shiny black credit card. Upon closer inspection, I realized my name was printed on it. I looked up at him in confusion.

"It would really make me happy if you didn't argue with me about this Bella. I had your name added to all my accounts weeks ago." He began.

"Edward, I don't need your money."

"Maybe not, but it would give me peace of mind if you carried this with you. Suppose there's an emergency this weekend." He said.

"Rose and Alice will be with me." I offered.

He frowned. "Don't you see Bella?  _I_ want to be the one to take care of you, not Rose, not Alice, not your brother, not anyone else."

I sighed. "Edward, I do have my own money." Which was dwindling away to nothing since I'd stopped working.

Emmett had insisted on paying for the entire bachelorette weekend. It was a good thing, because I would have never been able to afford it.

"I'll be getting the advance for my book…" I offered.

He interrupted, "If it makes you feel better, you can add my name to your bank account." He said as he pressed the card into my hand and wrapped my fingers around it. "Bella, please." I looked up into his pleading eyes. "We'll be husband and wife in a few weeks. Please do this for me."

I took a deep breath. "Alright." This wasn't a subject worth fighting about. The truth was that most of the trappings of my soon-to-be new life were things I could never afford on my own, with or without the money from my writing. It was time I accepted that fact.

He let out a breath and pulled me close. "Thank you baby."

_-V &V—_

By afternoon, Alice, Jasper, and Christopher had arrived.

"Hello my lovelies." Chris sang as he hugged and kissed us. "Are we ready for Sin City?"

"Are you coming with  _us_?" I asked, hopeful that Chris had decided to come with the girls rather than the guys.

He gave me a guilty smile. "I would like to, I really would but.."

"But he can't resist a weekend with those  _hunky football players_." Alice blurted with a laugh.

Chris's smile grew larger. "She knows me well. I promise Bella dear that nothing will stop me from attending yours when the time comes. This will actually be the first time I've ever attended a  _bachelor_ party." He admitted.

I gave him a puzzled look. "You didn't attend Jasper's?"

"No, I couldn't. It was the same weekend as Alice's, and since I was her  _Man of Honor,_ and had planned the whole darn thing, I couldn't very well miss it." He answered.

I looked at him in surprise. "I didn't know you were her Man of Honor."

Alice smiled indulgently at Chris. "He's been my best friend for a long time."

Soon after that, Alec arrived. He'd planned a diversion which involved him disguised as Edward, and a large white limo. Amazingly enough, he managed to lure the paps away. A few minutes later two much less ostentatious limos arrived. One for the men and one for the women. Lou would ride with me and Sidney would go with Edward.

"Why is this so difficult?" I whispered to Edward as we said goodbye.

"I don't want to go either." He whispered back. "Maybe I'll be able to sneak away?" He said with a devious smile.

"Alice and Rose will probably kill us." I interjected, while secretly hopeful.

"It would be worth the risk." He said with a smirk.

"Hey, you two had better not be making plans." Alice exclaimed from her spot by the women's limo. "You are ours for the next two days Miss Swan. My brother can survive for that long."

Edward sighed and pulled me closer. "I love you baby."

"I love you too."

When we arrived in Vegas a little over four hours later, I understood why Alice and Rose insisted we arrive at night. The lights of the strip were beyond amazing. It felt a little like Christmas, except with strippers and gambling.

I laughed to myself at the thought.

The gambling I didn't mind, but the strippers were another matter. The best part about Charlie being in charge of Emmett's party was that I knew without a doubt that there would be no strippers.

When we arrived at the Bellagio, I was literally bowled over by its opulence. I caught myself more than once turning to say something to Edward when I would see something particularly beautiful or eye-catching, only to realize that he wasn't beside me. According to his latest text, he was across the street at Caesar's Palace.

_This is going to be a long weekend._

By the time we arrived at the suite, the rest of our party was already there. For the first time since Rose and Emmett's engagement, all her bridesmaids were gathered in one place. Caitie and Tami, Rose's sorority sisters had flown in from Seattle. Harriett, Rose's cousin had flown in from Georgia with her two brothers, Bradley and Bo, who were attending Emmett's bachelor party. Marlene and Jennie, Rose's friends from high school, had flown in from New Orleans and Miami, respectively.

Even though we knew there was plenty to do our first night in Vegas, we all opted to stay in and relax. Tomorrow would be a busy spa and salon day for us, with dinner, and a party back in the suite that evening, so the most prudent decision seemed to be to rest up in preparation.

"You know your mother invited Tommy and Louise to the wedding." Harriett informed Rose as we relaxed that evening in the sitting room of our enormous suite.

"She did not!" Rose exclaimed.

"She most certainly did. And you know if Tommy attends, he'll bring that bitch girlfriend of his." Harriet continued.

"Motherfucker" Rose muttered.

Evidently Rose's cousins on her Dad's side had often been thrown together with cousins on her mother's side each time the Whitlocks had any kind of family function. Birthday parties, anniversary parties, weddings, etc. And the cousins on Colonel Whitlock's side had developed an extreme dislike for those on Mrs. Whitlock's side, similar to the way Jasper and Rose felt about them.

Tommy and his sister Louise were particularly disliked by Jasper and Rose.

"Samantha is attending." Rose said worriedly. "She told me she didn't want to be a bridesmaid because she'd be heavily pregnant." Rose huffed out a breath. "Wedding day or not, I swear I will kill Britni if she bothers her." Rose spat through gritted teeth.

"Who's Britni?" I asked.

"My cousin Tommy's bitch girlfriend" Rose answered. "For some reason she has always had a pick on my cousin Samantha. She's just jealous because Samantha is gorgeous and because even on her best day Britni still looks like a troll. A troll that dresses like a hooker."

We laughed.

_Emmett and Rose's wedding day should be interesting._

_-V &V—_

It was late when I crawled into bed. Even though we'd spent the evening in the suite, we stayed up late talking. The girls were interested not only in Rose and Emmett's wedding, but in mine and Edward's. We also chatted about our Route 66 adventure.

I was sharing a bedroom with Alice. While she was in the shower, I checked my phone for messages, finding one from Edward.

_**B-** _

_**Did you go out? I miss you. Call me, no matter how late.** _

_**Love you** _

_**-E** _

I immediately dialed him. "Hey baby. Did you go out?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

"No. We stayed in. I'm sorry; I left my phone in the bedroom while I spent time with the girls."

I could hear the smile in his voice. "That's okay. We went to the casino for a while, had a drink at the bar. This bunch is pretty rowdy. I don't know if Charlie's going to be able to control them." He said with a chuckle.

"Oh well, he can always use brute force. He is a cop after all." I chuckled.

"Jasper's cousins are a lot of fun, but Emmett's friend Gregory may just be insane."

I groaned, remembering Gregory from the few times I'd seen him in action. "He's so out of control sometimes Edward. I don't know what my brother sees in him. I thought for years that maybe he was trying to influence him to settle down. Doesn't seem to have worked."

Edward chuckled. "I have to agree with that assessment. He and Bo seem to have hit it off."

"Bo's nice." That's as much as I was going to say. I decided that Edward didn't need to know that Bo had tried to get to know me better a couple of years ago. He'd been a perfect gentleman but, needless to say, he realized pretty quickly that I wasn't exactly approachable.

_Now that my life is an open book, I guess he understands._

I decided to change the subject. "At least it sounds like Sidney will have a far more interesting time than poor Lou will on this trip." I giggled. "He's got a room across the hall from our suite, so tonight wasn't bad for him, but tomorrow he gets to sit outside the spa for most of the day twiddling his thumbs."

"As long as he keeps you safe, that's all I care about Bella." Edward answered seriously.

"I know" I whispered, understanding that he had a hard time letting me leave his sight, and not just because he missed me. He worried.

I didn't have a chance to think too much about that before yawning loudly in Edward's ear. He laughed. "Get some sleep sweetheart; I'll talk to you tomorrow." He directed.

"Okay, love you." I mumbled.

"Love you too. Sweet dreams Bella."

_-V &V—_

"You know I love you like a sister Bella, but it's kind of squigging me out that you're spooning me right now." Alice's lilting voice invaded the lovely dream I was having in which I was seated behind Edward, clinging to him for dear life, as we rode a motorcycle along Route 66.

As soon as her words broke through the haze of sleep, I moved back a foot so that our bodies were no longer touching. She rolled over to face me. "Thanks" She mumbled.

It was then that I saw that she had on a zebra-stripe sleep mask. "Alice, what the hell are you wearing?" I whispered.

"I need it totally dark in order to sleep. Don't judge me." She smirked, looking a lot like her brother in the half-light.

I giggled before drifting off to sleep again.

_-V &V—_

"God Bella, if you're this shy around other women, I can't imagine how you're going to survive your wedding night. Are you going to let Edward see you naked at least?" Rose whispered. Thankfully no one but Alice heard her.

For the next two hours, our group had the entire spa reserved. Most of the treatments had a 'clothing optional' policy. I, of course, was wearing my swimsuit with the fuzzy hotel robe over it. "Why aren't you making fun of Alice? She's wearing her swimsuit too." I snapped at Rose.

"Because that's just Alice." She laughed.

"I save it all for Jasper." Alice chirped from the massage table. "He's the only one who gets to see the goods."

By the time we were on our second round of mimosas, Rose of course relegated once again to orange juice; I was feeling very relaxed. Although not relaxed enough to agree to a Brazilian wax.

"No Rose. A bikini wax is bad enough. Brazilian is out of the question." I was standing firm on this one.

Rose pursed her lips and nodded. "You're probably right. You should wait until you've been married a few months for that one. You can surprise him with it." She said with a wink.

"Yeah, you'd probably freak him out if you're bare the first time he sees you." Alice chimed in.

_I can't believe we're having this conversation._

"That's your brother you're talking about." I hissed.

"And your point is?" Alice said with a smirk.

_-V &V-_

Edward and I had been communicating through text messages all day. I had given him details of each torture session, leaving out the bikini wax, and he'd been telling me about the crazy things they'd been doing.

I laughed for five whole minutes when I found out how Charlie had exacted revenge upon my brother for a long list of transgressions.

_My father was a genius._

_**E-** _

_**On our way to dinner, wish I could see you. I miss you. I spooned Alice in my sleep last night.** _

_**-B** _

Less than a minute later my phone chimed with a message.

_**B-** _

_**Lucky Alice. I hope it was because you thought she was me.** _

_**Love you.** _

_**-E** _

I laughed out loud, earning curious looks from the girls and Lou as we rode along.

_**E-** _

_**Of course I was dreaming about you. You're the star of all my good dreams. Love you too. I'd better go, your sister's giving me the stink-eye.** _

_**-B** _

She was too, so I promptly stuck my tongue out at her about a second before my phone rang.

_Edward_

"Hi" I breathed, earning snickers from most of the girls.

"Hey. So you spooned my sister while dreaming of me?" He laughed lightly.

"Yep" I said in response. "And I'm not embarrassed by it either."

"I don't think you should be. You're sharing a room with Alice?"

"Yes. We're all sharing rooms. Rose is sharing with her cousin Harriet." I said. "How about you? Are you guys sharing?" I wanted to laugh, already knowing the answer.

"Ah no." Edward answered. "Guys don't share Bella. Or if they do sleep in the same room, someone sleeps on the floor."

I giggled.

"Although, that doesn't change the fact that Chris has offered to share with your Dad."

I gasped. "He didn't."

"He did.  _Twice_." Edward said. I could tell he was holding back a laugh.

"Twice?" My voice raised an octave as I grinned.

"So far." Edward said as he finally released a laugh. "Your Dad blushed almost the same shade of red I've seen you turn on numerous occasions." He laughed again.

"Oh my God. Wait until I tell Rose." I laughed again as we pulled up in front of the restaurant. "We're going to dinner now. I suppose I'd better hang up." I said, reluctant as always to sever our connection.

"I'll see you soon beautiful."

"Love you Edward."

"Love you more." He whispered and ended the call before I could respond.

I sat back and sighed while staring at my phone, ignoring the giggles all around me.

_-V &V—_

After dinner at a top-notch French Restaurant, we decided to visit the Casino. Our group got a lot of stares, but I never presumed for one moment that it was because people recognized me. Rose and the other girls were stunning, dressed to the nines as they were, and if I was being honest, I didn't look half bad either.

Alice talked me into playing Roulette after she told me that she 'saw me' winning. She was right. My winnings came to a little over three hundred dollars. I was feeling pretty happy, considering I'd bet less than fifty; that was until I put the winnings in my clutch and glimpsed the shiny black credit card inside.

_Gah. I bet I could charge a million dollars on that card and Edward wouldn't even blink._

_And I'm excited about three hundred bucks?_

_Really Bella?_

"Bella?" I heard a soft voice call to me as I walked through the casino with Alice and Lou on our way to collect the rest of our group.

I turned to see a beautiful smiling face that I hadn't laid eyes on in more than seven years; the face that belonged to my best friend from childhood. "Lianne?" I whispered. She gave me a slight nod, and that was all it took before I crossed the space between us and threw my arms around her neck. She hugged me back before we both pulled away slightly to look at each other.

"Bella, I can't believe it's you." Lianne began "I mean I've seen you on television, but of all the places to run into you."

"I know. It's so good to see you again." I added. "Do you live in Las Vegas?"

She laughed. "Oh no, I'm here on vacation. I start a job with a company in London in September, so I'm taking the summer off to spend time with family and friends."

I turned to Alice. "Alice, this is Lianne, my best friend from Phoenix. If not for her, I probably wouldn't be alive right now." I admitted quietly, remembering that Lianne was the one who alerted the police the day my mother was killed.

Lianne looked down at the floor uncomfortably. The next thing I knew, Alice had also thrown her arms around Lianne. "Not only my brother, but my entire family would be lost without Bella, so thank you Lianne. Thank you so very much."

Lianne just smiled in return.

We chatted for a few minutes and I tried to persuade her to come up to the suite with us, but she had plans with her friends.

"Lianne, it would mean the world to me if you would attend my wedding."

She smiled. "When is it?"

"August 14th. The ceremony is in Forks Washington. After that, we're transporting everyone to Seattle for the reception."

She nodded. "I'd love to come."

We exchanged phone numbers and promised to talk soon. Before I left, I hugged her one more time. "I'm so glad to have found you again."

"Me too Bella."

After our goodbyes, Alice and I found the group and ushered them up to the suite, knowing that by now the preparations for the party were complete. The concierge had arranged for a spread of food, and remembering how much Rose had enjoyed it, I'd arranged for all of us to receive a belly dancing lesson.

As soon as we arrived, I went to check on the food, and stopped dead in my tracks. "What the hell?" I asked as all the girls snickered from behind me. "Did the penis fairy visit this room while we were gone?" I barked.

"Bella, no offense, but I knew you were too sweet and innocent to decorate properly for this" Alice chirped. "I mean isn't it bad enough that Rosalie can't drink? She shouldn't have to give up the other fun parts of a bachelorette party."

I glanced around taking in the added 'decorations'. For the most part, they consisted of many and varied items all shaped like penises.

There were penis balloons of all shapes and sizes hanging all over the room, a 'pin the schlong on the dude' game taped to the refrigerator, two honeycombed pink penises serving as a centerpiece, penis confetti, a bowl full of 'pecker whistles' sitting beside the food, and penis straws, one of which adorned a tall drink that Jennie proceeded to place into my hand as I stood there frozen in my tracks.

I eyed the penis straw skeptically. After a moment's deliberation, I decided  _what the hell,_ and took a long pull of the mysterious concoction.

"Mmm. This is good." I hummed. I could taste coffee and Kahlua, along with the whipped cream topping, but it didn't quite taste like an Irish coffee. "What is this?" I asked.

"It's call a Fuzzy Dick" Jennie answered before laughing loudly.

_Somehow, I don't think I'll share this experience with Edward. It just wouldn't sound right for me to say I was sucking on a Fuzzy Dick through a penis straw._

_No._

I laughed softly and took another pull. Suddenly I heard a click and saw the flash of a camera. I looked up to see Alice smiling brightly as she looked at the screen of her phone. "Alice what are you doing?" I asked.

_Please don't say you're sending that to Edward_

"Well, if you must know, I've just taken a photo of your lips getting ready to wrap themselves around a penis straw, and am now sending it to Edward." She answered with a giggle.

_Fuck_

"Alice don't!" I urged as I grabbed for her phone. She pulled it out of my reach as she pushed the 'send' button.

"Too late" She exclaimed with another laugh.

_Fuck my life. Fuck my life. Fuck. My. Life._

I stared at my phone, expecting a response from Edward, but none came. I convinced myself not to worry, knowing that he was with Sidney and my Dad, before downing the rest of my drink.

The belly dance instructor arrived just on time. We had the best time taking the lesson, although we did considerably more drinking than dancing. Afterwards, Alice took the floor again.

"Time to play  _Never Have I Ever_ " She exclaimed. My mind was already fuzzy, thanks to my  _Fuzzy Dicks_ , cue snort of laughter, so I knew it wouldn't take much for me to quit the game and crawl into bed.

"Now, since Rose is preggers and can't drink, she gets to choose the questions, rather than one of us." Alice exclaimed.

Jennie and Harriett made sure that everyone had full drinks before we began.

Rose held a stack of index cards in front of her. "A reminder of the rules ladies: Everyone holds up ten fingers. I read a statement starting with  _Never Have I Ever_. If you have in fact  _never_  done the deed mentioned, you're safe and don't have to drink. If however you  _have_ done the deed, you put down one finger, and take a drink. The game is over as soon as someone has no fingers up. Let's hope we learn something new about each other before all of you get completely wasted. Just to be fair, I will play too, although I will be drinking juice." She ended with a grin.

Rose cleared her throat. " _Never have I ever…_ done a striptease for my significant other."

_Well shit. I was hoping I'd make it through this entire game without drinking._

_I distinctly remember a drunken skype belly dance, followed by an unintentional striptease._

I took a swig of my drink, watching as Alice's eyebrows shot up when she saw me.

_HA! I've definitely given her something to think about._

Granted, everyone else in the room also took a swig.

" _Never have I ever_ … had sex on an airplane" Rose was the lone sipper after that particular statement. "What?" She said in answer to the stunned looks. "Shut up bitches, Emmett's convinced that Baby Swan was conceived on that plane."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter at that.

I found out a lot about the other bridesmaids during the next hour. Some things I could have survived quite happily  _without_  knowing, such as the fact that at least half of the girls had 'done it' while on their period.

At least three had worn a skirt without underwear at least once as an adult. Just the thought of that made me all sorts of uncomfortable.

_Although I can see myself doing that with Edward… preferably after the wedding._

A lot of the things they talked about that I found slightly off-putting, didn't seem as bad when I thought of doing them with Edward.

" _Never have I ever…_ had sex in a car."

"… had sex in an elevator."

"… had sex in a hot tub."

Rose was on a roll with the sex questions. Some of the girls didn't drink during some of these questions, but I was the  _only one_ who didn't take a sip during the entire series.

"… had sex outside."

"… had sex." Rose ended this particular series with a smirk at me.

_Bitch_

All eyes were on me as I set my glass down on the coffee table without taking a drink.

Everyone in our party who didn't know it before, was now aware of the fact that I was still a virgin. The room suddenly erupted into chatter.

I'd heard it all before. 'Oh my God Bella, but Edward's so yummy', 'I'd like to lick ice cream off of those abs', 'after riding him until he begs for mercy', 'before I tie him up and slap that gorgeous ass'. Girls, I discovered, are as obsessed with sex as the average male; and quite vocal about it once they'd gotten a couple of drinks in them. 'Mmm, he does have a gorgeous ass.' 'He has a gorgeous  _everything._ ' They giggled.

"Eww" Alice practically screeched. "That's my brother you're talking about!"

They laughed, but continued to rattle off an entire litany of the things they'd like to do with or  _to_  my fiancé. Even in my  _Fuzzy Dick_  induced stupor, I attempted to make mental notes of the items I wanted to try myself.

The music was playing, the girls drinking and chatting happily while playing a game of 'Pin the Schlong', when there was a loud knock at the door. I had a sudden pang of worry that it might be Lou, and that something was wrong with Edward.

My fears were put to rest when I opened the door to find a young guy standing there. He was dressed in a white button down shirt, black pants, and a bowtie. He looked like a waiter, but the most curious part of his ensemble was the silver drink shaker he held in his hand. "Good evening." He smiled. "My name's Guillermo. Someone called mentioning that you ladies were in need of my  _bartending_ services."

_Huh?_

I must have looked confused as he smiled and brushed past me into the suite. The hoots and hollers which greeted our new friend left little room for doubt;  _someone_ in our group of cackling hens had hired a  _stripper._

Once back in the sitting room, I frowned at the scene before me. These girls were really drunk, well so was I, but I wasn't pulling dollar bills out of my purse in order to be ready to shove them into Guillermo's G-string.

I shook my head and decided to spend the rest of the evening in my room.

_I'll phone Edward. He's probably just as miserable as I am._

Alice shot across the room as fast as lightning and grabbed my arm. "Where are you going Bella?" She slurred.

"Alice, you're drunk, I'm drunk, everyone's drunk. Well except for Rose, but she doesn't need alcohol to act inappropriately. I have no desire to watch Guillermo's little performance."

"You do know that he's not going to be completely naked. He'll keep his thingy covered." She said with a drunken smile.

I laughed at her juvenile term. "I didn't know that, but I'm glad you told me. I still don't want to be in the same room as  _that._ " I pointed over to where Guillermo was standing on our coffee table, swaying his hips as he started to remove his shirt.

_Edward is so much hotter than that guy._

"I just hope no one tries to pull something like this at  _my_ bachelorette party. It will make me uncomfortable." I added.

Alice smiled and leaned in to whisper. "Honey, I'm not comfortable either. I'm just very good at 'going with the flow'. You do realize that Rose arranged for the stripper herself. Her only goal is to have her photo taken with Guillermo so that she can taunt Emmett. They have such a weird relationship sometimes." She laughed loudly before her expression abruptly changed into a frown. "I want nothing more than to go over to Caesar's Palace right now and crawl into bed with my Jazzy." She said with a hiccup. "But I can't do that. I'm here for the duration."

With those words she turned back toward the party and I retreated to the bedroom. I lay on the bed, intending to hide in there until the stripper was gone. I thought back to the crazy day and silently cringed as I thought about the housekeeping staff being greeted the next morning by the 'peen' display in the sitting room. I knew I didn't have the energy to pull down all those balloons beforehand, so exhaustion won out over embarrassment.

When I couldn't hear Guillermo's music playing any more, I assumed the party was winding down. I pulled out my phone to call Edward.

"Bells?" I heard the gruff voice of my father answer.

I looked at the screen, making sure that I hadn't drunk-dialed Charlie by accident.

"Dad? Why are you answering Edward's phone?"

"Uh, long story. I'm sort of glad you called. Is Rosie around?"

"She's in the other room." I started to panic. "Dad, is something wrong with Edward?"

"No, he's fine as far as I know."

"As far as you know!" I practically screamed. "Dad where's Edward?"

"Bells now calm down. I'm pretty sure you'll see him soon. Sidney's with him so don't freak the hell out. I really need to speak with Rose." He pronounced each word slowly and deliberately.

_Yeah, he knows I've had too much to drink._

"Bella honey, please give the phone to Rose  _now_."

"Okay" I muttered as I made my way to sitting room to find Rose ushering the girls to their bedrooms. I held out my phone to her.

"Dad needs to speak with you."

She looked puzzled as she put it to her ear. "Charlie what's wrong?"

She listened for a moment before frowning deeply. "Charlie you're making me nervous, what's going on?"

She listened again, still frowning.

"Where's Sidney?"

Another pause.

"Emmett and Jasper?"

She listened.

"Ew" She said with a grimace.

Rose then started to laugh, and after listening again, laughed even harder.

"Oh God" She gasped through her laughter.

She listened again while nodding her head. "My poor monkey man. Alice and I will be right there. Thanks Charlie." She said quietly, still smiling.

"Bye."

"What's happened Rose?" I asked.

She looked at me while calling over her shoulder. "Alice come on, we've got to go."

Alice was beside us in a flash. "Go where?" She asked, still slightly slurring her words.

"Emmett's gotten sick from overindulging, and Jasper, also very drunk, keeps trying to leave the suite to find you." Rose answered.

Alice smiled. "Aww. That's so sweet. My Jazzy misses me." She sighed happily. "Why don't they just bring Jazzy to me?" She asked.

Rose smirked. "Because he's naked. He keeps trying to leave, but won't put on any clothes." We all three laughed at that. "Charlie's had his hands full with the two of them, not to mention Edward."

"Edward? What's wrong with Edward?" I asked, losing my smile immediately.

"Nothing's wrong with Edward, aside from the fact that he too is drunk." She smirked.

"I'm coming with you." I announced.

"No Bells. Edward's on his way here. You need to stay put."

"Oh. Okay." I muttered.

As soon as Rose and Alice left, I went back to my room to lie down, making sure to leave the bedroom door open so that I would hear Edward when he arrived.

About five minutes later, I heard one of the girls answer the door.

A moment later a voice squealed excitedly from the sitting room, "Thank you God! I am in peen heaven. This is my happy place!"

_Christopher?_


	70. Fireworks & Dream Homes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **For those of you who haven't read the most recent 'Love Rescue Me', just letting you know that I'm not going to rehash all the gory details here, so you really should give it a read. It's #51 (actually chapters 68-69 'On the Road to Sin City'), and contains all the antics from Emmett's bachelor party. In a word, it's INSANE.
> 
> song rec: 'Hot In Herre' by Nelly

As soon as I heard Christopher's voice from the sitting room, I trudged out there expecting to find Edward with him. "Hello sweetness!" Chris sang as he ran over to hug me, his words coming out in a rush. "It's so good to see you. Too much drama tonight! I think I've aged ten years. Is Alice sleeping?"

"No, she and Rose went to help my Dad. Evidently Emmett and Jasper have been a handful."

Chris put his hand over his heart and let out a breath. "Oh thank God for that" He began to say something else, but was cut off by the screams we heard emanating from Jennie and Marlene's bedroom.

"What the hell?" I tried not to scream myself in my surprise.

"Oh no! Edward just went in there; he obviously thought it was your room." Chris exclaimed.

I started to move toward the door when it suddenly flew open. The next thing I knew, Edward charged straight into the sitting room and ran into me. The force of the impact should have sent me flying, but instead, his arms wrapped around me, catching me before I could tumble backward onto the floor. "Bella" He breathed as he held me to him.

"Edward" I whispered. Had it only been a little over twenty-four hours since he'd last held me? It felt an eternity since I'd truly been able to relax. Before I melted into him completely, I turned to Chris. "Chris would you tell Marlene and Jennie that it was just Edward looking for me?"

Chris laughed. "Will do."

"I was losing my mind without you…." Edward began.

"Come on, let's go to bed, we can talk in the morning." I whispered as I led him down the hallway to my room.

"Where's Alice?" Edward asked in confusion as he stood beside the empty bed.

"She and Rose went to help my Dad handle Emmett and Jasper." I said with a snicker.

A bright smile spread across Edward's face. "They'll probably be gone all night huh?"

I smiled back. "Probably"

"So" His smile grew wider "We don't have to spend another night apart?"

"Looks that way" I said, returning his smile.

He quickly shed his jeans and crawled in beside me wearing just his boxer briefs and t-shirt.

My heavy eyelids prevented me from getting too excited though. It had been a long day. A few minutes later, I heard him call to me in a sleepy voice. "Bella"

"Hmm?"

"Do I  _have_ to have a bachelor party?" He asked.

_He must have had one hell of a night._

"We'll talk about it in the morning Edward." I whispered, knowing I could wait until then to get the full story.

_-V &V—_

Edward was still sleeping soundly when I slipped from the room late the next morning. I had a slight headache from my partying the night before, but it wasn't as bad as I'd expected. My father had sent a text message letting me know that he and Emmett would be arriving in a little while to take me to Mass. I showered and dressed and waited in the sitting room while drinking a cup of coffee, trying to be as quiet as possible. Chris was asleep on the sofa, and none of the other girls had made an appearance yet, so I was certain that I was the only one awake.

After a few minutes, the door to Marlene and Jennie's bedroom opened and a much disheveled Marlene stumbled out. "Hey Bella" She croaked as she made a bee-line for the coffee maker. After she'd taken a few sips of her coffee, she looked up at me with bleary eyes.

"Was it my drunken imagination, or was Edward here last night?" She asked almost apprehensively.

I chuckled. "Yes" I could tell by the way her face dropped that she remembered him being in her room.

"Oh hell" She muttered. "How do you like that? I actually threw  _Edward Masen_  out of my room." She said, shaking her head. "I'll never live that one down."

"Marlene" I said quietly, remembering that she had been very vocal the evening before when listing the  _things_ she'd like to do to Edward. "It wouldn't have mattered if you hadn't thrown him out. The moment Edward realized that you weren't me, being the gentleman he is, he would have politely excused himself and run from the room to find me." I sighed as I watched her face fall. "We don't do well when we're apart." I ended in a whisper.

"You're really sure of him aren't you?" She asked in a whisper.

"More than anything else in this world, I am sure of Edward's love for me; our love for each other." I answered simply.

"I wish I could find that with someone." She said quietly before looking at me apologetically. "I'm sorry for talking all that trash last night. I'm so stupid when I drink."

I smiled. "Apology accepted. And I know you were drunk, that's why I wasn't angry."

Before long, there was a soft knock at the door.

I opened it to find my brother and father chatting and smiling with Lou in the hallway. "You look well" I said to Emmett "Last I heard, you were on your knees worshipping the porcelain." I said with a chuckle as we walked toward the elevator.

Emmett cringed. "I was sicker than I've been in a long time." He blew out a breath. Once I was able to keep something down, Rosie made me drink coffee and eat a little something. I slept for a couple of hours, and now even though I'm a little shaky, I feel okay. I made Rose stay in bed. She's exhausted."

I nodded.

"Oh crap, I forgot to leave a note for Edward." I said once we were in the car. Not wanting to wake him, I sent a quick text instead. I cringed at the thought of him waking up and not finding me there, so hopefully he'd look at his phone before beginning to panic.

Mercifully, the church was close, just a few blocks from the Bellagio, and the service wasn't overly long. On the way back, I decided to call Edward, but he didn't answer.

About a minute later, I saw Dad fish into the pocket of his jacket, and pull out his phone. He frowned before reaching in again and pulling out a second phone. "Oh shoot Bells." He said apologetically. "I still have Edward's phone. I brought it with me, intending to give it to him this morning." Charlie handed Edward's phone to me then. Not surprisingly, it was dead.

I looked at my phone again and saw that, thankfully, there were no messages. I looked at Lou. "Have you heard from Sidney today?"

Lou frowned. "I spoke with him earlier. He was going to bring Edward's bags over from Caesar's. I think he was waiting to ask Chris if he wanted his as well." He said as he rubbed his neck. "Is something wrong Bella?"

"I just don't want Edward to worry." It was after noon, and Edward didn't know where I was.

_Gah, how could I be so thoughtless?_

As soon as the car stopped in front of the hotel, I said a quick goodbye before racing to the doors, Lou following close behind me.

The elevator ride seemed to take forever. Finally, I was at the door to the suite. I entered to find it eerily quiet inside. The sitting room was empty. I made my way swiftly to my room and threw open the door.

And there he was; sound asleep, exactly where I'd left him.

Realizing that I had worried needlessly, I let out a breath and lay down beside him.

_-V &V—_

"After this, I will be spoiled for any other fireworks display." Rose announced. It was Sunday the 4th of July, and we were watching the spectacular show put on by Caesar's Palace.

Everyone was in good spirits, having finally recovered from the parties the night before. Edward, Chris and Jasper seemed to have had the hardest time bouncing back to normal. Edward and I had spent the majority of the day resting in the suite, so that by evening he felt almost human again.

We said goodbye to Emmett and Rose's friends and cousins in the afternoon, as they all had flights to catch. I silently pondered how many tourists, statistically, exited Las Vegas with hangovers.

Charlie had an evening flight, so we all went out to dinner before he left for the airport. As we ate, he admitted that the night before had been exhausting. "I think the last time I had to deal with such crazy drunken behavior was when you were in high school Emmett." He chuckled. "Last night brought back a lot of memories."

None of the boys remembered everything that had happened, so when Dad told the story, they were at first shocked by some of the things they'd done, before breaking out in hysterical laughter.

"So I spent a good part of the evening dealing with your puking" He said while regarding Emmett with a smile, "while trying to keep Jasper from escaping the suite _naked._ " Charlie informed.

Jasper covered his face with his hands while Alice giggled.

"Not to mention Sidney and I trying to haul Edward and Chris's silly asses in from the balcony. It's no wonder I'm beat." He sighed. "I'll be glad to get home to my own bed."

Chris was laughing. "It was all because of that wrong number." He explained.

We looked at him questioningly.

"The reason we were reluctant to come in from the balcony." He grinned. "Edward tried to call Bella, and instead he drunk-dialed some stranger who didn't like his romantic talk one bit."

Edward blushed slightly and hung his head.

_Cripes, I wonder what he said?_

Charlie frowned in concentration.

Chris continued. "The lady threatened him with her husband, and since the two of us were three sheets to the wind, we naturally concluded that Bella had run off and had a quickie Vegas wedding."

Rose and Alice started to cackle, while the guys, even Charlie, laughed loudly at that.

"We could see the Bellagio from the balcony, so Edward stood there shouting for Bella and singing."

"At least that explains some of what I was seeing and hearing from the two of you." Charlie said as he continued to chuckle.

"What a night" Edward said with a groan as he shook his head.

After seeing my Dad off on his flight, we'd gone back to Caesar's for the fireworks display. The suite the guys stayed in was amazing, and immaculate. It was hard to imagine that there had been a crazy drunken party there the night before.

Once the fireworks were over, Emmett insisted we go see Nelly in concert at The Mirage.

"Come on, it's our last night in Vegas, you know you want to go" Emmett tried to convince me with a grin before starting to sing the lyrics to 'Hot In Herre', " _It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes_ " He halted his singing then and looked at Jasper with wide eyes. "Oops, I guess Jasper already did  _that._ " He boomed before laughing loudly.

Jasper blushed a bright red as he gave Emmett the one finger salute.

We all joined in the laughter. "Okay, let's go." I agreed with a smile.

Because it was in a nightclub, I thought we'd be able to relax at a table while enjoying the show. I was wrong.

First of all there were a  _lot_ of people in attendance. Therefore, to see Nelly, we had to stand, and while standing, it was impossible to resist the urge to dance. For most of the two hour show, Edward and I had our bodies pressed closely together as we danced in the limited space next to our table. When 'Hot in Herre' started playing, Jasper made sure to hide his face in the crook of Alice's neck as we laughed once again at his expense.

_I need you to get up up on the dance floor  
Give that man what he askin for  
Cuz I feel like bustin loose and I feel like touchin you  
And cant nobody stop the juice so baby tell me whats the use_

Edward's hands were on my hips as I swayed to the music, my back to his front. I turned to face him, our bodies no more than an inch apart. He slid a leg between my legs and pulled me closer until we were pressed together.

We swayed together just like that as Nelly sang on.

_Its gettin hot in here (so hot)  
So take off all your clothes  
_  
 _I am gettin so hot, I wanna take my clothes off_

I began to grind against him as Edward's hands travelled to my shoulders and back to my hips and stayed there. The entire time we danced, we were aware of the many eyes watching us.

_This is my life now_

We were tired and happy as we rode in the limo back to our respective hotels. "Goes to show how much fun you can have without benefit of alcohol." Jasper mused.

He was right. After the drunken fiasco of the night before, we'd all enjoyed this evening's festivities without the aid of adult beverages.

Everyone aside from Edward and I decided to stay at Caesar's, so we were more than happy to have the Bellagio suite to ourselves.

As we lay in bed that evening, we talked about the week ahead.

"My parents should arrive in L.A. tomorrow for Mom's birthday celebration."

My eyes lit up when I thought of that. Alice, Edward and Carlisle had planned a wonderful surprise for Esme's birthday. I couldn't wait.

"The rest of the week, I'll be performing community service." He grimaced a little when he said that. "and I've got to meet with Jane and Clint at some point."

"Maybe I can hang out with Alice or Chris then?" I asked hopefully.

He nodded with a smile. I leaned up to kiss him. He kissed me back and less than a minute later his hands were under my shirt. "God I missed the feel of your skin."

I chuckled. "We were only apart for a day Edward" I sighed. "But I know what you mean. I missed you something awful last night." I sighed contentedly before asking a question that had been on my mind. "What did you say to the lady on the phone that made her so angry?"

"Um" He paused.

"Oh come on, it couldn't have been that bad."

He cleared his throat. "I was pretty drunk.. I may have said something about how beautiful your breasts were." He admitted with a chuckle.

I smiled, glad he couldn't see my blush in the half-light. "Is that all?"

"Uh" He paused again. "I  _may_ have said something about being jealous of that  _straw_."

I cringed. "Shit. I forgot Alice sent you that photo."

He breathed out a laugh. "Well, it had quite an effect on my stupid drunken self." He cleared his throat. "Chris liked it."

_Shit._

"But Emmett… not so much."

I groaned as he chuckled. "I'm surprised he didn't tease me."

"He may have forgotten about it. He was a lot drunker than me." Edward whispered. "If he does remember, I can guarantee you that he wishes he didn't."

_Awkward_

"Did you hear that Rose hired a stripper for her party?"

"What?" Edward tensed and his hands stopped their movement against my skin.

I laughed at his reaction.

"Don't worry Edward. As soon as the guy started to remove his shirt, I escaped to this bedroom and stayed here until the party was over. I'm not interested in seeing a naked man, unless it's you." I blurted out the truth.

He smiled. "I can fulfill that request right now if you'd like?" He said as he moved until our bodies were closer than before.

"Ahh" I gasped. All it took was that sexy tone of voice for my girly bits to start to tingle. "You don't fight fair. I'm trying to be good."

"You can still be good, just allow me to be bad" He murmured with a smirk. "for a few minutes."

Oh God. It was getting harder and harder not to act on the feelings that only Edward awakened in me. I let out a breath as his thumb brushed against my nipple. After a minute, the hand drifted downward until his fingertips were tracing the lace at the waistband of my panties.

"Edward" I whispered before his lips were on mine, effectively stopping me from speaking.

When we finally broke apart, he leaned his forehead against mine as we both caught our breath. He moved his hand from the waistband of my panties and grasped one of my hands with it. Slowly, Edward began to pull my hand until it was resting on his upper thigh. "Bella" He whispered as he pulled my hand again until it was resting on his crotch. I gasped as my mind registered the feel of his hard member through the cloth. I'd felt it before, on the train.

_It's still impressive, that's for sure._

_I'm no judge but, is that thing larger than the norm?_

I swallowed hard, not wanting to ponder that at the moment, but my mind wouldn't shut off.

"Can you feel that Bella?" He said in a hoarse voice. "This is what being with you does to me baby."

_How is it going to fit? I mean….in me?_

_And how am I ever going to relax enough to do this?_

_Stop overthinking everything._

"Baby, you look nervous." He whispered, frowning now.

I tried to wipe the expression from my face, but I couldn't help it. I  _was_  nervous.

"Talk to me Bella." He pleaded in a soft voice as he pulled my hand up and placed in on my stomach, covering it with his own.

How could I tell Edward what I was feeling?

 _How can you_ not _tell him Bella? This is Edward. He loves you more than anything in this world._

_Stop being an idiot._

I lifted my hand and cupped the side of his face with it.

"I guess I am nervous. I worry about everything. The wedding, the future, our families,  _you._ " I drew in a shaky breath " and  _sex._ I worry that I'll be too nervous to be any good at it. Suppose that, because of me, our wedding night is a disaster." I worried my lip. "you'll probably regret marrying me."

His head fell slightly as he chuckled. "Bella, this is something we'll be doing together for the first time. Even if by some chance it's awkward or confusing at first, there is no one else in this world that I would want to experience this with. You are all I ever want, all I ever  _will_  want." He smiled before kissing my nose. "I also know for a fact that because it's with you, it  _will_ be perfect. But even if it isn't, we'll have lots of time to practice." He wiggled his eyebrows before he kissed my lips passionately as I finally relaxed.

"I promise to behave." He sighed when he broke the kiss. "We don't have much longer to wait, and I do want our wedding night to be special."

I sighed, trying to calm my raging hormones. That feeling, mixed with abject fear of the unknown, was a freaky combination. I didn't know what I wanted more: to jump Edward's bones or run and hide in the bathroom.

_How will I make it for another … how the many more fucking days?_

I bit my lip as I tried to calculate.

_Forty-one. That's it forty-one more days…_

_-V &V—_

Back in L.A., be were relaxing by Edward's pool after working at the soup kitchen most of the day when my phone rang.

"Hello"

"Hello Miss Swan, or should I say Miss McCarty, it's Jonathan Corday."

_Why is my publisher calling me?_

"Hello Mr. Corday, how are you?"

"Very well Miss Swan. Things are moving right along with the publication of your book. I wanted you to know that the advance was wired to your bank account this morning."

_Wow. I have money!_

"Thank you for letting me know Mr. Corday." I said happily.

"You're very welcome. I was also wondering what your schedule was like for the rest of this week?" He continued before giving me a chance to respond. "The reason I ask is that the heads of our East Coast marketing department will be here for a few days. It would be a great opportunity for you to meet with them."

I bit my lip. "Well, I'm in L.A. right now. I don't have plans to return to Seattle until next Tuesday."

"Oh, that's unfortunate" He said, disappointment clear in his voice. "I know you're getting married soon and the only other way to meet with them would be to schedule something for New York say sometime in the next couple of weeks. Would that be possible?"

He let the question hang there as I began to panic inside.

I knew this type of thing was necessary, and the publisher had a right to expect my attendance at meetings from time to time, but Edward's last day of community service was scheduled for Monday, and I didn't want to leave him.

Edward was watching me carefully as I spoke on the phone.

"How soon would I have to return in order to meet with them in Seattle?" I asked hesitantly.

"They fly back to New York on the red-eye Monday night."

I blew out a breath. "I…" I hesitated. "Could I meet with them Monday morning?"

"I think we can arrange that." He said in a satisfied tone. "Let's say 10 a.m.?"

"I'll be there."

I ended the call and looked solemnly at Edward.

He gave me a half-smile and shook his head. "Bella stop looking at me like that. This is your work. Think of how many times you've had to adjust your life because of my schedule." He shrugged. "So you fly back on Sunday, and I change my flight so I arrive in Seattle on Monday night." He kissed my forehead. "It's only a day." He smirked then. "But I will insist that Lou accompany you everywhere."

I smiled, it was forced because I still wasn't happy, but I nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't think of going anywhere without him Edward. I learned my lesson the hard way."

He winced before pulling me into his arms.

_-V &V—_

"Mother, I cannot believe you thought they were going to the  _Bunny Ranch._ " Alice announced with a cackle. This was the first time we'd told the story.

"And what, pray tell, did you think they were going to do once they got there?" Chris asked with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

We were in a restaurant in L.A., celebrating Esme's birthday. She and Carlisle had flown down the night before.

Esme giggled. "I don't know. My mouth was a little ahead of my brain on that one, jumping to all kinds of crazy conclusions."

We were all laughing then.

"It reminds me of the time you thought they were selling  _condoms_ at Musicland." Alice continued to giggle.

Esme smirked in her embarrassment. "Is it my fault that they packaged those mini-glow sticks  _all wrong._ " She defended.

"Mother, it was  _Musicland,_ not  _Spencer's_ for heaven's sake." Alice laughed.

"Oh I have  _got_ to hear this story." Rose announced with a grin.

Alice giggled again. "Well, I think it was about fifteen years ago because I couldn't have been more than ten or eleven, which means Edward was only nine or ten."

I could see Carlisle chuckling and shaking his head, obviously having heard the story before.

"Anyway, we were shopping in the mall and we all went into Musicland and scattered, each looking for our favorites. Mom was busily looking through the DVDs when Edward approached her carrying a little package of mini glow sticks."

Edward took over telling the story then. "Her eyes practically bugged out of her head when she glanced at what I had in my hand. She recoiled from it as if I was holding a dead rat. Her reaction, in turn, freaked me out, because I thought I'd done something wrong." He was laughing in earnest now. "She actually hissed at me while saying 'put it back Edward, put that back right now'."

We all began to laugh with him as he continued, in a voice meant to imitate his mother. "Put it back. It's a  _condom._ I don't expect you to know what that is… just put it back right now!"

"Well honestly can you blame me?" Esme began. "He tried to hand me a little, flat, rectangular foil package. I glimpsed the label seeing the word 'glowing'. I'd heard somewhere that they made condoms that  _glowed in the dark_." She smirked. "What can I say? I panicked."

We laughed and laughed. "We got the weirdest looks as we were leaving that store." Alice stuttered out.

Once we were able to catch our breath, Emmett spoke, "Esme, you are what I would classify as a national treasure."

To which we all toasted "Happy Birthday!"

_-V &V-_

"Okay, so what's this big surprise?" Esme asked before we left the restaurant.

After dinner, Esme would get her surprise.

"Really? This is wonderful!" She squealed as we walked through the cemetery. All ten of us would be spending the evening in Hollywood Forever Cemetery watching one of Esme's favorite movies:  _Raiders of the Lost Ark._

Normally The Hollywood Forever cemetery had movie screenings on Saturday evening only. Entire families brought lawn chairs and picnic blankets to spread across the cemetery grounds while watching a movie projected on the mausoleum wall.

Somehow, my fiancé had used his influence to reserve the facility for a  _private_ showing on a Tuesday evening, Esme's birthday.

Our group, which included Esme, Carlisle, Edward, me, Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper, Chris and Gerry proceeded to set up lawn chairs and spread blankets before Alice pulled a bottle of champagne and glasses from a picnic hamper.

_God I love this family._

Rose and Emmett's expressions mirrored what I was feeling.

Carlisle opened the champagne and we toasted the birthday girl just as the opening credits of  _Raiders_ displayed across the would-be movie screen.

Rose had to drink ginger ale, but didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"I'm kind of insulted that none of my movies are in your top five Mother." Edward remarked half-way through the film, feigning injury.

Esme chuckled. "I love your movies Edward, only you've never done one like this."

Edward frowned. "I could be an action hero." He defended.

"I'm sure you could dear, but I wouldn't be able to have the same thoughts about you as I do about  _Harrison._ So let's just leave it at that shall we?"

"Overshare Mother!" Edward snarked as the rest of us roared with laughter.

An hour later, our tired but happy little group wandered back to the cars, chairs and blankets in hand.

"Thank you all so much." Esme bubbled "This was a wonderful surprise." She kissed and hugged each one of us in turn. "I'll see you back in Seattle" She told Edward and me as she gave us each a hug. She and Carlisle would be flying back with Emmett and Rose the following day.

_-V &V—_

"Bella would you please help Peggy wipe down the tables. Then you're free to go hun." Nick, the head of the soup kitchen volunteers directed.

This was our second day working here. The kitchen was only open three days a week, and to complete his required hours of community service, Edward was scheduled to work for four days total. Nick thought it better, because of Edward's notoriety, that he work 'behind the scenes', therefore my fiancé spent most of his time here, out of sight, washing dishes.

It was so busy that I rarely had a chance to visit him, but at least the time passed quickly.

As I made my way to the tables and began to clean, I noticed a little girl and an elderly woman in the nearly empty dining room. The small girl looked up at me with the saddest big brown eyes I'd ever seen. She looked to be about four, but her eyes were much older. She'd definitely seen more than any child her age should.

Peggy and I finished wiping down every table but theirs. "Peggy, I'll do that last one, I have to wait for Edward anyway."

"Thanks Bella" Peggy said with a smile. "You're a doll." She said as she removed her apron and headed for the back room.

Wanting to keep busy, I grabbed a broom and started to sweep while I waited, aware that the little girl hadn't taken her eyes off of me since I'd entered the room. Suddenly, she stood from her seat and ran straight to me, throwing her arms around my upper legs in order to hug me to her.

"Kayla!" the older woman exclaimed as she moved toward us and began trying to pry her away from my legs. I rubbed the top of the little girl's head. "It's okay" I soothed. The older lady let go of Kayla, her eyes filled with concern. I felt Kayla's hold on my thighs loosen, and used the opportunity to kneel down in order that we could look at each other face to face.

"You're dat lady from the TV" Kayla said. "Dat bad man hurted you."

I heard the woman gasp before she spoke to me. "I'm sorry Miss, my granddaughter sees too many bad things on the television." She said with a heavy accent. "It's my son's fault. She must have seen you on the news." She tried again to pull Kayla away.

"It's alright." I signaled to the grandmother to let go before turning back to Kayla. "Thank you for the hug Kayla. It was very nice."

"I sawed you. I know you feelded bad. Sometimes when I feel bad, hugs make it better." She whispered.

The three of us made our way back to the table and sat down. Kayla's grandmother proceeded to tell me the sad story of the little girl with the big brown eyes. Just like me, she'd witnessed her mother's murder; the difference was that her mother was murdered by her drug dealer boyfriend. Kayla didn't know her father, so the courts placed her in the home of her grandmother and uncle.

Her grandmother went on to tell me how the formerly outgoing little girl, didn't speak for months after the murder. Her response to me was the most animated she'd been in the almost one year since losing her mother.

"Edward, I know there are many stories just like Kayla's, but I also think that people cross our paths for a reason. I want to do what I can for that little girl and for the other children I saw this week."

"Did you have something specific in mind?" He asked with a smile as we rode back to the house.

"I don't know, this is new territory for me. To start I think, if her grandmother would accept it, Kayla would benefit from therapy. We could arrange that right?" I asked.

He nodded, still smiling.

"Maybe we could do something to help her grandmother financially. I don't know. I mean, I just got the advance for my book, and admittedly we don't need it to live on. I'd like to do something useful with it." I sighed and shook my head. "I honestly don't know what I'm talking about. I probably sound really stupid."

He grabbed my hand. "Bella, you are not stupid. You're a kind and loving person with a very big heart, and I thank God every day for that." He smiled tenderly.

"If you haven't noticed, my family is all about 'giving back' in one way or another. I admit to being a bit of a disappointment in that regard because I spent too many years living the life of a hermit." He grinned. "You changed that. I would like to get involved also."

I smiled.

He pulled me against him and kissed the side of my head. "I'll speak with my financial advisor, I'm sure he can come up with some ideas. In the meantime, Nick told me that the families who use the soup kitchen, for the most part, aren't homeless, but all of them struggle to keep a roof over their family's heads. They don't have much expendable income. The Soup Kitchen helps when the food budget dwindles. Aside from that, what they need more than anything is clothing and shoes, especially for babies and children because they grow so quickly."

"The Church does their best to supply those things from time to time, but it's not consistent, and it's never enough."

My head jerked up. "Then I will." I said. "That would be a wonderful start, don't you think?"

He nodded. "It's perfect. And anything further, we'll use  _our_ money to finance."

I frowned.

"Bella.." He warned when he saw the challenge in my eyes.

I pursed my lips before smiling. "Okay. We'll use  _our_ money for anything aside from the clothing and shoes." I then smiled brightly as I thought about being able to help the families I'd seen this week.

"I love your smile." Edward whispered.

I leaned my head on his shoulder. "I was just thinking that even something bad, like you being forced to do community service, has been the catalyst for something good." I sighed. "It makes me happy."

_-V &V—_

After I told Chris and Alice about Kayla and the other children, they decided to go with me on a 'shopping spree' the next day, while Edward and Jasper attended meetings.

"No Alice. We are not shopping on  _Rodeo Drive_  for these children. We are going to Target." I insisted.

Alice frowned deeply. "How about I whip up few things for them?" She asked.

"No Alice. No designer clothing. If it can't go in a washing machine, I don't want it."

Chris, Alice and I had a surprisingly enjoyable time in Target as soon as Alice lost the 'designer mentality'.

We'd already filled the basket with numerous items for babies and little boys by the time we reached the 'little girl' department.

"It is an unwritten law that every young girl must have at least one item of clothing with Disney princesses on it, Dora the Explorer is an acceptable alternative," Chris was trying to educate Alice as he rifled through little girl dresses, sizes 4 to 6X, " _Although_  any respectable pre-K female should have  _both_ in her wardrobe."

I laughed. "How do you know so much about little girls Chris?"

"One of my brothers has twin daughters. They're five years old, and I'm their favorite uncle." He answered with a grin.

As we stood in the checkout, Alice was exceptionally chatty, even for her. "Oh I'm so glad we came here today. I had a great time. I think we should stop somewhere for ice cream. Don't you agree Christopher?"

"Um, sure sweetie, whatever you want." He shrugged, a puzzled expression on his face.

Once I'd paid for my purchases, I turned to say something to Alice and spied the rack of tabloids over her shoulder that she'd obviously been trying to block with her petite form.

There I was, my face splattered across the cover.

_**Bella, drunk and alone in a casino, goes on foul-mouthed rampage against reporter** _

I glanced at the other tabloids, thankful to see members of the Kardashian family, rather than myself, gracing the covers.

"Bella, don't even look at it. Just walk away." Alice was practically nose to nose with me then, blocking my view of the stupid magazine.

I sighed deeply and closed my eyes, before nodding. We grabbed the bags and left the store without another word.

That night, my curiosity got the better of me and, against the advice of my inner voice of reason, I googled myself.

It was all there. My rant against the reporter in the casino was repeated practically word for word on several websites. A few blogs had picked up on the story and as I read the comments, I realized that the attempt to turn people against me because of my colorful choice of language had backfired. Most people, using colorful expletives of their own, described in no uncertain terms what they would like to see happen to those who put criminals' rights ahead of the victims'.

"What are you doing hiding in here?" I heard Edward ask as he came up behind me. While he had been on a phone call, I had slipped away to his massive bedroom with my laptop.

I heard a sharp intake of breath as he got a glimpse of the screen and I felt his hand gently squeeze my shoulder. I reached up and covered it with my own hand "It's okay Edward. Once again, it seems that everyone is on our side about this. Judging from the comments I've read, if that reporter thought she'd help her career with this sensationalism, she was sadly mistaken."

"My advice Bella is to ignore them all. There will always be stories showing us in a positive light, but just as many of which the opposite will be true. It's better to forget they exist, or else you'll let this bullshit dictate how you live your life. Sometimes without even realizing it."

"Sort of like politicians?" I said with a chuckle.

He smiled then. "Exactly."

_-V &V—_

"Do you think we overdid it?" I asked Edward as I looked at the bags of clothing and shoes we'd purchased for the children.

"Probably" He answered with a grin.

A couple of volunteers set up a table outside of the soup kitchen to distribute the children's clothing. My wish was to remain anonymous in this, so I worked in the back with Edward most of the day. Every now and then, I did manage to peek out and was gratified when I saw more than one smiling face of a parent or child.

That evening, Edward took me out for a romantic dinner. It was our last night together in L.A., at least for the foreseeable future.

I was feeling pretty glum because of having to fly home the next day without him, but I plastered a smile on my face, trying to make things easier for him. I was pretty certain he didn't buy it, but seemed resigned to do the same for me.

The next day, we went to Mass and then lazed around his house until it was time to leave for the airport. "Edward, maybe you shouldn't go inside with me." I said during the ride to LAX. "We always draw a crowd." I grinned as I remembered.

It didn't take long to get my answer. He frowned. "I know it's annoying to have photographs taken every time we're in public together, but I can't sit here in the car Bella." He swallowed hard. "Please don't ask me to."

"Edward, I didn't mean it like that. I want you with me. I just thought maybe you would rather say goodbye here, in private."

_Well, sort of private, with Sidney and Lou in the front seat._

He pulled me in for a passionate kiss then. I could feel it all the way to my toes. When he pulled away I was breathless. "Wow" I whispered when I could speak again.

"Let's just call that our 'real' goodbye. I'll try not to make a spectacle at the security gate." He smirked.

True to his word, he held me and kissed me sweetly before sending me through security. My heart clenched when I had to turn the corner, and was unable to see him anymore, and I allowed one lone tear to trickle down my cheek.

The next day promised to be busy, and I told myself that I wouldn't have a chance to even miss Edward.

_I am so full of shit_

"It's like old times again." Edward said with a sad smile on skype that night.

"I hate being apart." I muttered before yawning loudly.

"Sleep beautiful. I'll see you tomorrow night." Were the last words I heard before I drifted away.

_-V &V—_

Mr. Corday thought it best that I explain, in my own words, my reasons for hiding my true identity until after the release of my first book.

"Being engaged to Edward is, without a doubt, the best thing that's ever happened to me." I began with a small smile. "But, to be honest with you, being engaged to a famous person does have its drawbacks." I paused as I gathered my thoughts. "I don't want my work to be judged by who the public thinks  _I_ am, or who they believe _Edward_  to be. If the general public was made aware that  _Francisco and the Swallow_  was written by Isabella Swan, I can guarantee you that some people would purchase it for that fact alone. Probably just as many would shy away from buying it for the same reason."

"If I go into this first venture anonymously, at least I will know that the people choosing to read my book to their children do so because they truly love the story." I fidgeted with my coffee cup. "I don't expect to be able to remain anonymous forever. And I am perfectly willing to participate in some kind of signing appearances if necessary once a little time has passed."

My justifications seemed to pacify them, and Mr. Corday gave me a happy smile and handshake as I was leaving.

"How was your meeting?" Edward asked as Lou drove me home.

"Everything went fine. I know these guys are going  _demand_ some public appearances sooner or later, but I was able to pacify them for now."

"That's good." He said with a relieved sigh. "I'm packing now. I'll see you tonight baby. If you're tired, I don't want you to wait up for me. I'll use my key."

I spent the evening with Emmett and Rose. It reminded me of all the times Edward and I had to be apart because of my schooling or his work. It seemed like months ago now.

As we sat down to dinner, Rose was looking at me like the cat that ate the canary. "Alright, spill it. You're dying to tell me something."

I saw my brother out of the corner of my eye shaking his head and laughing.

Rose smirked and pulled open her laptop. "I'm sure you know there are blogs on the internet dedicated solely to yours and Edward's relationship."

I nodded. From what I'd seen, they were made up of a bunch of Edward's fans that, because they loved him so much, had formed an attachment to me also.

"Are you also aware that one of these groups was started by a couple of  _women_ who totally have the hots for you?" She snickered and then laughed out loud when my mouth fell open in surprise.

"To be fair, there are some guys who contribute to the blog as well, but the main focus is how these women want to date you."

"I really don't know what to say to that." I admitted in my confused state.

Rose continued to smile. "Now Bella, I don't want you to think I'm some kind of freak who goes around trying to find out everything that's being said about you on the internet. Well, I guess I am, sort of… it's just that I do it because, although I think that most of these people are harmless, I still like to keep an eye on things." She admitted. "We both do. Just in case."

I looked at them. She and Emmett were both giving me tentative smiles.

_As usual, they are finding ways to protect me._

_Old habits die hard. Thank God._

"Thanks guys." I said softly.

Try as I might, I couldn't keep my eyes open as I waited for Edward to arrive. At some point, I heard the television in my room turn off, and felt the bed dip beside me. A moment later, I felt two warm arms wrap around me and warm breath on my neck. "Goodnight Bella. I love you."

I was able to gather just enough sense to answer. "Love you too."

_-V &V—_

The rest of the week, Edward and I spent house hunting on Bainbridge Island. Although we knew Emmett and Rose were looking in the same area, we wanted to do this alone. By Wednesday, they had already found the house of their dreams and had made an offer.

I'd wished that things had been that easy for Edward and me. Even though every house we'd looked at was beyond beautiful, every single one had been lacking something from our 'must have' list, and they were all  _huge_.

We both wanted something on the water, but I was adamant that I wouldn't be able to live in anything I considered too ostentatious. Every house we'd seen so far was big, too big for me to feel comfortable. By Friday, I was beginning to lose hope that we'd find that 'perfect fit' we wished for.

"Abiding by your request for something smaller than the ones we've seen so far, I've only scheduled one viewing today." Dave O'Connor, our realtor, advised. "There really aren't a lot of homes on the water that are this small. The house has been on the market for several months. It's actually standing vacant; the owner was transferred to Portland."

"How big is it?" Edward asked. Unlike me, he'd been paying attention to square footage.

"It's less than 4000 square feet, three bedrooms, three baths, but it is situated on a large piece of waterfront property, and it's very secluded."

_4000 square feet? That's enormous!_

The drive from the main road to the house was heavily wooded. I watched anxiously from my window until I finally caught a glimpse of the house. It reminded me of a cabin. A very large cabin.

Sidney parked the car and waited as we went to explore. As I got closer to the front door, I couldn't help the comfortable feeling which seemed to come over me. Judging from what I could see on the outside, I knew I could live here. I looked up at Edward as we walked together, our fingers linked, noticing that he had the same contented expression on his face.

As soon as we stepped inside, the feeling grew stronger. Much like the house in L.A., the back wall was made up almost entirely of windows, but instead of the lights of Los Angeles beyond the glass, we were looking out over the Sound.

_Beautiful_

The interior was all warm wood floors, knotty pine paneling, and wood beamed ceilings. A stone fireplace graced an inviting great room which ran along a good portion of the back of the house. A comfortable window seat was built into a sitting area which also housed a wood stove, giving an almost rustic feel to the space.

The best word I could conjure to describe the way the house felt was 'homey'.

_But could this be our home?_

Neither Edward nor I had said much as we went from room to room, allowing Dave to do most of the talking. Truth be told, I barely listened. My mind was overwhelmed with visions of us living in this house. I could see it all so clearly: Edward and I curled up together on a winter's day in front of the fire; spending a summer afternoon on a boat, out on the Sound; celebrating the holidays here with our families. Raising our children….

After the tour, Dave gave us some time alone. We stepped out on the back deck and gasped at the same time as we caught sight of Mt. Ranier in the distance across the water.

I bit my lip and turned to face Edward. "Well?" I asked.

He smirked at me. "You first."

"I  _really_ like it Edward." I said with a hopeful expression.

"There are only three bedrooms." He remarked.

I nodded. "We can add on. There's plenty of room for the two of us for now, and a space to have a music room like you have in L.A." I looked at him seriously then. "Do you like it?" I asked.

He raised his eyebrows. "Very much. This is going to sound strange, but from the moment we stepped from the car, it felt like coming home." He said in almost a whisper.

I let out an excited squeal and threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Home." I breathed before we kissed. Our first kiss in our new home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, I would recommend reading Outtake number 5: 'Magnum Farce'. It details the guys' day with Clint.


	71. Ultimatums & Quality Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read Outtake number 5, 'Magnum Farce', go read it now! ; )

 

I had something important on my mind, and it was time to have a long overdue conversation with my best friend. During all the dark days before meeting Edward, she had been the one person who could successfully talk me down from the ledge.

As I'd told her before, she was my  _person._ If anyone could soothe my anxiety over having sex with Edward, it was my soon to be sister, Rosalie.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" Edward asked as he put on his jacket.

Today, Edward and Emmett were having lunch with Clint, as in  _Clint Eastwood_. They had originally asked me and Rosalie to attend, but knowing that they were going to try to get Clint on board with an attempt to prank my father, I came to the conclusion that the less I knew about it, the better.

Besides, I wasn't in the mood to meet Clint. I had enough on my plate without putting myself through that. Rose didn't want to go without me, so she declined the offer as well.

"Come on Bella. What's the real reason you didn't go today? I know you want to talk about something. So let's eat and discuss whatever's on your mind." Rose smiled as we dug into the spread of Chinese food on her coffee table.

I took a big bite of Szechuan Chicken. "I want to ask about sex." I whispered around my food at the precise moment the hot and spicy hit my taste buds. "Holy shit!" I exclaimed as I grabbed for my glass of water.

Rose chuckled. "Lightweight." She smirked then and tilted her head to the side as she watched me. "I distinctly remember forcing you to read all those sex help articles in Cosmo. Have you forgotten everything?" She asked with a grin.

I swallowed hard. "In a word, yes." I answered before I drew in a deep breath.

"What do you need to know?"

" _Everything_." I admitted, before all my worries seemed to spill out of me in a rush. "I mean, I'm nervous about having sex for the first time. I know I shouldn't be because it's with Edward and it will be beautiful, but I can't stop my mind from imagining all sorts of horrible scenarios caused by my nervousness and inexperience. And I know Edward's inexperienced too, but let's face it that man has a body built for sex, and I've never known him to be less than perfect at anything he attempts." It seemed fitting to pause for a moment of silence as I pondered Edward's gorgeous body. I sighed before continuing, "Don't get me wrong, I really,  _really,_ want to have sex with Edward, it's just that I'm intimidated by the thought of it. I just know that I'm going to freak out or something. Maybe I should drink a lot of alcohol beforehand, yeah, that would relax me….oh great then Edward will have a drunken sloppy virgin bride on his hands…" I babbled on, talking more to myself than to Rose at this point.

I felt a soft touch on my hands as I sat there wringing them together. I glanced up at Rose, fully expecting to see her familiar smirk. Instead, she had a look of kindness and compassion on her beautiful face.

"Bella, please take a breath." She whispered.

"First of all, on your wedding night, I would let Edward lead you honey." She said quietly. "Even though he's not experienced, I can guarantee you that he's fully aware of what to do. You just let him know what feels good, and you'll learn together." She smiled. "There's no magic formula Bells, and after you've done the deed a couple of times," The smirk returned "you'll each begin to learn what the other likes."

"The most important thing to do is try to relax, or you won't enjoy it." She said with a far-off look in her eyes. "The thing about first-time sex is that you could have the most miserable experience of your life but the guy could still get off, not giving a shit about what you're going through…" Her facial expression morphed into an angry glare as she stared out the window.

I frowned in my confusion and gently touched her shoulder.

"Rose" I whispered. This caught her attention and her face changed back to that of the compassionate friend of a moment ago. "Are you okay? Should I be upset with my brother?" I couldn't imagine that Emmett would treat Rose the way she described. Frankly, the thought made me a little sick.

She looked horrified. "No, God no Bells." She let out a breath. "Emmett is the best thing that has ever happened to me." She shook her head. "No, I was talking about before."

_Oh shit. I knew that Rose and Emmett hated her old boyfriend, but she never volunteered any information about him._

"Emmett wasn't my first Bella." She said wistfully. "How I wish he was." She added. She looked me in the eyes. "I never told you this story, because I would like to forget it ever happened, but try as I might, I haven't been able to. It will always be a part of who I am." She sighed. "I only had one other serious relationship before I met your brother. I was in high school, and it only lasted a year. At first,  _Shawn,_ " She winced as she said his name "treated me like a princess, sending me flowers and little gifts for no reason. Taking me to the movies and out to dinner. However, after a few months, he started to pressure me about having sex." She took a deep breath. "I made it clear I wasn't ready, and he backed off. For a time."

I could see that she was uncomfortable. "Rose, you don't need to tell me this."

She smiled ruefully. "Yes, I think I do. It will remind us both of just how fortunate we are to have Emmett and Edward." She patted my hand with a smile. "He started to become very demanding, and jealous. He accused me, of seeing other people, simply because I wasn't ready to have sex with him." She frowned as she remembered this painful time.

"Of course when he started to treat me like that, the _last thing_  I wanted was to have sex with him." She looked toward the window. "The night he took my virginity, I was in a drunken stupor. The only problem was that I hadn't been drinking much. I don't remember a lot of what happened, only that it was painful and ugly." She took a sip of tea. "In the days that followed, the bits and pieces I did remember convinced me that I'd been a victim of date rape. I will always believe that he slipped something in my drink."

I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. "It's okay Bells. I'm okay." She bit her lip as she thought. "I avoided Shawn for weeks, until one day my mother allowed him in the house. Even though I'd confided in her what happened, she determined that I was exaggerating." Rose narrowed her eyes. "That was the first time I realized that social status meant more to Mother than her own children did, as Shawn's parents were, and are, influential members of Seattle society."

_That bitch. This gives me one more reason to hate her._

"Obviously, he denied  _forcing_ me, or tampering with my drink, but I was done with him. I told him I never wanted to see him again. He left under protest, and from that day became my personal stalker." She shook her head in disgust. "Jasper took it upon himself to become my body guard whenever he could." She said with a chuckle. "That was when I learned that my brother fights dirty. He was younger and smaller than Shawn, but never lost a fight."

She smiled then as she continued. "You knew I met Emmett at a party?"

I nodded.

"Shawn and I had been broken up for months. He showed up at that party, and Emmett saw him grab my arm. Now, I didn't know Emmett from the man in the moon, but when I watched him haul Shawn outside and proceed to beat the shit out of him, I was in love." She giggled.

I smiled.

"Emmett and I talk about it sometimes. He tells me that since I don't remember, and what I do remember isn't pleasant, that as far as he's concerned, he was my first. Over the years, that's how I've chosen to see it also. I do know that if he ever sees Shawn again, he'll probably kill him for the way he treated me." She whispered.

I searched her face to find any sign that she was joking. There wasn't one.

"Anyway, I hope I didn't frighten you with the details of my first time." She looked at me sadly. "I know your experience with be vastly different. Bells, I've watched Edward for months. That man would cut off a limb before he'd do anything to hurt you. He's a good person, and he loves you more than life itself. Otherwise how could we bear to give you up?" She said with a watery smile.

I felt something wet on my cheek, and realized that I too was crying. Without another word, I wrapped my arms around my best friend and cried softly into her shoulder.

After Rose reassured me that Edward's 'size' could only be a good thing, and that my body would adjust to it, I felt a lot better.

We sat there quietly sipping our tea before Rose spoke again. "So he's  _big_ huh?" She asked suggestively.

I frowned and nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

Rose smiled brilliantly. "Do you realize what that little tidbit of information is worth? I mean, the man is gorgeous. It doesn't seem fair that along with the hair, face, body and voice that he'd be  _well endowed_ too." She finished with a cackle.

"Rose!" I exclaimed in shock.

"Can you imagine Bella? He's already the object of millions of women's fantasies. If this were to become public knowledge, the sale of vibrators alone would skyrocket." She continued to laugh.

"Rosalie!" I shouted in my indignation.

"They could market a special  _Edward Masen_  edition..."

"Don't make me hurt you." I threatened through clenched teeth as I pinched her arm.

"Sorry" She muttered, but continued to snicker for quite a while after.

We changed the subject after that, deciding to talk about our new homes.

As it turned out, we had chosen houses only a few miles from each other.

Every day, the excitement I felt at the thought of my new life grew, and I couldn't wait to get there.

_-V &V—_

"You know, I didn't think life could get any better!" Emmett boomed as soon as he and Edward walked through the door.

Rose greeted him with a kiss as Edward made his way over to me on the sofa, kissing my lips before sitting beside me. "What's happened Monkey Man?" Rose asked.

"I, Emmett Swan, am going to make a  _cameo appearance_ in Clint and Eddie's movie." He grinned widely.

"Emmett, I don't think Clint meant it as a reward. He wanted to see how serious you were when you offered it as payment for him pranking your Dad." Edward said with a light chuckle. "I don't think he expected you to jump at the chance of showing your bare ass on the big screen."

"Hell yes!" He shouted as he did a little fist pump. "Too bad he didn't know that's always been a personal fantasy of mine." Emmett was beaming. "Next weekend, I get to marry the woman of my dreams, I'm going to be a Daddy before the year is over, and as soon as this movie hits the theaters, every horny female and probably a fair number of  _males_  get to drool over my hot ass on a movie screen!"

Edward groaned and palmed his face. "You're just jealous Eddie." Emmett was still grinning "You don't get to show your ass this time, and I do."

Edward was still laughing quietly. "No, Emmett. No jealousy. This is all yours man."

Emmett looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you think I would benefit from an acting class?" He asked.

Edward shook his head in confusion. "Emmett, I don't think that's going to matter. You'll be on screen for like a minute.  _Correction,_ your  _ass_  will be on screen." He said before blurting out a laugh.

Emmett smirked. "Yeah, but maybe my  _ass_ would benefit from a class or two. You know, I need to be ready for my instructions from the director. How  _exactly_ does he want my ass cheeks to play the scene?" He continued as we fell apart in silent laughter. "To  _clench_  or  _not to clench_ , that is the question."

Yeah, the laughter wasn't silent any more.

_-V &V—_

"Oh that is lovely Rosalie." Mrs. Whitlock said before turning toward me. "Isabella, write down antique crystal bowl from Mrs. Armand Blanton." Mrs. Whitlock instructed in a patronizing tone as I followed her instructions.

_Bitch_

It was Wednesday evening and we were in the midst of Rose's Bridal shower. There was no way to avoid Rose's Mom since the shower was being held in her home.

She'd insisted.

Ever since Rose had told the story about her vile ex-boyfriend, I'd lost what little respect I had for Mrs. Whitlock.

This new information, added to the fact that she didn't think Emmett was good enough to marry Rose, or that she wished Rose would have chosen one of her cousins to be her maid of honor, made it hard to utter a civil word to the woman.

_Bitch could go to hell_

As Rose continued to open gifts, my mind drifted, and I wondered what was happening across town where the guys and Charlie were having dinner with Clint.

_I'm sure I'll hear all about it._

"Alright ladies, I believe the next thing on the agenda is a bridal shower  _game_  arranged by Isabella." Mrs. Whitlock announced with some disdain.

This game was a far cry from the Bachelorette party game. I was suddenly wishing I'd purchased a package of penis straws to set by Mrs. Whitlock's crystal punch bowl.

I snickered at the thought.

The first game was all about proving how well you knew the bride. Since I wrote the series of questions, I of course, opted out. Mrs. Whitlock sulked when Alice made a perfect score, and won a small prize.

It wouldn't have been as bad for Mrs. Whitlock if she hadn't felt the need to brag the entire time we played about how well she knew her daughter.

Sadly, it seemed that she didn't know her at all.

_-V &V—_

It was with a sigh of relief that Alice, Esme and I packed the last of Rose's gifts in the car and made our way back to the house. Upon entering the foyer, I could hear Rose whisper-yelling from the direction of the dining room.

"Well then I'm glad it wasn't  _your_ decision Mother."

"Rosalie, why are you so angry with me? I'm only trying to explain that I'm having difficulty understanding why you would include the Mother/Son dance at all. You should eliminate it altogether." She said with evident disgust. "I don't see the need to  _replace_ it with a Brother/Sister dance. I've never heard of such a thing."

"It's what Emmett and I want Mother. We choose to remember Renee. What better way than to have her children share a dance that would have been hers?"

Mrs. Whitlock grunted her disapproval. "Aren't you already lighting a special candle in her memory? I mean seriously Rosalie, I'm sorry the woman is dead, but none of your silly symbolism is going to bring her back."

Alice took a step, no doubt intending to march in there and give her mother-in-law a piece of her mind, but Esme stayed her with a hand on her arm. With her other hand, she reached over and clasped mine, giving it a little squeeze.

"You know what mother? You are a grade A  _bitch._ " Rose said in a menacing voice.

Mrs. Whitlock gasped.

"I didn't get to spend a lot of time with Renee before she was taken from us, but I'll say one thing, at least all the memories I have of her are happy ones. I can't say the same about you."

"Rosalie!" Mrs. Whitlock tried to interrupt.

"No. You've had your say. I've had to listen to your brand of bullshit my entire life. Not. Any. More." Rose took a breath. "You know, I'm sorry that your family is so fucked up that it messed with your head. You need serious therapy Mother. I suggest you get it, because I promise you this: if you don't get your mind right before Baby Swan is born, I will see to it that you will have  _no place_ in my child's life. I refuse to allow you to do to my baby, what you did to me and Jasper."

"Rosalie, you can't stop me from seeing my grandchild!"

"I can, and I will." Rose assured. "It's a little late to keep you from my wedding, but understand that if you do  _one thing_  to piss me off, I will have you forcibly removed."

I smiled as I cheered silently for my best friend.

"I want your promise right now that you will reign in the bitch and give me a happy wedding day." Rose demanded.

Her mother was quiet for a long moment before letting out a breath. "I promise" she finally answered in a small voice.

"Good." Rose answered in a forceful tone. "For some reason, I love you Mother, but I certainly don't like you very much."

_-V &V-_

After the bridal shower, we followed Esme and Alice to the Cullen house.

Edward sent a text telling me that they would meet us back at his parents' house sometime after dinner. After spending the entire afternoon together, I was surprised to see no sign of them when we got to the Cullens'. Esme, Alice, Rose and I decided to relax on the patio while we waited.

"So" Rose grinned. "I wonder what they did to Charlie?" She asked as we sat on the patio watching the water and drinking iced tea.

"You don't know?" I asked, surprised.

"No. Emmett said that Clint was handling everything."

"Poor Charlie." I whispered, while at the same time dying to learn what had happened.

I didn't have long to wonder before we heard the sound of my brother's booming voice coming from just inside the house. I turned to see Charlie, Carlisle and Clint walking toward us, as Edward, Jasper and Emmett followed behind. All of them were grinning from ear to ear.

As I took in the way Edward, Emmett and Jasper were walking, I could tell they had been drinking. Quite a lot judging by the way Edward stumbled through the doorway and Emmett had to catch himself before falling in him. Jasper stood behind them laughing.

"Would you try not to fucking fall on me?" Edward admonished Emmett with a laugh.

" _Language_ Edward." Esme scolded. Edward looked sheepish. "Sorry Mom". He muttered while Emmett and Jasper laughed at him.

When our Dads and Clint reached us, Clint gestured with his thumb toward Emmett, Jasper and Edward, "Can't hold their liquor." He said with a smile.

Carlisle made the introductions, and once we were all seated on the patio, Edward and I sharing a lounger, Rose got right to the point. "What the hell went on tonight? And I want the _whole_ story."

"All I can say is that Clint deserves another Oscar after his performance tonight." Emmett announced with a bit of a slur and a big smile.

_-V &V—_

"Come on my drunken man." I said as I led Edward from the elevator to my apartment.

"Ah, only half-drunk now." He smirked as he wrapped his arms around me and started kissing my neck while I fumbled with the keys. Not surprisingly, I dropped them.

Twice.

As soon as we were finally in the apartment, Edward retreated to the bathroom for a shower as I poured us a couple of drinks;  _soft_ drinks. I rifled through the mail, finding a letter postmarked Arizona. A glance at the return address, and I knew immediately who it was from. I took a breath before tearing it open.

It was from Phil, the man my mother was in a relationship with at the time of her death. I knew she'd loved Phil, and I'd always believed that, had she lived, they would have gotten married.

_Dear Izzy,_

I smiled sadly, remembering how Phil used to call me by that name.

_I can't tell you how surprised and happy I was to receive your wedding invitation. Not surprised that you were getting married, that's been all over the news. But I was surprised and happy that you'd want me to be there._

_Emmett invited me to his too. How do you like that? I always thought he didn't like me. Unfortunately, I had to decline that invite because I leave for Tokyo on business on the twenty-second and won't return until the end of the month._

_If you still want me though, I'd like to attend yours._

I drew in a deep breath.

_I'll be coming alone. Still single. Although I've dated a few different women these past seven years, I've never found anyone to compare to Renee. She was one of a kind, you know?_

I sighed thinking how that bastard Jeffrey Dryden had destroyed so many hopes for the future that day.

_I think about you Izzy, and wonder how you're doing. I've kept in touch with Charlie over the years, checking in on you from time to time, he assures me you're happy._

_I know these last seven years have been difficult, and I don't want my presence to be a painful reminder of the past, so please be honest with me if you've changed your mind._

_If I don't hear from you, I'll see you on August 14_ _th_ _._

_Love ya kiddo,_

_Phil_

I hadn't realized I was trembling until I felt Edward wrap his hand gently around my wrist as he pulled the note out of my grasp. "Bella?" He looked at me in bewilderment.

"Just read it." I whispered. I was shaky, but didn't feel the urge to cry.

As he read, Edward's hand was on my back, rubbing soothing circles. "Are you okay?" He asked once he'd finished.

I took a breath. "Yeah, I mean part of me is glad he's coming, but the other part is a little afraid to see him again. Try as I might to not let it, seeing Phil  _will_ dredge up the past."

"Bella, he's given you an  _out._  Perhaps you should tell him it's better if he didn't come?"

I frowned. "No Edward. If I don't break down over the fact that my Mom isn't there to help me into my gown and give me one last hug and kiss before I walk down the aisle, I'm not going to lose it over seeing her old boyfriend."

He looked unconvinced. "I'm really thinking Vegas would have been a good idea." He said with a small smile.

I laughed, and the stress of a moment vanished. In a little over three weeks' time, I was going to be Edward's wife; we would be promising the rest of our lives to one another. I knew that nothing could mar that day unless I chose to allow it.

"I'll be fine." I assured as I put the note away.

_-V &V—_

The next two days were a blur of excitement. Christopher arrived with a slew of assistants to do the final fitting for every member of Rose and Emmett's rather large bridal party.

Duke arrived on Thursday in order to attend Emmett and Rose's wedding, and he would be staying until after our wedding.

I helped Rose, her mother and the wedding planner with the final touches, and by Friday morning, the day  _before_ the big day, we were ready.

Rose and Emmett's rehearsal dinner was to be held at the Westin, the same location as the wedding reception the next day, and the same place Emmett had proposed seven short months ago.

As we rode to the Cathedral for the rehearsal, my mind was filled with memories of that night, and I smiled to myself. Suddenly, I felt Edward squeeze my hand. "What are you thinking about?"

"The night Emmett proposed." I whispered as I looked into his brilliant green eyes.

Edward gave me a soft smile. "The first of many New Years I intend to spend with you my love." He said as he pulled my hand up and turned it over in order to kiss my palm before placing my hand over his heart and holding it there.

"Hey Sissy" Emmett greeted me with a hug inside the church. "Have you seen Pops yet?" He asked after shaking Edward's hand.

I shook my head. I hadn't heard a word from my father since the day before. "It's still a little early Emmett. He may have run into traffic on the way here." I tried to assure.

Just then, hearing the doors open, I turned and sighed with relief when I saw my Dad, still in uniform, enter through them. My eyes opened wide in surprise when I noticed who was walking beside him.

Not just walking beside him, but  _holding his hand._

_Miss North?_

In the busy weeks leading up to this wedding, I'd completely forgotten about Charlie's 'plus one' on his RSVP.

"Whoa" Rose gasped.

"Well I'll be ..." Emmett muttered under his breath as he watched Charlie approach.

"Emmett" I whispered-yelled, stopping him before he had the chance to curse in church.

_Don't want my brother to commit that faux pas._

_Been there, fucking done that._

"Hey kids." My Dad said with a sheepish smile.

Miss North looked a little wary as she took in our shocked faces.

Charlie cleared his throat. "Well, um, you all know Suzanne." He said by way of introduction.

_Charlie's been dating Miss North?_

Edward, realizing that our silence was bordering on rude, reached his hand out for a shake. "Hello Suzanne, good to see you again." He said in a voice like velvet.

That woke me up, and I immediately reached for her hand. "Hello Miss North".

She frowned. "Bella please, it's  _Suzanne._ " She said pointedly.

"Oh, of course." I said apologetically.

Rose and Emmett greeted her, before Emmett blurted out the question on everyone's mind. "So, are you two dating now?"

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Yes Emmett."

"Since when?" Emmett pressed.

"For a couple of months, not that it's any of your business." Charlie said defensively.

Suzanne interrupted. "I've known your father for years. We got a little better acquainted at prom. Then I ran into him at the grocery store about a week later, and we chatted as we shopped." She smiled. "He asked me out the next day."

Just then Father Pat drew our attention to the front in order to begin the rehearsal. Emmett quirked an eyebrow at our Dad, "We're not done here." He said with a pointed look before giving Charlie a broad smile.

Charlie sighed and rolled his eyes.

I tried to pay attention to the rehearsal instructions, but every now and then my gaze would wander to Miss North's, er  _Suzanne's_ face, noticing how her eyes shined as she watched my father.

It gave me a strange uncomfortable feeling at first. It was something I knew I'd have to process. Dad had never dated anyone in all the years since he and Mom had divorced. Emmett had told me as much. Even after Mom's death, he hadn't shown any interest in another woman.

_What made Suzanne so special?_

This felt weird, almost like he was forgetting my Mom. Like he was moving on…

_But hadn't Mom moved on?_

The note I'd received from Phil had brought home that reality. Remembering her words the day she died in which she confessed to still loving my Dad, but admitted that it would never be enough to make her return to her old life in Forks, brought everything into sharper focus.

I let out a breath and spent the next few minutes watching my father. Every now and then he would look over at Suzanne and smile in a way I hadn't seen since I was a small child.

My selfish thoughts and feelings were immediately pushed aside as I realized that my Dad looked  _happy._ For the first time in many years, he looked really, really happy.

I gasped as the thought hit me.

_Charlie's in love!_

I glanced toward Rose and she flashed a knowing smile.

_She's always so much better at reading people's feelings than I am._

At that very moment, I felt warm arms encircle my waist from behind, and a velvet voice whisper in my ear. "You ready baby?"

I turned to look at Edward.

He blurted out a quiet laugh at my confused expression. "The rehearsal's over sweetheart." He looked into my eyes and sighed. "Where did you go just now?"

I looked around, making sure no one was within earshot, and was pleased that everyone was headed for the doors. "I think my Dad may be in love" I whispered with wide eyes.

Edward turned to watch Charlie and Suzanne as they exited through the doors, hand in hand once again. He turned back to face me with a smile. "You may be right Bella. Does the thought bother you?"

Did it?

I frowned. "It did for like a minute." I admitted. "But seeing him so happy… I never realized how important that was to me." I bit my lip. "It makes me feel guilty though, like I should be upset because he's finally moving on."

Edward nodded, but didn't respond.

We were quiet during the ride to the rehearsal dinner when he suddenly turned to me. "You shouldn't feel guilty Bella."

"Hmm?" I asked as I turned to look at him while Sidney drove us through the rainy Seattle streets.

"It's taken your Dad a long time to find someone. Don't feel guilty that he's finally happy again." His face took on a pained expression and he sighed before pulling me against him.

_-V &V—_

"Rosalie, I cannot believe you hired a stripper for your bachelorette party." Emmett announced with a scowl as a couple of Rose's bridesmaids shared their photos with him. Thankfully, they waited until our parents and Father Pat had gone. "Just tell me you didn't touch that dude." Emmett asked with a pout.

Rose grinned, getting precisely the reaction she'd hoped for. "No, monkey man." She whispered as she looped her arm through his. "I posed for a couple photos with him, but my hands stayed above the waist."

We lingered for a while, reluctant to leave until Alice stood and announced in an authoritative voice, "Okay ladies, it is time we go to our rooms. We all have a big day tomorrow."

Alice and I were spending the night with Rose in what would be her and Emmett's bridal suite the next night. Emmett, Charlie and Jasper were staying in Emmett and Rose's apartment. Edward would be staying in mine. The rest of the wedding party would be scattered here and there, those from out of town, staying in rooms at the Westin, while some of the cousins were staying with the Whitlocks.

Suzanne had left with Esme and Carlisle, obviously spending the night at their house.

"I can't guarantee that I won't sneak back here early tomorrow." Edward said with a smirk as he pulled me into his arms to say goodbye. "I hate being away from you."

"Please." I said with a nod. "You can come have breakfast with me."

"Don't you have to do that with Rose and the girls?"

I frowned. "Yes." I sighed, before brightening once again. "But after that all we'll be doing is getting our hair and makeup done. You could come see me." I smiled.

He grinned back. "I'll see what I can do. Sweet dreams my love." He said before kissing me one last time.

_-V &V—_

Alice and I were staying in a guest room that connected to Rose's suite. It would just be the three of us because that's how Rose wanted it. I had a feeling that my best friend's nerves were finally getting the best of her.

We had a cup of tea before Alice and I shooed Rose off to bed. "Rose, you need your sleep tonight, so does the baby. You're going to have a very busy day tomorrow sweetie." Alice said in a soothing voice.

"It's the most important day of my life." Rose stuttered out as her lip quivered. "I can't shake this sudden case of nerves though."

I rubbed her arm. "Everything will be perfect Rose, you'll see."

She laughed. "Just think, in three weeks I'll be saying those same words to you Bella."

I didn't laugh, it was impossible when I felt a sudden twist in my stomach at the thought.

Rose patted my hand. "Bella, don't you start getting nervous too. I don't think I'll be able to handle that on top of everything else." She said with a smile.

I shook my head. "I'm fine."

Rose smiled back. "I think I'll try to sleep. Tomorrow will be here before we know it." She said as she stood.

When I slipped into her room to check on her about a half hour later, she was sound asleep.

Alice and I sat on the sofa for a bit longer, discussing the schedule for the next day. All of a sudden, she got a strange look on her face and froze in concentration. She grabbed her phone and dialed.

"Jasper Whitlock, you'd better phone me back as soon as you get this." Her voice then turned pleading. "Please tell me you didn't get arrested."

She ended the call and frowned at me.

"Alice, what's going on?" I asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. But whatever it was, Jasper was the most involved." She bit her lip worriedly.

I immediately called Edward, but was only able to reach his voicemail. When we'd left the restaurant to come upstairs, a few of the guys were going to the bar for a drink. I wracked my brain to remember who else was in their group. The last call I made was to Emmett, once again reaching his voicemail.

I tossed my phone on the sofa in frustration. There was no way either Alice or I were going to be able to sleep until we'd heard from Edward and Jasper. I had just made the decision to get dressed and go down to the bar when there was a knock on the door.

I opened it to find three slightly inebriated men, grinning at me. "Bella!" Emmett boomed as he pulled me into a bear hug. As glad as I was to see Edward, I was a little concerned about his disheveled appearance.

_Drinking again!_

I had to admit he was adorable with his riotous mess of hair, part of which was falling down over his forehead and into his eyes.

_Hmm, he'll need a haircut soon_

Alice spoke, jarring me from my moment of Edward ogling. "What in the world have you three been up to, and why are you here?" She demanded. "Jasper! Your face!" She said with a gasp.

I tore my eyes away from Edward and looked at Jasper. Alice was gingerly touching his jaw were a purple bruise was starting to form. He'd definitely been in a fist fight. He also had a small cut on his lip.

Jasper touched his lip self-consciously. "That's nothing darlin', you should see the other guy." He grinned as Edward and Emmett laughed.

"Would you girls mind if we came inside to talk about this? I don't think it's a good idea to have this conversation in the hall." Emmett said at an almost normal volume.

We pulled them into the sitting area, but before we could interrogate them, Emmett interrupted. "I'm going to say goodnight to Rosie."

Alice held up her hand. "Hold it right there Mister." She then looked at her watch and let out a breath. "Okay, it's not midnight yet, you can go in there, but you only have five minutes!"

Emmett grinned. "Yes Ma'am." He answered with a small salute.

Alice chuckled and sat down before turning to Edward and Jasper. She held her hands as if in supplication. "Well?"

Jasper wrapped his arm around Alice's shoulders pulling her close. "As you know, a few of us went to the bar after you girls came upstairs. One drink turned into two, but we were enjoying ourselves. One by one, the guys started to leave until it was just the three of us." Jasper spoke in a low melodic voice. "We had just decided to go back to the apartment before Charlie came looking for us."

"Jasper went to the men's room while Emmett and I settled the bill and went to wait in the lobby for him, and for Sidney to bring the car up." Edward informed.

Jasper nodded. "As I was walking back through the bar, I heard a voice I hadn't heard in years." He said in disgust. "Rose's ex-boyfriend was sitting there in a booth mauling some chick, and the fucker had the nerve to say something to me about my sister as I passed him."

Jasper grinned at Alice. "You know me, I wasn't gonna put up with that shit. I pulled him out of the booth and all the way out to the parking lot."

Alice's mouth fell open before she half-covered it with her hand. "You didn't" She gasped.

Jasper quirked an eyebrow. "I  _did._ " He grinned. "I made sure that he took the first swing. He even got in a lucky shot or two, but after that, I fucked him up real good." Jasper announced with a satisfied smile.

Edward laughed. "When Jasper didn't come out, we went looking for him. There was a commotion in the bar, as everyone had gathered in front of the windows to watch the fight."

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing." Emmett's voice sounded from behind us. It startled me a little because I hadn't heard him return. "There are only a couple people in this world that I feel true hatred for, and Shawn Hodges is one." Emmett looked at me. "Rosie said she told you about him." He said in a whisper.

I nodded.

"I told Edward about him on the way up here." He let out a breath as he sat down on the sofa and rubbed his face with his hands. "I want to kill that fucker" He admitted. "But" He gave Edward a hard look. "Someone wouldn't let me." He then grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Probably a good thing, considering I'm getting married tomorrow."

I smiled at my brother.

"Besides, Franny here did okay without me."

As he always did, Jasper winced at the nickname.

Alice kissed Jasper's bruised jaw. "You are such a good brother Jazz."

He smiled before his expression became serious. "Emmett and I discussed it; we're not going to tell Rose about tonight. I want her wedding day to be perfect; she doesn't need to think about that piece of shit."

"But Jazz, how will you explain your face?" Alice asked, a little worried.

He shrugged. "I drank a little too much and got in a fight with someone in the bar. It's true enough." He grinned.

Alice smiled. "I think I have something that will cover the bruise for tomorrow."

"Alice, I am  _not_ wearing makeup!"

"Jasper Whitlock, you can't look like that for the wedding photos! Stop being ornery."

Jasper groaned.

"Alright boys, as much as I'd like you to stay, it's time for you to go home and for Bella and I to go to sleep. We'll see you all tomorrow." Alice announced before she kissed Jasper soundly and herded all three men toward the door.

I pulled Edward toward mine and Alice's room. "Give me a minute Alice."

Alice frowned. "You've got exactly one minute Miss Swan." She then made a point of staring at her wristwatch.

Edward and I giggled as we slipped out of sight.

I opened my mouth to speak, but never had the chance before his lips were touching mine. The kiss quickly becomes heated as he gently sucked on my lower lip. Without realizing it, I moan into his mouth. Edward reacted by pulling me impossibly closer until there wasn't a hair's breadth between us.

Every nerve ending in my body was suddenly alive. I was aware of the roomful of family members separated from us by only a wall, but I didn't care. I wanted this man so badly, and I _knew_ that all my worries and fears about my wedding night had been unwarranted. There would be nothing to fear, not from my Edward.

Even as he broke the kiss, I couldn't help but sigh contentedly. Reluctant to leave as ever, he left feather light kisses along my jaw and neck, before pulling away and looking into my eyes.

"I love you Edward" I whispered. "I'll see you tomorrow." I said as I gave him one last peck on the lips.

"I love you Bella." He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Dream of me tonight." He said in a voice like velvet, causing my nerve endings to be on alert all over again.

He disappeared with a chuckle, leaving me standing there in a daze.

It wasn't the first time.

_-V &V—_

It was a long day which started with brunch for the bride and bridesmaids. After that, the hairdressers and makeup artists descended upon us. Rose's suite was a study in organized chaos.

True to his word, Edward stopped by, but he wasn't allowed to stay long. We basically had time for a quick kiss and a cuddle before his sister unceremoniously threw him out.

I gave her the hardest glare I could muster, and she laughed in my face.

As soon as we were dressed, one of the photographers arrived, and it seemed that every time I turned around I was getting caught by surprise. Rose wanted candids of all the moments leading up to the ceremony.

It was annoying.

Rose and Emmett had hired the two former paps, Brian, or as Emmett called him 'Chip', and Dale to shoot their wedding day photos. After seeing their samples, Edward and I had done the same, but only after they had taken a vow of secrecy regarding our wedding date and location.

The large fee Edward was willing to pay ensured their cooperation in that regard.

For Rose and Emmett's wedding, Dale had been assigned to us, and Chip was supposedly photographing my brother and the groomsmen as they gathered at St. James Cathedral.

Once the final touches to hair and makeup were complete and our gowns were in perfect order, we began the trek to the elevators. "Crap, I forgot the garter." Rose announced as we walked down the hall.

"I'll get it" Alice practically shouted as she turned and sprinted back toward the suite. Luckily her assistants were still in there clearing the room so that the bride and groom would find no evidence of the pandemonium when they arrived later tonight.

As fast as lighting, Alice made it back to us, just as the elevator doors opened. "Thanks Alice." Rose said as she grabbed the garter and entered the elevator. In true Rosalie Whitlock fashion, she pulled up her dress in full view of us all, and slipped the garter very high on her right leg.

"Nice thong Rose." Her cousin Harriet remarked with a snicker.

"Thanks" Rose answered in a sickeningly sweet voice before sticking out her tongue.

We laughed.

_-V &V—_

If I hadn't been looking in the direction of the door, I would have missed Jasper slipping into the room.

_He's like a damned Ninja_

He approached us with a smile. Rose, Alice and I were closeted away in a small room, just off the foyer of the Cathedral.

Jasper gave Rose a big hug before carefully kissing her cheek. "How ya holding up?" He questioned with a grin.

"Eh, so-so."

Jasper chuckled. "Just think Rose, once the ceremony's over, you're gonna have one bitchin party."

"I do love a party." She smiled then, a genuine smile.

"There's my girl." Jasper whispered as he gave her one last hug. "I'd better get out there. Oh, by the way Bella, Emmett would like to see you, he's just outside the door."

Upon hearing that, Alice flew to the door and cracked it open just wide enough to peer through it with one eye. "Emmett Swan, you need to move away from this door pronto!" She ordered. "Don't give me that look, you go stand way over there by that wall, and  _maybe_ I'll let Bella come out to speak with you."

We were laughing at Alice's antics until she finally turned toward me. "Bella, come here."

When I reached her, she barely opened the door enough for me to squeeze through.

I saw my brother standing against the far wall, smiling from ear to ear. I closed the space between us quickly, and pulled him into a hug.

"I just wanted to see you before the ceremony." He admitted. "Rose nervous?"

I nodded. "You could say that." I smiled as I studied his face. "How about you?"

"I am actually calm." He shrugged when he saw my shocked expression. "I know, it surprised the hell out of me too." He added with a chuckle.

He sighed. "Today, my life changes forever, for the better."

"And mine in three weeks." I added happily. "Our family is growing." I grinned up at him. "It feels pretty good."

He nodded and was quiet for a minute. "I wish Mom could be here." He added, and for the first time in a long time, I watched as my brother's bright blue eyes clouded over with tears.

He quickly rubbed his thumb and fingers over them, but couldn't stop a few tears from escaping and trailing down his cheeks.

I blinked several times, trying to keep my own tears at bay. It didn't help.

_I really don't want to be a blubbering mess today._

As I wrapped my arms around my giant of a brother, allowing him to cry silently into my shoulder, I couldn't stop my own tears from trailing down my cheeks.

"That is so beautiful" I heard Christopher's voice from just behind us. I turned to see him wiping his own tears away with a handkerchief. Emmett regained control as he caught sight of Chris and chuckled lightly then.

"I can't help myself; I've got to hug you both. Weddings are so emotional!" Chris exclaimed as he hugged first Emmett and then me.

"Now, Mr. Groom, you need to be someplace else.  _Anywhere_ is better than here." He directed.

Emmett gave me one more quick hug and a smile, before vanishing through the interior doors.

_-V &V-_

"It's almost time" Alice announced with a beautiful smile as we continued to wait in the room off of the foyer.

At that exact moment, Colonel Whitlock appeared through the door. As soon as he took in the sight of his daughter, he smiled at her lovingly.

_Damn, I've never seen him smile like that before. It's kind of creepy._

"How are you doing Rosie?" He asked as he took a seat beside her and held her hand.

I knew I was gaping at them with my mouth hanging open, but I couldn't help it. This behavior was  _way_ out of character for the Colonel.

Rose seemed unfazed. "I'm okay Daddy, just a little nervous."

"Just picture everyone in their underwear." He whispered conspiratorially. "Works for me when I have to go to the Pentagon." He said with a deep chuckle.

_Okay that's even creepier._

_I bet he chuckles just like that before he strangles someone._

Colonel Whitlock cleared his throat. "I heard about the ultimatum you gave your Mother the other day."

"She told you?" Rose asked in surprise.

I suddenly felt the need to give them some privacy, and started to move away.

"Bella, sit back down." Rose barked. "You don't need to leave." Then she smiled apologetically. "Please stay with me." She added in a whisper.

I nodded once and sat down.

"What you said seems to have finally gotten through to her." Colonel Whitlock continued. "She wants to try and repair her relationship with you kids. God knows she needs to."

He sighed.

"Daddy, you know I'd never stop  _you_ from seeing your grandchild don't you?"

He smiled. "I assumed as much, but either way, your Mama has got a lot of work to do. She knows it. She's even made an appointment with a therapist."

Rose looked at him in shock.

He chuckled. "So you  _know_ she must be serious." He stood then and took her hand. "Come on" He said with a wink. "I have a daughter to give away." Rose smiled as he led her through the doors into the foyer where the other bridesmaids were already lined up. I took my place in front of Rose, and Alice in front of me.

I could hear the final strains of  _Air_ from Handel's  _Water Music._

_Breathe Bella_

The music Rose had chosen was fitting for the Cathedral setting, beautiful and majestic. I smiled when I thought of the relatively simple pieces we'd chosen for our ceremony, knowing they'd be perfect for us.

We were lined up, bouquets in hand when the opening notes of Charpentier's  _Te Deum_ sounded _._

Alice and I turned and gave one more reassuring smile to Rose before preparing for our walk down the very long aisle. I tried to keep my eyes on the back of Alice's head rather than on the many faces that were turned in our direction. Mercifully, as soon as Rose emerged, all eyes were trained on her, and I breathed a small sigh of relief.

As I approached the altar, it was my brother's face I saw first, happier than I'd ever seen him. Next, I glanced at Charlie beaming from where he stood next to Emmett. Jasper smiled at Alice, then me and lastly his sister.

Finally, my eyes landed on Edward's face, and the smile he wore as he watched me, was enough to take my breath away.

I knew in my heart that  _this_ would be the same awed look I was sure to see on our wedding day. Edward's eyes never left mine as I approached.

The only thing stopping me from running and jumping into his arms at that exact moment was the fact that I wanted this ceremony to be perfect for my brother and Rose. I owed them that much.

The Archbishop gave a short greeting and an opening prayer. I paid attention, realizing that a lot of what I heard and saw today would mirror my own wedding.

Before the wedding ceremony itself, Father Pat stood to give a short sermon. "Welcome friends and family of Rosalie and Emmett here to celebrate this most important day with them." He smiled. "And despite the rain, it has turned out to be a beautiful day as well. For today, we witness a young couple make the commitment to live together in Christian marriage."

"Marriage itself was instituted by God in the Garden of Eden when He said 'It is not good for Man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him'." Father smiled. "Rosalie and Emmett, you have each found that life partner, and with the graces you receive here today, along with the love you have for one another, you will go forward from this place and face all of your tomorrows together as one in Christ."

Every time I peeked over at Edward, he would catch my eye and give me a smile.

_Three weeks until our big day._

_Three weeks was a long time._

_Three weeks was no time._

When it was time for the 'Rite of Marriage' itself, I couldn't keep the tears from forming in my eyes once again and trailing down my cheeks. It started when Rose's Dad kissed her cheek during the traditional 'Who gives this bride?' portion of the ceremony, and didn't stop until Father Pat pronounced them  _husband and wife._  My tears immediately turned to laughter when my giant of a brother swept Rose up into a theatrical kiss, dipping her almost to the floor.

During the ceremony, I had noticed that Charlie surreptitiously rubbed his hand across his eyes more than once, causing me to cry even harder.

_Oh how I wish my Mom could be here_

Once Rose was righted from the kiss, Emmett turned to our friends and family with a brilliant smile. "Well folks, thanks for coming today. Rosie and I will see you at the reception." He boomed while everyone, including Father Pat, the Archbishop, and even Rose herself looked at him in bewilderment. Emmett continued to smile. "Sorry, but uh, we need a few minutes. I need to spend a little quality time with my  _wife._ " He looked straight into Rose's eyes when he said this and grinned while quirking an eyebrow.

"See you on the flip side." He announced to the congregation before sweeping Rose up into his arms and carrying her bridal style down the aisle and through the front doors of the Cathedral.

_What the hell?_

"What the hell was that?" Alice mirrored my thoughts.

I shrugged. "It's Emmett, which means, in a word,  _unpredictable._ "

We processed out of the church as best we could with no bride and groom leading the way to the strains of Beethoven's  _Ode to Joy_. I leaned on my Dad a little more than I would have normally, given the emotional day, aware that the next time I walked with him, it would be for my own wedding. "It was a beautiful ceremony." Dad said quietly.

I nodded before peeking behind me to see Alice on Jasper's arm and Rose's cousin Harriett being escorted by my handsome fiancé. Harriett was grinning from ear to ear, and when she caught me peeking made sure to wink suggestively at me.

I laughed.

"I have to say, Emmett behaved himself a lot longer than I thought he would." Dad chuckled. "I'd kind of hoped he would wait until the reception to go crazy, but yeah, it's  _Emmett._ " We both chuckled.

I fully expected to find Emmett and Rose waiting for us in the foyer. Aside from the bridesmaids and groomsmen, the room was empty. Before I had a chance to stop her, Alice flew to the small room where we had waited before the ceremony and barged in without knocking.

_Damn she's brave. I would never want to walk in on whatever the hell they might be doing._

_In Church?_

I cringed, hoping against hope that not even my brother would do something so crass.

As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Alice exited the room with a disappointed expression on her face, still not having found the happy couple.

By this time, the wedding guests were beginning to exit the body of the Cathedral and spill into the foyer. I caught a glimpse of Alice exiting through the doors to the street sans umbrella.

_I guess it stopped raining._

I was standing there with my arm around Edward's waist, talking to Dad and Suzanne when Alice reappeared and motioned me over to her. Her eyes were wild.

"Excuse us." I said sweetly to Dad and Suzanne as I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him toward Alice. By the time we got there, Jasper and Chris were at her side.

"I cannot believe those two." Alice gasped out as though she'd just run a marathon.

"Alice honey, what happened?" Jasper asked her sweetly as he patted her hand.

Alice took a deep breath. "I was looking for the stupid bride and groom because we have to pose for photos at the altar." She muttered.

"I saw you searching. Didn't you find them?" I asked.

Alice smirked. "Oh I found them alright." She huffed "As we speak, they are locked in a stretch limo across the street from the Cathedral,  _having sex._ " She whispered the last part.

Jasper's mouth fell open. "Alice, you can't know that's what they're doing. You're jumping to conclusions."

"Oh really Jasper?" She snapped. "Then maybe you'd care to interpret the large yellow sign taped to window of the limo which reads: 'Don't come a-knocking if this limo is a-rocking'."

I clasped my hand over my mouth in an attempt to keep the laughter from escaping.

It was a futile attempt.


	72. Wedding Dances & Viral Video

 

From where we waited in the hall, I could hear soft music and the voice of the deejay as he spoke to the wedding guests.

' _Ladies and Gentlemen, at this time, would everyone please stand to welcome the members of the wedding party.'_

Harriet, God bless her, had taken it upon herself to swap places with me, so that I could enter the ballroom arm in arm with my fiancé. She'd even sent word to the deejay so that he would announce our names correctly.

I hesitated, not wanting to hurt Charlie's feelings, to which my father merely laughed and told me to walk with Edward.

Once inside, we were greeted by a sea of friendly faces. I smiled back, even though I didn't know half of the people in attendance. Edward flashed his Hollywood smile, and I swear I saw a couple of women swoon.

I giggled at their reaction. He did the same thing to me, although I liked to think I'd become good at hiding it in public.

_Yeah right._

We walked over to the edge of the dance floor and waited for the bride and groom to appear.

' _And now, for the first time, I would like to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Swan!'_

The ballroom broke into uproarious applause as my brother and new sister appeared. They looked deliriously happy as they stood close together in the doorway. Suddenly, the music changed, and Pink's ' _Get the Party Started_ ' began to blast from the speakers.

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started  
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started_

Everyone laughed and applauded as Emmett and Rose made their way over to us, showing off their spectacular dance skills on the way.

_Get this party started on a Saturday night  
Everybody's waiting for me to arrive  
Sendin' out the message to all of my friends  
We'll be looking flashy in my Mercedes Benz_

As soon as they reached us, Emmett pulled Rose against him, kissed her, and then twirled her around.

 _I got lot of style, check my gold diamond rings  
I can go for miles if you know what I mean  
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started  
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started  
_  
Emmett nodded once to the deejay and Pink faded away, to be replaced by the lovely voice of Etta James singing ' _At Last'._ Edward pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me, as we watched my brother and Rose dance for the first time as husband and wife.

My heart clenched and my eyes filled with tears as I thought back over the last few years, so happy that Emmett and Rose had finally achieved their 'happy ending'. Every now and then my brother would speak softly in Rose's ear, and she would brush a tear from her cheek. They ended the song with a sweet kiss, after which the deejay handed Emmett the microphone.

He grinned at the assembled guests. "Rose and I would like to welcome all of you today. It means a lot to have our friends and families with us on the most important day of our lives. So, drink up, dinner will be served shortly, and then I want all of you to party your asses off!"

Everyone cheered and clapped as the music started again. Edward and I exited the dance floor, preferring to mingle with a few of the guests before dinner. We made our way to the table where Esme and Carlisle were seated with Dorothy and Duke. We were standing there chatting when a waiter walked by with a tray of appetizers.

At the sight of food, my stomach growled as I abruptly realized that I was starving. I'd barely eaten anything at brunch, and that had been hours before.

When the waiter halted beside us, I grabbed one of everything from the tray. Edward eyed my movements and chuckled as I crammed a stuffed mushroom into my mouth. His smile disappeared as soon as he heard me moan at its deliciousness.

I smirked at his reaction and proceeded to wiggle my eyebrows at him suggestively.

"You lovebirds are too much." Dorothy announced with a laugh. "I could cut the sexual tension in here with a knife."

Esme, Carlisle and Duke chuckled at her statement.

I felt myself blush all the way to my hairline over the fact that we'd been found out by the Cullen family's elderly friend.

Dorothy laughed even harder at my reaction. "Ah Bella, I remember being young and naïve like you. Although you've chosen much wiser than I did the first time." She grinned as she regarded Edward fondly and patted my hand which now rested on the table. "You two are sweet together. You'll make beautiful babies."

Cue the blush once again.

"I'm counting on that!" Esme announced excitedly.

"Dorothy, have you been drinking?" Edward asked with a chuckle. "You know you're not supposed to."

"I wish." She muttered and shook her head. "It's bad enough seeing you young people in love, makes me miss Roy." She sighed before turning to me again and whispering. "Roy was husband number two; I chose wisely that time." She grinned before continuing, "But to be deprived of alcohol and tobacco too..." She shook her head in disgust. "All I know is the day that game shows start to look attractive to me, is the day I hope I eat a bullet." She said with a smile and a wink, assuring us that she was only joking.

Edward and I cracked up. Dorothy was quite a character. I completely understood why the Cullens adored her.

_-V &V—_

' _At this time, I'd like to draw your attention to the bridal table, for the traditional toasts.'_

Charlie stood and cleared his throat, champagne in hand. "When I was coming up with what to say for this toast, I thought that maybe a few words welcoming Rose to the family would be appropriate; maybe a bit of advice on how to handle the rough patches that any married couple is certain to face. Also, I thought I would mention the advice my parents gave me on my wedding day." Charlie pursed his lips and turned to face Emmett and Rose, "Rose, I'm not going to welcome you to the family. The truth is that you're already a part of this family, have been for years now, and I can't imagine a better wife for my son, a better sister for Bella, or a better daughter for me, after having already been blessed with one that's damned near perfect." He turned and winked at me then.

_That was sweet…_

Edward squeezed my hand.

"As for the advice to overcome the rough patches, I think you've already faced more than your fair share of those, and it's only made you stronger. You've learned to rely on each other, which puts you light years ahead of most married folks your age." Emmett and Rose both smiled sadly at Charlie. "As for the last part, I will repeat the advice my parents gave to me, ' _Never let the sun go down upon your anger_ '. It's good advice, and has always served me well." Charlie held the glass up then. "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Swan. It is written: when children find true love, parents find true joy. Here's to your joy and mine, from this day forward." He grinned. "Yeah, I got that off the internet." He said drawing chuckles from the crowd. "Emmett and Rose, from the bottom of my heart, I wish you many, many happy years together."

"Cheers!" He said as we all held up our glasses and drank to the happy couple. My Dad then turned to my brother. "Don't screw it up."

Emmett gave him a dimpled grin and laughed. "I don't intend to."

Charlie passed the microphone to me. For once, I found I wasn't nervous speaking in front of a large group of people. I turned to face Emmett and Rose with a smile, and cleared my throat.

"Emmett" I tried to speak clearly. "I think the best part of being your  _little_ sister is the fact that there has never been a time in my life when I didn't have you." I swallowed hard as my brother bit his lip. "My earliest memory is of you, trying to convince me that Santa Claus was not just some scary creep in a red suit as I cringed away from him in fear. I swallowed back the tears I wanted to shed that day because I trusted you. I want you to know that I've always trusted you, and you've never let me down" I looked at him pointedly "Not once." I said as I stared into his eyes.

"Growing up, you, Dad and Mom were my entire world." I then let my gaze wander to Rosalie. "I remember as if it were yesterday, the moment that world expanded to include another person."

Rose gave me a gentle smile.

"Rose, when we met, I couldn't have predicted that one day you'd grow to become my dearest friend. I have come to rely on your advice, your strength, and even your doses of 'tough love' more than you know" I grinned "I count today as one of the happiest in my life, because I am  _finally_ able to call you my sister." Emmett was beaming at me as a tear trailed down Rose's cheek.

I raised my glass. The rest of the room followed suit. "To my brother and sister as they begin their life together, and as the saying goes: 'Love doesn't make the world go 'round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile.' Congratulations."

An echo of 'congratulations' sounded throughout the room before we drank again.

I was just about to hand the microphone to Emmett, when Jasper suddenly appeared at my side and reached for it. "May I?" He asked with a grin.

I placed the mic into his hand and took my seat.

"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Jasper Whitlock, brother of the bride." He drawled.

As he spoke, Jasper moved until he was standing behind Emmett and Rose. He seemed a bit unsteady on his feet. My suspicion was that Jasper had already imbibed a bit too much alcohol.

_Oh well, it is a party after all…_

"I just wanna say that Mr. Swan here has been giving me a hard time for months now, ever since he found out that my first name is really  _Francis._ " Jasper announced with narrowed eyes as he gestured with his champagne glass toward my brother. "He won't let me live it down." Jasper practically whined.

Emmett, still grinning, just shrugged. I glanced at Edward and caught him laughing silently beside me. I knew he'd been a witness to far more of Jasper's moments of humiliation than I had.

"Imagine my surprise when in the course of conversation with his Daddy yesterday, I discovered that Emmett's middle name used to be  _Homer._ " Jasper was now grinning from ear to ear.

For a split second, I almost felt sorry for my brother, and then I remembered how many pranks he'd played on me over the years.

"I don't use that name." Emmett tried to shout over the laughter. "I had it legally changed."

"Yeah, but that's the one your parents gave you." Jasper countered, still grinning as he patted Emmett on the shoulder. "But, seeing as you're now my sister's husband, and to prove that I'm the bigger person, I've decided that I will try my best to forget this newfound information. I won't tease you at every opportunity, embarrass you in front of strangers, and come up with demeaning variations of it simply to force a reaction out of you."

It always amazed me how articulate Jasper was while intoxicated.

Emmett gave Jasper a wary smile.

"In that spirit" Jasper said as he raised his glass. "I'd like to propose a toast to the bride and groom, here's to a long and happy life together" He paused as his smile grew wider, "and may your first child be a masculine child", that line drew snickers from those around us, especially Edward. "And may you name that child  _Bart_." Jasper set the mic down in front of Emmett and gave him a half-hug as we all fell apart with laughter.

Emmett laughed along with us and shook his head as we all took another sip of champagne.

Emmett stood "Thank you Luca Brasi" he said while gesturing toward Jasper, "and especially thank you Bells and Pops for the things you said. I hope you know how much your words meant to us." Rose stood then, and she and Emmett made their way over and hugged Charlie and I before Emmett spoke into the microphone again.

"I need the attention of the bartending staff for a moment." Emmett said then in a booming voice.

_He really didn't need the mic_

I watched as he pointed as Jasper. "Make sure this man doesn't get any more alcohol tonight" He then grinned wickedly. "It seems that when he has too much to drink he… how do they say it in the south?" Emmett pretended to concentrate before speaking again, "Oh yeah! It seems that when  _Francis_ drinks, he tends to run around buck  _nekkid_ , and I really don't want Pops to have to arrest my wife's brother tonight." Emmett announced with a dimpled smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Jasper blushed bright red before dropping his face into his hands, laughing along with the rest of us.

I could have told him not to challenge Emmett. Many men had tried and failed miserably. To my knowledge, only two had ever succeeded, and they were Chief Swan and Dirty Harry; both seasoned professionals. It wasn't a game for amateurs.

_-V &V—_

"Not hungry any more sweetheart?" Edward asked.

The waiter had served the main course and after taking a few bites, I discovered that my formerly ravenous appetite had been satisfied by the few appetizers I'd eaten an hour before. "Guess not" I answered with a shrug, as I decided to concentrate instead on my wine.

I took a deep breath before relaxing back into my seat and taking in the scene around me. We were seated at an oval table with the other members of the bridal party. Everyone around us chatted happily with each other. Rose was absolutely radiant.

I glanced over to Carlisle and Esme's table and noticed that Suzanne was seated with them. At the moment, she was having what looked to be a serious conversation with Esme. I regretted that I hadn't had much of a chance to speak with either of them yet.

_Hopefully I can remedy that before the evening is over._

Edward and I spoke quietly about the house, and when we would be able to close. "The realtor assures me that as soon as we return from our honeymoon, the house will be ours." He said with a small smile.

_Our honeymoon…._

Edward was keeping very closed-mouthed about where he planned to take me for our honeymoon. The only thing I knew for sure was that it would be someplace  _warm._  I allowed my mind to wander. The sexual frustration we'd both been feeling for weeks, even months, finally bubbled to the surface of my thoughts.

_Hmm..would it be warm enough and private enough to insist Edward walk around naked the entire time?_

I hadn't seen him naked yet. At one time, I was fully prepared for both of us to reveal the 'full Monty' to the other, but the right moment never quite presented itself. As we'd gotten closer to our big day, without saying the words out loud, we both seem to have decided to wait.

I wanted to wait.

Really.

No, not really. But I would wait.

Patiently.

Sort of.

_But there's no law against me fantasizing about the visual I have to look forward to…_

_And now for the viewing pleasure of Mrs. Isabella Cullen alone, may we present, Mr. Edward Cullen..naked_

_Edward naked_

_Nekkid_

_Nah that makes me think of Jasper. Don't want to see Jasper nude, I want to see Edward_

_Edward in nothing but a smile…_

I could feel my face flame at my inappropriate thoughts, and then I realized that if I were to make that request, Edward would be within his rights to insist that I walk around naked too.

_Oh my hell_

I swallowed hard and fought the urge to cringe at that thought.

"Bella, are you alright?" I turned to find Edward watching me with an amused expression.

"Uh" I touched my cheeks with my hand, realizing that I was still blushing. "I need a little more wine."

He gave me a knowing smile.

_Oh God, I hope he can't suddenly read my mind_

"I'll get you a drink sweetheart." He leaned down to peck my lips before walking toward the bar. I kept my eyes trained on him as he walked away. The view from the back was almost as good as the front.

The deejay's voice startled me out of my ogling.

' _Good evening. Here's hoping that the wonderful meal has given everyone plenty of energy to dance the night away.'_

There were a couple of whistles from the guests along with scattered clapping.

' _At this time, Mrs. Rosalie Swan will be joined on the dance floor by her father, Colonel Frank Whitlock, for the traditional Father Daughter dance.'_

Rose was beaming as her Dad led her to the dance floor. Rose told me that her Dad had chosen the song. I watched as Rose continued to smile brightly at her father as they danced. The song was unfamiliar to me, so I listened closely to the words.

Realizing that Colonel Whitlock had chosen the song himself, revealed a whole other side to this man who, most of the time intimidated the hell out of me.

_Three a.m. on the clock  
Lullaby, music box  
Oh, baby please don't cry  
Let's let mama sleep tonight  
You've only been home one day  
You don't even know your name  
Tiny hand on my cheek  
You're a miracle to me  
In the stillness of the night  
Cradled in this rocking chair  
I hold all my hopes and dreams,  
Every single answered prayer  
_   
_In my arms  
Wish I could hold you forever_

I watched as the Colonel handed Rose a handkerchief in order to wipe her tears. As they danced, I glanced at Rose's Mom and saw the ice queen herself wipe a tear away.

_And when you find that one true love  
I'll put on my best smile  
And I'll try to hide my tears  
As I walk you down the aisle_

As the song neared its end, Edward reappeared with my wine. I felt his warm hand on my shoulder. We both knew what was coming next.

As soon as Rose and her father exited the dance floor, I sensed my brother's presence behind me. I turned to find him standing there smiling.

' _In honor of the mother of the groom, Renee Swan, her children Emmett and Isabella have decided to share this dance in her memory.'_

I stood from my chair and silently took Emmett's offered hand and let him lead me to the dance floor. No sooner had my big brother pulled me into his arms then I heard the first strains of one of my Mom's favorites.

The song spoke of the unconditional love between two people. A mother and child, a brother and sister…

_Oh, why you look so sad?  
Tears are in your eyes  
Come on and come to me now  
Don't be ashamed to cry  
Let me see you through  
'Cause I've seen the dark side too_

"It's perfect Emmett" I whispered through trembling lips. He tightened his embrace, but didn't answer.

_When the night falls on you  
You don't know what to do  
Nothin' you confess, could make me love you less_

It  _was_ perfect. The song gave voice to the relationship my mother had with both her children, and as I realized, the relationship that Emmett and I now shared with each other.

_I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you  
Won't let nobody hurt you  
I'll stand by you_

"Do you think she knows I got married today?" He asked quietly.

I looked up into his sad eyes and nodded. "I do." I cleared my throat as we swayed to the music.

"How can you be so sure Bella?" He asked, with a hopeful expression.

"Well… promise you won't think I'm crazy?" I looked up at him. "But, I've had dreams about her. Recently." I bit my lip and shrugged, afraid he probably feared I had lost my grip on reality.

Instead, his face expressed keen interest in what I was telling him.

"She knew about your wedding and she was happy." I whispered. "She told me that it would be beautiful. She also said that she keeps an eye on us, and Dad."

Emmett swallowed hard.

"The more I've thought back over that dream; it's just got to be real Emmett." My eyebrows knit together as the words started to flow from me in a rush. "I mean, how can someone like Mom, who loved fiercely, and was loved in return, be completely cut off from those she cared about?" I sighed as I formulated my thoughts. I realized I was babbling. "It's probably a silly notion, but knowing Mom, she wouldn't be completely happy, even in heaven, if she couldn't see her children. She'd find a way…" I gave him a small smile.

_When you're standing at the crossroads  
And don't know which path to choose  
Let me come along  
'Cause even if you're wrong_

He thought over what I'd said, and eventually returned the smile. "I hope you're right Bells." He whispered.

I took a deep breath, knowing what I needed to say next. It was time to share something with my brother that I never had before. "Emmett, can I tell you something?"

He gave me a confused look before nodding. "Sure Bella"

"It's what Mom said to me just before…" I lowered my eyes and stared at the white rose pinned to his lapel. "You know.."

With my words, our dancing slowed to almost a stop.

"I never told you that her last words were about you." I whispered before looking back up into his face. He had a pained expression. "I hope you understand why I didn't tell you before now. I'm so sorry, but I was never at a place emotionally where I could speak with you about it."

After I bared my soul to Edward a few months ago, I realized that Emmett had a right to know that our Mom was thinking of him during her last moments.

I bit my lip. "I'm finally at that place Em, and I can't think of a better day to share this with you."

_Take me in, into your darkest hour  
And I'll never desert you  
I'll stand by you_

_And when, when the night falls on you, baby  
You're feelin' all alone  
You won't be on your own_

My throat tightened as I prepared to say the words.

_I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you  
Won't let nobody hurt you  
I'll stand by you  
Take me in, into your darkest hour  
And I'll never desert you_

"She knew she was going to die" I whispered as the tears I'd been holding back started to flow down my cheeks. "She asked that I tell you how much she loved you, and that she was very proud of you." I said, my voice breaking at the end. Emmett let go of my hand then before wrapping both arms around me, enclosing me in his warm embrace as he let out a shaky breath.

_Won't let nobody hurt you  
I'll stand by you  
I'll stand by you  
Won't let nobody hurt you_

"Thank you Sissy." He said in a broken whisper. "Thank you for telling me….especially today." We swayed slowly to the music and held onto each other as if our lives depended on it until the end of the song.

_I'll stand by you_   
_No, no, no, no, no_   
_Take me in, into your darkest hour_   
_And I'll never desert you_   
_I'll stand by you_

_-V &V-_

"Edward, I'm sorry, but I need to steal Bella away for a moment." Rose said sweetly as she stood beside my chair. Her expression made it clear that this was a demand, rather than a request.

Rose grabbed my hand and pulled me with her into the hall. "Rose what's wrong?"

She looked a little mortified as she whispered her response. "I'm sorry Bells. Nothing's wrong, it's just that I have to pee, and I need help with my dress. Alice helped me last time, but she disappeared with Chris and now I can't find her."

I giggled at my friend. After lifting Rose's dress to keep it out of the 'line of fire' so to speak and washing our hands, we made a quick exit back toward the ballroom.

As we neared the doors, we saw Alice and Chris round the corner headed straight toward us. "There you are!" Alice said with a smile as she and Chris grabbed our arms and led us to a spot in the hallway just in front of the open ballroom doors.

"Did you need us?" Rose asked, confused.

"In a manner of speaking" Chris said breathlessly. "Rose honey, your mother is a piece of work." He continued with a grimace.

"Tell me about it." Rose muttered.

Mrs. Whitlock had behaved herself during the actual wedding ceremony, but ever since we'd arrived at the Westin, she'd been a nervous wreck and had pissed off several people with her bossiness.

"She's trying to orchestrate every part of this reception." Chris continued. "You should have seen her face when you and Emmett danced into the ballroom to that Pink song." He said before laughing loudly.

Rose chuckled and shook her head. "She made it clear that she hates our choice of music." Rose lost her smile and sighed. "I warned her that she'd better behave or I'd have her thrown out."

Chris thought for a moment. "Honey, if you toss her out you'll never forgive yourself. Besides, she's not being  _evil._ " He stopped speaking in order to glance over to where Rose's Mother was giving the deejay a piece of her mind as she wagged her finger in the poor guy's face.

" _Much_ " Chris added before looking back at Rose.

Rose groaned.

"Maybe you  _should_ toss her out." Alice said matter-of-factly. I gave her a surprised look. "I mean, this stress is not good for Rose or the baby. Today is supposed to be a happy day." Alice explained as she rubbed Rose's arm soothingly.

It was silent for a long moment before Chris spoke again. "I have an idea." He announced with a mischievous grin. "With your permission Rose, I'm going to solve your 'Mommy' issues. At least for today."

"How will you do that?" Rose asked skeptically.

"Just leave it to me my darling. I'm going to become Mama Whitlock's new best friend." He said, now smiling from ear to ear.

"But…" Rose frowned.

"Stop frowning chicka, it's not a good look for you." He continued before patting her cheek.

Rose looked bewildered.

"Sweetie, trust me, if Chris says he can fix this, he can." Alice added in her chirpy soprano.

"See you a bit later." He said to all of us before dashing toward the nearest bar.

For the following hour, I caught glimpses of Chris plying Mrs. Whitlock with drinks. Each time I glanced at her, she looked just a little happier than the time before. Edward and I were out on the dance floor when Rose and Emmett, also dancing, sidled up to us. "My Mother has been downing Zombies for over an hour." Rose said with a giggle. "She's so toasted." She shouted above the music as we laughed. "I have to hand it to Chris; he found a way to diffuse her bitchiness."

I glanced toward the place I'd last seen Mrs. Whitlock and Chris drinking and laughing, only to see Chris with his arm around Mrs. Whitlock's shoulders, leading her to the dance floor. As soon as Soulja Boy came over the sound system, Chris caught my eye and gave me a wide smile accompanied by two thumbs up. For the next several minutes, Edward, Rose, Emmett and I stood at the edge of the dance floor with gaping mouths as Chris attempted to teach Rose and Jasper's Mother how to ' _Crank That'_.

_Soulja boy off in this oh  
Watch me crank it watch me roll  
Watch me crank dat soulja boy  
Then superman dat oh_

"Oh my God. Make it stop!" Alice shouted in horror from where she and Jasper now stood beside us...

_Now watch me you  
(crank dat soulja boy)  
Now watch me you  
(crank dat soulja boy)  
Now watch_

_Soulja boy off in this oh  
Watch me crank it watch me roll  
Watch me crank dat soulja boy  
Then superman dat oh_

It was horrible. Granted, Chris was a wonderful dancer; Mrs. Whitlock, not so much. Every step she took was at least a half beat too late; and those steps were often taken in the opposite direction of where they were supposed to be.

It was painful to watch.

Even Chris's smooth moves couldn't hide the fact that his dance partner was clueless. The harder she tried to emulate Chris's movements, the more embarrassed I became for the woman.

I realized there was no reason to pity her though, because she looked to be having the time of her life. I'd never seen her smile as much as she did during that dance. My eyes searched the ballroom, and found Colonel Whitlock standing beside his table, an amused expression on his face, as he watched his wife dance with abandon.

_Soulja boy off in this oh  
Watch me lean then watch me rock  
Super man dat oh_

_Yeah watch me crank dat robocop  
Super fresh now watch me jock  
Jocking on them haterz man  
When i do dat soulja boy_

I cringed a little when I saw Chip and Dale taking photos of the spectacle.

_Wow. Mrs. Whitlock will not be pleased._

_Once she's sober._

' _Crank That_ ' came to an end, and was followed by  _'My Love'_  by Paul McCartney. I watched as the Colonel walked onto the dance floor, at which time Chris relinquished Mrs. Whitlock into the capable hands of her husband. Mrs. Whitlock smiled sweetly at the Colonel before he pulled her into his arms.

Chris made his way over to us. "Well, I think my work here is done. You won't have any more trouble out of Mama Whitlock tonight."

We all laughed, and Emmett handed Chris a drink. "Thanks Chris. You my friend have managed a minor miracle."

"You're very welcome. I only hope she doesn't blame me for the hangover she'll have tomorrow." He smirked. "She's really not so bad once you get to know her, and after she's had about fourteen ounces of rum in her system." He said with a snicker.

We all laughed again.

Chris looked around. "So Rose dear, which one is your cousin Louise?"

Rose grimaced. "Ugh, why do you want to know?"

"Well, along about the time that Mama Whitlock was drinking her third zombie, she expressed her dismay that a nice young man like me had no  _lady friend._  I informed her, sadly, that I'd never met the right  _girl_."

Alice snickered. "You did not."

Chris grinned knowingly at her. "I couldn't very well tell your Mother in law that the only girl for me was already married to her son." He gave Alice a toothy grin. "Anyway, Mama Whitlock said she knew the perfect girl; your cousin Louise. I was just curious as to what my soul mate looked like."

"Are we back in the closet Christopher dear?" Alice asked with a smirk.

Chris laughed. "Hey, I never told her I was straight, she just  _assumed_  it. The woman's drunker than I thought." He snickered again.

I had to agree. Chris did nothing to hide the fact that he was gay; I couldn't understand how Mrs. Whitlock didn't catch on to that fact within the first five minutes of meeting him at Alice and Jasper's wedding a year ago.

Rose cackled. "Chris, you are amazing." She said loudly before giving him a hug. "And to answer your question, our cousin Louise is over there." Rose gestured toward two women standing a couple of tables away from us, huddled together. "She's the one with the frizzy blonde hair."

Chris grimaced. "Ew. Bad perm." He said with a shudder.

"She's also a major bitch. My mother invited her against my wishes, along with my cousin Tommy and his horrid girlfriend Britni." Rose said with a sneer.

"Does Britni happen to be the one talking to Louise?" Chris asked.

"Yes, how did you guess?"

Chris shrugged. "Eh, birds of a feather."

_-V &V—_

The next order of business was the cutting of the cake. We all laughed as Rose and Emmett tried, and succeeded to smash cake in each other's faces. It was obvious that the alcohol hadn't yet worn off, because Mrs. Whitlock laughed the longest and loudest of anyone in the crowd.

I was drafted once more to help Rose in the restroom, knowing that we had to hurry in order to make it back for the bouquet toss and garter throw. On our way back to the ballroom, we found Rose's cousins in a heated argument.

Rose stopped dead in her tracks and pulled me to a stop with her.

"You need to shut your mouth Louise." Harriet challenged, as Louise stood there smirking, her arms crossed over her chest in defiance.

"Harriet, it actually makes me  _sick_  the way you and Samantha have become Rose's lackeys over the years. I'll have you know that this is a free country, and I was making a simple observation about  _my_ cousin." Louise snapped.

"Well your observations aren't needed or wanted. In fact, Rose didn't even want you two here. Her mother invited you against her wishes." Samantha charged.

Louise and Britni both looked angry at this bit of news.

"Why does that not surprise me? She and Jasper have always preferred the  _Whitlocks_." Louise announced. "I will never forgive her or Jasper for not inviting Uncle Cole to their weddings. They never fail to disappoint the  _Hale_  side of the family." Louise snapped.

Rose had heard enough. She marched over to the four women, her body tense with anger. "You know damned well why I don't want that bastard anywhere near what is supposed to be the happiest day of my life." Rose exclaimed. "Thank God my mother knew not to push me that far."

Louise and Britni wore twin masks of horror when they realized that Rose had overheard their conversation. It took a moment for them to regroup.

"Don't you refer to Uncle Cole that way." Britni challenged once she'd recovered her courage.

"Shut the fuck up  _Britni._ Cole Hale should be rotting in prison for what he did."

Louise gasped. "Rosalie! He was found innocent! I suppose you know more than a court of law now?" she asked, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"You really want to do this?" Rose seethed as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the two women. "He was never 'found innocent'. His case was dismissed, it never went to trial, there's a difference. Didn't you ever find it curious that the most damning evidence against him went missing?" Rose continued. "My Mother's relatives paid a tidy sum of money to make that happen" Rose spat "and no one will ever convince me otherwise."

"That is cold even coming from you Rose. You wouldn't even give your own flesh and blood the benefit of the doubt?" Britni accused. "You're an even bigger bitch than I thought."

"Since when is any of this your business Britni? You are not even a part of this family. How much longer are you willing to hang around hoping that Tommy will propose to you?" Rose was in her element now. "You're such a needy whore."

I wanted to giggle at Rose's colorful language, but was also worried that this wasn't good for her or the baby.

"Rose" I said quietly. "Let's just leave. You're getting too upset." I offered gently.

She looked at me, and seemed to relax before nodding her head and pulling away from the group.

We didn't have a chance to walk away before Britni spoke again. "Tommy loves me. We don't need a piece of paper." She shouted. "I also don't need to get  _pregnant_  in order for him to propose." She snickered then.

Our mouths fell open in shock when the palm of Samantha's hand suddenly connected with the side of Britni's face. "I won't have you disrespecting Rosalie on her wedding day." Samantha snapped. "By the way genius, Rose didn't get pregnant until months after her proposal. And what business is it of yours anyway?" Samantha, very pregnant herself, shouted in Britni's stupid face.

Louise and Britni realizing they were woefully outnumbered, shot us all glares before retreating to the restroom in a huff, while Harriet, mirroring my actions with Rose, spoke calmly and quietly, leading Samantha away with us.

"I hate them." Harriet announced matter-of-factly with her hands on her hips when we'd reached the ballroom doors.

"I'm not going to let them get to me." Rose said before thanking her cousins with a hug before we all reentered the ballroom together.

The next order of business was the bouquet toss. By the smirk on Rose's face before she turned her back, I knew that she was going to aim for me. That would have been okay, if I could have been certain that Edward would catch the garter. So it was with a small amount of trepidation that I reached for the flowers as they flew directly toward my head.

The girls around me dashed forward. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blur of movement before a pair of eager hands reached out and caught the bouquet several feet in front of my face. I turned my head just in time to see Rose's cousin Louise, bouquet in hand, land face first on the floor.

She cursed loudly as she stood and turned to glare at Harriet.

_Charming_

Harriet grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

Confused, I walked over to the sidelines where Edward stood with Alice, Jasper and Chris. Everyone was laughing at the spectacle. "What the hell just happened?" I asked.

"Well, Louise and Britni tried to catch the bouquet, despite Rose's obvious wish that you catch it, and Harriet took it upon herself to block one and trip the other. It was classic." He announced through his laughter.

_Wow. I hope our wedding isn't this eventful._

Next up was the garter toss.

I noticed that Louise, seemingly quite recovered from her moment of embarrassment, eyed Edward possessively as he reluctantly joined the other 'single' men on the crowded dance floor.

Chris patted my arm and winked as he brushed past me. "Don't worry beautiful, I've got this." He announced with a smirk.

Rose sat perched in a chair, as Emmett inched her dress higher and higher. Once it reached the point where Rose's modesty was at stake, she smacked his hand and instead of lifting the dress any further, my brother stuck his head under it.

Everyone was hooting and laughing as Emmett made a production out of removing the garter an inch at a time with his teeth. As soon as the garter was airborne, I noticed that my gorgeous fiancé shoved both his hands in his trouser pockets.

_God, I love him_

We all watched in amazement as Chris leapt above the throng and caught the garter in mid-air. He proceeded to do a little victory dance before sashaying over to Louise.

_And now, the young lady who caught the bouquet will share a dance with the gentleman who caught the garter._

Edward was still laughing when he reached me. We watched Louise and Chris dance for a while, Louise looking more uncomfortable by the minute, before Edward took my hand and pulled me away from the crowd.

The next thing I knew, we were in a quiet corner of the abandoned hallway outside of the ballroom. He wrapped his arms around me. "Have I told you how exceptionally beautiful you are tonight?"

I smiled and nodded. "Not in words until now." I whispered. "Thank you."

"I cannot wait until you are mine Bella." He beamed. "I'm afraid that I'll wake up one morning and find that this has all been a dream."

I sighed. "I know what you mean. I've taken to pinching myself regularly." I admitted.

He pulled me flush against him and rested his chin on the top of my head. I shut my eyes and pressed my cheek to his chest as we reveled in our moment of peace. It seemed to be a rare occurrence lately, these moment when we were both able to relax and just 'be'.

_-V &V—_

It had been a week since Rose and Emmett's wedding. As they happily honeymooned in Paris, things back home had kicked into high gear in preparation for mine and Edward's wedding.

As much as I tried to hide it from Edward, I was beginning to feel stressed out. All the plans were coming together nicely, but I seemed to have a talent for finding something to worry about regardless. Edward was on to me, and every time I was visibly stressed, he made it his priority to fix me.

In the past, making a visit to the Seattle Aquarium or an art gallery had been a relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, the two times we'd tried it since Rose and Emmett's wedding, we'd been stalked by the paps.

The ones shadowing us now had grown in number, and these new ones were very bold. It was getting harder and harder to sneak away without being followed.

The feeling of being a caged animal was starting to get to me, so much so that even the sight of them waiting outside my building was enough to piss me off for the rest of the day.

I'd actually had to physically sit on my hands once or twice as they followed us from my apartment building in order to keep from flipping them off.

"You ready to go Bells?" Dad greeted me with a smile when I opened my door. I nodded and turned to say goodbye to Edward.

Today, I was having lunch with Charlie, just the two of us, at his request. It took Dad a few minutes to convince Edward that we didn't need Lou to accompany us.

"Look Edward, I'm a chief of police, I think I'm more than capable of protecting my daughter." Charlie had reminded with an amused expression on his face.

At his words, Edward finally seemed to relax. "Of course. I apologize Charlie." He said with a sigh. "I can't seem to help myself where Bella is concerned…"

"It's okay son." Charlie interrupted as he patted Edward's shoulder.

"Have a good time sweetheart, and phone me when you're on the way home please." Edward said as he kissed me goodbye.

"I will." I assured before exiting the apartment.

As we left the parking deck, I ducked down in the seat hoping against hope that the paps wouldn't notice me. "You can sit up now Bells." My Dad said a couple of minutes later. "No one is behind us."

I sat up and peered out the back window of Dad's truck. He was right, for the first time in a week; I wasn't being followed by paparazzi. I sat back in the seat and breathed out a relieved sigh.

"Crazy week huh?" He asked.

"You could say that."

_Something I need to get used to I suppose_

"Edward thinks that once the wedding is over, they'll back off."

Dad nodded. "He would be the expert." Charlie pursed his lips then. "I had one of them approach me the other day."

"What?" I asked, alarmed that the stupid paps were now bothering my father.

"Hey, it's okay Bells. It happens from time to time." He soothed. "They are dying to find out when and where the wedding is taking place."

My good mood at the prospect of having lunch with Charlie unhindered by annoying photographers began to evaporate as I agonized over tabloid reporters possibly ruining my wedding day.

"Don't worry Bells. No one will get near the Church. My officers will see to that." He grinned.

I smiled back at him. "You know Dad, I don't think I've appreciated the fact that you're the chief of police more than I do at this moment."

Charlie pulled up in front of the diner he frequented whenever he came to Seattle. We grabbed a booth in the back and settled in.

"Okay Dad, are you going to tell me why you wanted to see me?" I asked after we ordered.

Charlie gave me a sheepish smile before sighing loudly. "I wanted to have lunch with my girl. Is there a law against that?"

I grinned. "No, and thank you for helping me have a time-out from the crazy."

He smiled before taking a sip of his iced tea.

I decided to ease into a different subject, one that had been on my mind for over a week. "How's Suzanne?"

Charlie's entire face lit up at my question. "She's good. Enjoying the summer."

He took another sip before studying my face. "Bells, I want you to be honest with me."

I looked at him questioningly.

"Are you really okay with the fact that I'm dating Suzanne?"

Instinctively I reached over, placing my hand on top of his. "Yes Dad. I'll admit that it bothered me a little at first, but honestly, that only lasted a couple of minutes. When I saw how happy you were, it made me happy also."

He smiled brilliantly then and covered my hand with his other one. "She does make me happy." He admitted in a quiet tone.

The waitress arrived with our orders, and we dug in. After a few minutes, I spoke again. "Dad, why did you wait so long to start dating again? Emmett told me that you never dated during all those years after your divorce."

Charlie frowned. I suddenly wished I could withdraw the question. I hadn't intended to put him on the spot. However, before I could voice my regret, he spoke.

"It was pretty painful after you and your Mom left, the last thing I wanted was another relationship." He sighed. "I threw myself into work, and your brother kept me pretty busy."

_Yep. Those were the years that Emmett perfected the art of being a pain in the ass_

"Aside from that, I never met anyone I was interested in. I'm not the kind of guy to have a 'casual' relationship." I almost giggled at his use of air quotes. "And I sure as hell wasn't going to let my guard down for just anyone."

Poor Dad. Emmett has often alluded to how hurt he was after we left.

"Suzanne and I talked about all this, and I discovered that it helped me to get it out." He admitted.

"That's exactly how I felt after confiding in Edward." I said more to myself than to him.

He nodded slowly, "Bells, the changes we've seen in you over these last few months have been nothing short of amazing ..my God.. I can't even describe how good it is to see you open up, and begin to enjoy life the way you have." He shook his head as a small smile played on his lips. "It's Edward I have to thank for that." He trailed off.

My heart warmed at his words. I could feel my throat constrict with emotion as I realized that my Dad had already accepted Edward as family. Just as he had Rose.

I turned my attention to my food, and we spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence as I willed the threatening tears away.

"So, Suzanne changed your perspective?" I asked quietly once I'd regained control of my emotions.

Dad hesitated. "Yeah, it would appear so." He took another bite of his club sandwich as he studied my face. "Are you sure you want to know this?"

I nodded.

"Well, of course I've known Suzanne since she taught you in high school. I thought she was nice, but didn't seriously consider asking her out at the time." He frowned down at his plate. "It wasn't something I could do, not after what you'd been through." He added in almost a whisper.

"You didn't date because of me?" I asked in awe.

Dad looked uncomfortable again. "Look, it wasn't like that. I didn't make a conscious decision not to ask her out back then." Charlie raked his fingers across his forehead. "You'll understand when you have a kid Bells. If your kid is hurting, then so are you, and everything else ceases to matter."

Once again, my heart clenched as I realized how much my Dad had sacrificed for me.

I would never fully recover from the fact that my Mother had been taken from me, but I seemed to have been doubly blessed by having such a selfless, caring father. A father who loved me unconditionally and would do literally anything for me.

"All I ever wanted was for my kids to be happy. As I said, it's been an amazing year." He added sincerely. "It wasn't until I spoke with Suzanne again at prom that I started thinking about the future and realized I didn't want to be alone anymore."

I reached over and covered his hand with mine again. "Hey Dad, can I let you in on a secret?"

"What's that?"

"You're one of the finest men I've ever known, and I'm so proud and happy that you're my Dad." I whispered. "I love you."

Dad looked uncomfortable, but he gave me a slight smile and patted my hand. "I love you too Bells."

_-V &V—_

After that first week, Edward seemed to make it his mission to find ways to lose the paps. He had gotten quite creative. Today, we'd gone to Esme and Carlisle's early in the day in order to pick up my Mustang.

We had an important task to accomplish.

Lou drove back out of the driveway in the car we'd arrived in, and was able to lure away the few paps lurking near the road. As soon as the coast was clear, we tore out of there and hit the open road. Our destination: Vashon Island.

"Why exactly are we going all the way out here for our marriage license Edward?" I asked with a smile while we huddled in the car, Edward's arms around me as we tried to remain somewhat inconspicuous during the ferry ride to the island. "You know we could have easily gotten our license downtown."

"Now what would the fun be in that Miss Swan?" He whispered with a smirk, his lips dangerously close to mine as his warm breath washed across my face. "I couldn't resist making it into a bit of an adventure."

I didn't comprehend what he said next as I studied his lips. I wanted him to kiss me so badly, but he just kept talking.

"Would you stop talking and kiss me already?" I blurted suddenly.

I watched as his lips stopped moving and turned up into a sexy smile. "Your wish, my command." He whispered before brushing his lips against mine, and then pulling me into a passionate kiss.

We didn't come up for air until the ferry had reached its destination, and a horn blew behind us, signaling our need to move.

A short time later, we pulled up in front of the Community Services Center, only to find it closed. He made me wait in the car while he investigated.

Edward returned to the car with a sheepish expression on his face. "It seems that this location is manned by only one person. She'll be back in a few minutes, she's at lunch."

The lady who administered our marriage license was more than a little stunned when she recognized us, but got immediately down to business and before we knew it, we were one step closer to becoming husband and wife.

Once that was taken care of, we spent the rest of the day exploring the island with the top down, not caring if people recognized us at this point. We'd already accomplished our task.

Lou was waiting for us when we arrived back at the Cullens'. He drove us back home and dropped us off in front of the apartment building where we quickly made our way through the crowd of photographers.

_**Edward, Bella, is it true that you went to Vashon Island to obtain your marriage license?** _

_**Did you elope?** _

_**Are you planning to marry on Vashon Island?** _

We barely listened as we made our way to the door.

_**Bella are you aware that your parish priest was in a traffic accident today while being followed by photographers?** _

This question stopped me in my tracks. I shot a frightened look at Edward before he ushered me quickly into the building. He already had his cell phone out before we reached the elevators.

"Chief Swan this is Edward. Please call me as soon as you get this message."

Edward grabbed my hand and wordlessly pulled me into the elevator. Once inside, he wrapped his arms around me. "Bella, sweetheart, please breathe." He murmured.

I realized then that I hadn't taken a breath since we'd entered the building. I buried my face in his chest and breathed in before releasing a strangled sob into Edward's shirt.

_If anything happens to Father Pat, it's my fault._

_My fault._

By the time we reached my living room, Edward's phone was ringing.

"Chief, how's Father Pat?" Edward asked, the words coming out in a rush.

I was dying inside.

"Oh, I see." Edward smiled down at me. "Okay. Yes, very much so. She's right here." He held the phone out to me. "Your Dad wants to speak with you."

"Daddy?" I asked, braced for what I was about to hear.

"Bells" My Dad's answered. "I need you to calm down. Father Pat's perfectly fine. One of those jackass reporters was following him too closely and hit his car."

"Was he injured?"

"No. Although I forced him to get checked out. I was in the hospital when Edward called."

"The hospital?" Even though he'd said Father Pat was fine, the word hospital sent me into a tizzy. "Dad, you said he was fine." I exclaimed.

"He  _is_ fine Bells, but the man is in his sixties, there's no sense taking chances." Dad assured. "He's signing some papers and then I'll be driving him home."

I stayed on the phone with my Dad until Father Pat exited the hospital and Charlie put him on the phone. "Isabella, stop your worrying. I'm in a lot better shape than the fellow that hit me." He chuckled. "I think it's a fair guess to say that he was in need of a change of underwear after the accident, especially once your father finished with him."

I joined in Father's chuckles then.

"You're sure you're fine?" I asked.

"Definitely. No guilt trips young lady." He directed.

"Okay Father. Thank you."

"I'll see you soon Isabella."

_-V &V—_

The days were flying by. It was now one week until our wedding, and the press had not only discovered the  _when_ , but also the  _where._  The sources of the leak seemed to be an airline agent who booked Aunt Lola's ticket, and a couple of Forks' citizens who weren't thrilled that all these 'Hollywood' types would be invading their little hamlet.

Emmett and Rose were due back from France today, so Edward and I were hanging around our apartment waiting for them to arrive.

Even though they'd called often, I'd still missed them, and I knew I'd need the support of my new sister during the next few days.

"Bella, did you hear about the reporter confronting Gordon the other night at a concert in London?" Edward asked in an amused tone.

"No, what happened?" I asked as we relaxed on the sofa, each working on our laptops.

"They asked him if he was attending our wedding." Edward chuckled then. "He told them to fuck off."

I laughed out loud. I loved Gordon.

Suddenly a familiar booming knock sounded on the door. I jumped up and raced over, flinging it open to find Emmett and Rose standing there, grinning from ear to ear.

I threw my arms around them, so happy to see them again. "Rose" I gasped as I stepped back and looked down at her pronounced bump.

She grinned. "I know. All of a sudden I popped."

I couldn't resist, and I couldn't wait for an invitation. I reached my hand out and placed it on her stomach. "Baby Swan." I breathed, drawing a big smile from my best friend.

Suddenly, the panic and worry of the last two weeks and the annoyance of photographers stalking our every move was forgotten. In the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter. In a few days, Edward and I would make a promise to spend the rest of our lives together, witnessed by those we loved most. Nothing was going to take away from that.

"Emmett, why are you pinching Rose's butt in almost every photo?" I asked.

"Because, that's what European dudes do." He answered with a grin. "When in Rome…"

"Yeah, except we were in  _Paris._ " Rose said with an exasperated sigh. "After about five days of him playing 'grab ass' in public, I threatened to send him home with his arm in a sling if he didn't cut it out."

Emmett shrugged and gave me a dimpled smile, I returned it easily.

I'd really missed the big idiot.

"I behaved myself after that." He continued to grin. "Well sort of."

"Yes, except for almost getting us thrown out of Italy when we made a side trip to Florence."

"Is it my fault that Michelangelo's  _David_ has a small dick?" Emmett asked indignantly.

_Oh for cripes sakes I don't think I want to hear this_

"After announcing that fact loudly to everyone within earshot, Emmett decided that it would be a good idea to whip his own dick out in order to prove his point." Rose said matter-of-factly. "You know, sort of a side-by-side comparison."

"Hey, I was performing a public service. Who knows how many women have settled for a less than adequate package because of that fucking statue." Emmett defended.

I became aware that Edward was shaking with silent laughter beside me.

"Thankfully, before he'd had a chance to 'expose himself', some lady shouted and we were suddenly surrounded by guards." Rose continued, shaking her head. "I had to promise we would return to our hotel and stay there until the next morning in order for them not to arrest him."

Emmett shrugged again. "So I spent the night proving my point to Rosie instead." He said with a cheeky smile. Rose giggled.

"Thanks for that visual Emmett." I announced sarcastically before laughing along with them.

_-V &V—_

Edward had planned something for every day leading up to our wedding.

On Saturday evening, we had dinner with Kyle Browning and his wife, Jeannette. We had a great time. Jeannette was a kindergarten teacher, and she and I really hit it off, especially when I told her about the book I had written.

On Sunday, after Mass, we eluded the paps once again, and Edward surprised me with a picnic on the back deck of our soon-to-be house. Although it wasn't  _technically_ our house yet, and we couldn't go inside, it was still a wonderful and relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this view." I said. "It's even better than the one from your parents' back patio."

Edward nodded in agreement. We sat quietly, arms around each other, as we looked out over the water, just taking it all in.

"A week from now we'll have been married for a day." Edward whispered, never taking his eyes off of the water.

"Hmm." I hummed in answer as I watched a small smile play on his face.

"Just a few more days, and I get to keep you forever." He said with a smile as he turned toward me, placing his right hand on my cheek, and capturing my lips in a soft kiss.

About an hour later, Sidney was dropping us off in front of the apartment building. As usual, the paps started hurling questions as Lou escorted us inside.

_**Isabella, how do you feel about Victor James' interview with Jeffrey Dryden going viral?** _

Upon hearing those words, all the breath left my body in a gasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song recs: Get the Party Started by Pink ; In My Arms by Mark Wills ; I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders ; Crank That by Soulja Boy
> 
> Luca Brasi=a character from The Godfather
> 
> Rose and Jasper's Uncle Cole…. Think heinous crime. The public knew he was guilty. The 'system' let him get away with it.


	73. Dinner Cruises & Love Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *We are now one chapter away from earning our 'M' or 'NC17' rating. That chapter will be posted tomorrow.
> 
> There is one spoiler for the novel Jane Eyre in this chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

Edward and I shared identical alarmed looks as we bolted back into my building. We both fished our cell phones out at the same time. "Damn it." Edward muttered. "It's dead."

I looked at my screen. "Seven missed calls." I'd silenced the ringer while we were at Mass that morning, and forgotten to turn it back on. "Two from Rose, two from Alice, one from Charlie, one from Emmett, one from Esme." I sighed.

Once upstairs, we went straight to Emmett and Rose's apartment.

"Bells" Rose exclaimed when she opened the door. "We've been trying to reach you both."

"I know." I answered as we followed her inside.

Emmett was pacing while talking on his phone. "They're here Pops. Yeah, okay, we'll call you later."

"Where have you been?" Emmett barked as he ended the call.

"We were at the new house." Edward said a bit bewildered. "What exactly has happened?"

"Someone leaked the interview Victor James did with Jeffrey Dryden. The interview that was never supposed to see the light of day." Rose answered angrily.

"Have you seen it?" I asked her.

She nodded as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

"James denies being the one to leak it." Rose said with a shrug. "For what it's worth, it could have been anyone with access to that pilot."

"Tell me about the video." I asked in a calm voice, surprising even myself. I felt Edward's arm which was around my shoulders grow suddenly rigid.

Rose studied me for a minute before she began. "I'm sure the entire interview is longer, but the part that got leaked lasts less than ten minutes."

I gave her a hard look. "Tell me about the video." I repeated, a little more forcefully.

She sighed before gesturing for me to sit down.

Edward and I sat on the sofa.

"Okay." Rose began. "Dryden is crazy Bells. Anyone who sees the video will have no doubt of that. James asks him questions, sometimes he answers, other times he goes off on a tangent."

"Does he mention me?" I asked.

Rose frowned. "Yes, but someone went to the trouble of bleeping your name whenever he says it. It's obvious that he's talking about you though." She said with a grimace.

I sat back. I needed to think. The last time I'd seen a video of Jeffrey Dryden was in the break room at WIRI when I'd been set up by that bitch Camille. He wasn't even the one being interviewed that day; the interview had been with his family.

At the time, even a glimpse of Jeffrey Dryden had been enough to send me spiraling down into depression. I remembered the devastated look on Edward's face after my meltdown. That entire ordeal had been the catalyst to his leaving me, because he blamed our relationship, and himself in particular, for the media attention. The memory of how I felt after he left caused me to draw in a sharp breath.

I turned to look into the eyes of the man I loved. The pain I felt at losing him had been much harder to bear than the pain of seeing Dryden again, and having to hear the slanderous statements made by his family. Would Edward leave again if I were to fall apart?

My relationship with Edward had grown so much since that time. We were both stronger individuals and, drawing from that strength, we'd become much stronger as a couple. I had to trust that I wouldn't react as I did before, but I also had to trust that Edward would never leave me again.

After drawing in a deep calming breath, I spoke. "I want to watch it." I announced quietly. At my words, a dead silence fell over the room.

I glanced at Edward first. He opened his mouth as if to argue with me, when Rose interrupted.

"Do you want us to watch it with you?" She asked. By her words, I knew she understood that this was something I had to do.

"No. I'll go to my apartment." I answered quietly as I stood to leave.

When I reached the door, I turned back to find Edward still seated on the sofa, a lost look on his handsome face.

I stretched out my hand, beckoning him. "You coming Edward?" I asked with a small smile.

His expression changed to one of relief as he crossed the room and took my hand in his.

_-V &V—_

' _ **My treatment here used to be pretty good, but as soon as I got all that publicity a few months back, they confined me to my cell.'**_

I'd been watching the interview with Dryden for a couple of minutes now, and aside from the near panic attack I'd suffered upon first hearing again the voice that haunted by nightmares, I'd been able to calm down enough to listen and watch.

Dryden looked like hell. The years had not been kind to the man who arguably once was thought of as attractive.

_If the devil can be attractive_

' _ **I haven't been able to go outside; haven't been able to socialize with the other prisoners like I used to.'**_

' _I want to know about the early days of your relationship with *Bleep*._

Fucking Victor James implying that I had a 'relationship' with this psychopath.

' _ **Well, you know that I dated her mother. But as soon as I laid eyes on *Bleep*, I knew we were destined to be together.'**_

' _Did she lead you on? Tease you?'_

"Motherfucker" I heard Edward mutter.

" _ **Oh she has always been quite the little cocktease."**_ Dryden said with a laugh. His laugh made me shudder.

' _Do you blame *Bleep* for your confinement?'_

Dryden frowned.  _ **'No, I would never blame her. I blame everyone around her. Her family has always controlled her. And now they're willing to sell her to the highest bidder. That motherfucker Masen wants what's mine.'**_

His face was a mask of anger as he shook his arms violently, the sound of the metal chains from his handcuffs rattling noisily against the table. There was a time when this sort of behavior would have sent me screaming from the room, looking for a safe hole to crawl into. Not anymore.

Instead, I felt myself watching Dryden with curiosity, my own feelings of hatred and fear strangely absent.

' _You talk as if you've spoken with *bleep*.'_

Dryden's face took on a sinister smile.  _ **'I communicate with her all the time.'**_

' _Does she write to you?'_

' _ **She doesn't have to write'**_ Dryden scoffed.  _ **'Our bond is very strong. We communicate through our thoughts, and through our dreams.'**_

My mind was suddenly deluged with the images it had conjured of this man in nightmare after nightmare that I'd endured for the past seven years.

I felt my stomach lurch.

"Pause it Edward" I barely got the words out before I bolted from the room and emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet.

"Fuck" I heard Edward gasp as he stood behind me. "I knew this was a bad idea."

I waved my hand, trying to gesture him away. From the corner of my eye, I watched as he moved closer, dropping to his knees beside me.

Once I stopped heaving, I turned to look at him, tears in my eyes. Edward wore a defeated expression as he knelt there, one hand on my back and the other furiously tearing at his hair.

"You seemed to be handling it so well sweetheart." He said in a small voice. "Was it the mention of your dreams?"

I nodded before flushing the toilet and taking a few cleansing breaths. "It just felt as if he was too close." I said as a couple of tears trailed down my cheeks. "I know he's insane, and there's no way he knows about my nightmares, but what he said" I groaned "it struck a nerve."

I stood to brush my teeth. Edward watched me carefully in the mirror. When I'd finished I gave him a weak smile. "I'm okay." I said, tears still threatening.

Edward looked unconvinced.

I wrapped my arms around him. "I just don't understand." I muttered.

"What sweetheart?" He asked as he rocked me back and forth.

"Why he's still alive, complaining about his treatment no less" I said through gritted teeth as the tears flowed "while my mother is lying in a graveyard?" I sobbed. "I just miss her so much."

Edward let me cry it out, soaking his shirt with my tears.

It took fifteen minutes of arguing the next morning, before he finally relented and let me watch the rest of the interview. As it turned out, we'd already viewed the worst part. The rest was filled with Dryden's ramblings about how his imprisonment was unjust and how Charlie and my family had arranged it in order to keep us apart.

I didn't know what to think, but I came away with the sense that this pathetic madman posed no threat to me or my loved ones. The 'boogeyman' of my nightmares was, in reality, an unkempt, underweight, unattractive freak in an orange jumpsuit and shackles.

His memory no longer held any power over me.

It was a liberating feeling.

Kyle called to inform us that the public outcry against the video had been so great that the tabloid site which had posted it, took it down before he'd been able to contact them and threaten a lawsuit.

Regardless, I had a bone to pick, and I needed to speak with Rose to learn how to go about accomplishing what was necessary.

"Okay Bells, we're all set up for tomorrow morning." Rose informed as she hung up the phone. "My new studio's not quite ready, but we'll make due."

An idea had been percolating in my brain ever since I'd viewed the 'leaked' video of Jeffrey Dryden the evening before. I didn't believe for one moment that Victor James wasn't behind the leak, and what I'd planned to do tomorrow was more about  _him_ than the ravings of a lunatic who would spend the rest of his days in prison.

"I'd better get back before Edward misses me."

I made my way quietly through the apartment and found Edward sound asleep. After peeling back the covers, I slid quietly in beside him.

He moaned as he wrapped his arm around me. "Where'd you go?" He asked in a scratchy voice without opening his eyes.

"Just needed to check with Rose about something." I whispered. No harm in waiting until morning to inform him of my plan.

_-V &V—_

"I may have just died and gone to heaven." I mumbled in my completely relaxed state. "Remind me to thank your parents for having sex."

We were in the middle of a 'couples' massage' that Edward had arranged at the Seattle spa which Rose frequented. In other words, it was the best.

Even in his extremely relaxed state, Edward mustered up the energy to laugh loudly at my words. "Bella what are you talking about?"

"Simple" I slurred as I turned my head to look at him. "If your parents hadn't had sex, you wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't have just had the most fantastic massage of my life."

He was joined in laughter now by Floyd and Gwen our massage therapists. Obviously Gwen was  _mine;_ because there was no way I was going to allow some other woman to put her hands on my fiancé.

"And how many professional massages have you had Miss Swan?" Gwen questioned.

"Counting the one I got in Las Vegas for my sister-in-law's bachelorette party, um, this would make it  _two._ "

Everyone chuckled again. I smiled at Edward and closed my eyes, not having the energy to utter another word. My mind drifted back to the events of that morning when I visited Rose's new studio in order to make my public statement.

* _flashback_

Edward held me close before the camera began to roll. "I realize that you're doing this for  _us,_ and I want you to know that I've never been prouder of you." He whispered. "You are, hands down, the bravest person I've ever known sweetheart. I'll never be deserving of you, but will spend the rest of my life trying."

I pulled back in order to look at his face, and placed a trembling hand on his cheek. "Shh. Don't say that, don't even think that Edward. It's because of you that I've found the courage to do this." I whispered back. "I'll admit I'm a little nervous, but knowing that you'll be standing a few feet away will help me get through it."

I took a deep breath as I watched Edward walk away until he was out of the camera shot. As soon as Rosalie made the introductions, I began with my statement:

' _After giving much thought as to whether or not I should dignify the events of two days ago with a response¸ I made the decision that I cannot in good conscience ignore the behavior of a certain individual involved.'_

' _It is unclear whether Victor James himself was responsible for the leaked video footage, but the fact remains that he was the one who conducted the interview, and that he had hoped to air it on a nationally televised program.'_

' _Mr. James and I worked in the same building for several months, although I never had any contact with the man other than to say 'hello' in passing. As soon as my relationship with Edward became public knowledge however, Victor James seemed to develop a keen interest in me. This interest manifested itself into inappropriate sexual advances made toward me on more than one occasion. When I forcefully rejected those advances, Mr. James' manner became surly and threatening.'_

' _My belief is that this interview was just another attempt by Mr. James to harm me, the woman who had dared to reject him and bruise his rather substantial ego. What Mr. James failed to realize was the fact that I could never regard someone as vile and loathsome as himself with anything other than contempt.'_

' _Because of multiple instances of harassment at the hands of Mr. James, I have filed for and been granted an order of protection. Victor James is not only prohibited from any physical contact with me, but he is also forbidden the use or mention of my name in any story or interview he conducts in his capacity as a reporter.'_

' _In closing, I would like to thank all of you for your support. Edward and I appreciate each and every one of you more than you will ever know. With this matter firmly behind us, we look forward to our wedding day and our future life together.'_

_*end of flashback_

"Bella" I could hear his velvet voice call to me.

"Hmm?"

"Sweetheart, the massage is over, time to get up." He said with a chuckle.

I lifted my head and blinked my eyes awake. "I think I fell asleep." I said groggily.

Edward chuckled again. "You must have really relaxed."

I stretched and closed my eyes again. "Do I have to get up?"

"Yes sweetheart." He answered. I turned and watched as he rose from the massage table, wearing only a pair of boxerbriefs.

_Gah he is gorgeous._

I'd insisted we didn't do this massage naked.

_Stupid Bella_

Even though we were assured by the spa that we would be covered by a sheet at all times to preserve our modesty in front of the staff, I wasn't going for it.

The temptation to get carried away once we were alone was too great to take the chance. After all we were only four days away from the big day, and I had my eyes on the prize, and that prize was making his way slowly across the room toward a fuzzy beige robe.

_No, don't cover up, please let me ogle your practically naked body for a few more minutes._

I looked up at Edward's perfect face to find him smirking at me. I'm pretty sure that the next words that came out of Edward's mouth were: "Like what you see Miss Swan?"

Unfortunately my brain, distracted by my pervy thoughts heard something a bit different.

My mouth fell open in shock, my eyes blinked several times before I spoke. "You want me to  _lick_ you?" I gasped out.

Edward gave me a strange look before bursting into laughter and pulling me up and into his arms. "Sweetheart, you have no idea how much that idea appeals to me but, unfortunately all licking will have to wait." He was still chuckling as he helped me into my fuzzy pink robe.

We relaxed on the small sofa in the room and feasted on cheese, crackers and wine until it was time to leave.

_-V &V—_

"I'll admit that this isn't a  _typical_ bachelorette party, but what about yours and Edward's lives has ever been  _typical_  Bella Mia?" Chris asked with a smile.

Very true.

Unbeknownst to me, Rose, Alice and Chris had reserved the Admiral Theatre for the entire afternoon. It was the same theatre where Edward and I had seen  _Rocky Horror_  all those months ago. They'd also pulled strings in order to enable alcohol to be served on the premises for one day only.

Phase one of my bachelorette party consisted of champagne and appetizers served while viewing a double feature, starring none other than  _Edward Masen_ himself.

Before I'd left the apartment, Alice had forced me to put on a t-shirt which read  _Edward Masen's #1 Fan._ She didn't have to twist my arm, I secretly loved the idea.

As soon as Edward saw me in the shirt, he shot me an amused smile. When he caught a glimpse of the other girls, along with Esme and Chris wearing  _Edward Masen Fangirl_  t-shirts he lost his composure and laughed loudly.

"You know Bella, up until this year Alice and I would fight over the title of Edward's number one fan, but now we happily relinquish that title to you." Esme told me with a smile as we rode to the theatre.

Along with my bridesmaids, and Chris and Esme, I'd also invited Suzanne. We already had a good relationship, but it had always been that of teacher and student. Now, knowing how much she meant to Charlie, the dynamic of our relationship had changed and I wanted to know her better.

I chuckled as soon as I learned of the titles of movies that Alice had chosen. "Alice, thank you." I told her with a grateful smile, realizing that neither of the movies contained love scenes between Edward and a costar.

Alice winked knowingly. "For the rest of Edward's career, you're going to be subjected to scenes of my brother kissing other women; I think it's only right to spare you that the week before your wedding." She grinned.

I grimaced as I thought about the truth in her statement. I thought I'd made my peace with the fact that my fuckhawt  _almost_ husband would have to film love scenes with other women, but deep down I knew I hadn't.

The one and only time I'd been witness to such a scene, I hadn't handled it well.

_Ah well, it's a problem for another day._

I settled back in my seat and proceeded to enjoy the sight of a much younger Edward in  _The Lost Knight._ I hadn't seen the film in years, and smiled to myself at the sight of my beautiful sexy man, not even twenty years old at the time.

The whistles and cat calls that sounded throughout the theater every time Edward appeared onscreen had me in hysterics. After the third round of champagne, it was difficult to say which of Edward's  _fangirls_ were the most 'animated'. In the end, I decided that the dubious honor would be shared equally between Chris and Esme, after Edward's mother announced loudly that she must have a ' _magic vagina to have produced two such beautiful children_ ', and Chris rose from his seat to propose a toast to Esme's ' _magic vajayjay_ '.

 

_-V &V—_

"Phase two consists of  _shopping"_ Alice announced excitedly as we exited the theatre and piled back into the limo.

She must have noticed my grimace. Even after several glasses of champagne, the thought of shopping still did not appeal to me.

"Not just any shopping Bella. We are shopping for some very  _specific Honeymoon attire_." Rose continued with a smirk. "We have an appointment for a private showing."

_Shit_

My heart sank when we pulled up in front of a high end lingerie shop, not because of where we were, but because my fiancé's very tipsy mother was with us.

"Rose" I whispered as I pulled her aside. "This is not a good idea."

Rose frowned as she took in my panicked expression. "Why not Bells?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you? We're in a lingerie shop. Purchasing items for my  _honeymoon_." I began. Rose shrugged. I let out an exasperated sigh before continuing. "My future mother-in-law will see exactly what I'm buying and know exactly why I'm buying it."

Rose looked at me for a minute before laughing out loud. "Are you talking about the fact that you and Edward will finally be having sex Bella?" She answered without even attempting to lower her voice.

"Rose!" I exclaimed.

"I'm pretty sure that everyone, including Edward's parents, are well aware that you'll be having sex on your honeymoon." Rose blurted through her laughter.

I grimaced before glancing up at the rest of our group only to see their very amused expressions trained on Rose and myself.

_Fuck my life_

Esme walked over to me then "Bella honey, please don't be embarrassed, because I certainly am not." She grinned widely. "You make my son happy" She then seemed to be distracted as she spotted something of interest over my left shoulder. "And I think you could make him  _very_ happy in that little black lace teddy." She announced before darting over to the object of her affection and pulling it from the display.

"As a matter of fact, I think I'll purchase one of these for myself."

_That settles it, no matter what happens, I will_ _**not** _ _be purchasing one of those little black teddys._

_Seriously, who would want to 'get romantic' with their husband while wearing a piece of lingerie, knowing that their mother-in-law owned its twin?_

_Just ew._

Alice, God bless her, was able to keep her mother occupied while I chose a few items. As we exited the shop, I realized that phase two of Bella's bachelorette party could have only been categorized as  _awkward._

All I knew of phase three was that it would include dinner. Imagine my surprise when the limo pulled up at a port about five miles from the lingerie shop.

"It's a dinner cruise Bella. I think you'll enjoy it." Chris said with a smug smile.

"We've reserved the entire lower deck for your party." Alice informed as we made our way onboard.

We drank more champagne and ate appetizers as we pulled away from the dock. The view of downtown was beautiful, but I couldn't help the pang of sadness that I didn't get to share this experience with Edward.

I decided to text him.

_**E-** _

_**Miss you. Wish you were here.** _

_**Love you so much.** _

_**-B** _

It didn't take long to receive my response.

_**B-** _

_**You have no idea how much I miss you. Everyone means well, but it is torture to be without you this evening.** _

_**I love you.** _

_**-E** _

By the time we ordered dinner it was almost time for the sun to set. As I looked out over the water, I wondered where Edward was and what he was doing at that moment.

I felt someone sit down beside me, and turned to face Alice's brilliant smile. "The party that reserved the upper deck has given us permission to join them. We'll get a much better view of the sunset from up there."

Alice led the way as I followed close behind. When we reached the upper deck, I stopped dead in my tracks at the room full of familiar smiling faces. I immediately searched for him, and found him looking away from me, from everyone, his attention diverted by the passing coastline.

I silently approached and placed a hand on his where it rested against the window. The familiar hum was there, and as he wheeled around to look at me, I threw my arms around his neck.

"Baby?" He gasped. "How?"

I smiled up at him as his arms wrapped around my waist and he smiled his most brilliant smile. "I think we owe  _this_ " I said as I gestured to the two of us "to our wonderful friends and family." I barely got the words out before Edwards's lips were on mine, needy and urgent.

Our kiss was interrupted by the sound of applause and quiet laughter coming from the room around us, which served as a reminder that we weren't alone.

"You owe me twenty bucks Francis, not even a half minute passed before they were swapping spit." Emmett boomed, bringing about another round of laughter.

We chuckled lightly as we turned to greet our family and friends.

As it turned out, we  _were_ able to watch the sunset together after all, thanks to their efforts.

_-V &V—_

The next morning, we made the trek to Forks. Emmett, Rose and I would be staying at Charlie's for the next two nights, but Edward, his parents, and the rest of the bridal party along with Lou and Sidney would be staying at the two bed and breakfasts in town.

As we pulled away from the city, I began to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had no idea where it was coming from until we were just outside of Sequim, and I realized I hadn't been on this road since the night of my abduction.

Just like that night, it was pouring rain, although this time I was riding in a vehicle with not only Edward, but Lou and Sidney as well. I should have felt safe, but the uneasy feeling wouldn't subside.

As we approached the place where I'd pulled off the road that night, I closed my eyes in an effort to dispel the memories that came crashing back.

_"I've got you now you little bitch."_

Once again I found myself lying amidst the broken glass on the seat of my car. I felt every blow to my face and body. I felt the panic surge as I struggled to fight off my abductor. I heard my brother's frantic voice calling to me from my phone where it lay, useless, beside me.

Edward's alarmed voice seemed far away. "Bella!" He exclaimed. "Bella what's wrong? Bella please talk to me."

I didn't realize I'd been thrashing and gasping for air until I felt Edward's hands on my face. I blinked my eyes open and tried to gather my thoughts in order to answer him.

"Sidney, you may need to pull over, I don't know what's going on." He said in a panic.

"Edward, is she seizing?" I heard Lou ask.

"I don't know" Edward answered, worry evident in his tone.

As the car began to slow, I finally found my voice. "No!" I shouted. "Keep driving Sidney. We can't stop. Not here!" I looked at Edward with pleading eyes.

Edward looked confused. He ran his hand through his hair as he glanced between me and the scenery passing by the windows. I was aware the instant that Edward understood the meaning behind my words. "Shit." He muttered as he pulled me against him. "Keep going Sidney." he ordered. "It's okay baby. It's over. He'll never hurt you again." He soothed his voice breaking with emotion. "I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

After a few calming breaths, I closed my eyes again and felt myself relax in his arms. "I'm sorry." I whispered. "So sorry."

"Bella, you have nothing to apologize for." It had been a busy week, and suddenly I felt very tired. "We have a long ride sweetheart. Sleep."

My nap was restless, and filled with the images of that horrible night. As much as I'd willed myself not to think about what I'd gone through, my subconscious mind didn't seem to be willing to let it go just yet.

I fought to open my eyes when I heard voices, but was finding it difficult to drag myself out of my stupor.

"What's wrong with her?"

_Charlie?_

"She's just very tired Chief."

I could feel Edward's hands unclasp my seatbelt. I forced my eyes open, and sat up straight. "I'm okay." I assured as I turned to climb out of the car.

"Hi Dad" I greeted him with a hug.

The rest of the friends and family weren't due to arrive until evening, so imagine my surprise when Esme, Carlisle and Duke showed up at Charlie's house several hours early.

We sat in Charlie's living room chatting for a few minutes before I stepped into the kitchen to fix drinks.

I started a fresh pot of coffee and began to pull coffee mugs from the cupboard. "Can I help?" I heard the soothing voice of my future father-in-law say from behind me. I turned to find Carlisle standing in the doorway.

"You could place the pitcher of iced tea on that tray." I gestured toward the tray I'd set on the counter. I peered into the living room to find Charlie and Duke deep in conversation. "Where are Edward and Esme?" I asked.

"Ah, Esme's got our son cornered, something about music for the reception." Carlisle answered with a smile. He set the pitcher on the tray and regarded me quietly. "Bella" He began. "Edward phoned me about what happened in the car."

The smile fell from my face. "Oh" I said before taking a deep breath and worriedly biting my lip.

"You have to understand that your reaction was perfectly normal." Carlisle the doctor was speaking now. "You survived a very traumatic experience. I'm frankly quite surprised you haven't had more instances like this."

"I just didn't need it to happen this week." I admitted.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" He asked with concern.

"I've been a little restless. I know it's due to my nerves. I'll be fine." I tried to play it off.

"Bella, would you like me to prescribe something to help you sleep? There is no shame in needing a little help now and then you know."

I smiled sweetly at him. Edward's family's care and concern for my well-being never ceased to amaze me. I had grown to love them all during these last few months. "No, thank you anyway Carlisle." I said before I stepped closer and gave him a quick hug. "You and Esme are too good to me." I said in a whisper before I took a step back.

He shook his head. "Nonsense. You're very important to us." He answered sincerely. A throat cleared from the direction of the doorway, and we both looked to find Edward and Esme smiling at us.

That evening, after Edward left with his parents, I found myself sitting alone with Charlie in his tiny living room. Edward and I had agreed that since we weren't staying together that, tonight would be spent with our respective families. I would miss Edward terribly, but knowing that I'd be away from home for the next month, I looked forward to spending the evening with my Dad.

Charlie surprised me by switching off the television and handing me a beer before opting to sit beside me on the sofa, rather than in his recliner. Emmett and Rose disappeared downstairs to play pool, no doubt giving me time alone with my Dad.

"You holding up okay?" He asked.

"I'll be glad when Saturday gets here." I admitted with a smile.

He grinned and chuckling quietly. "I don't know Bells. I was never in a hurry for your wedding day to arrive. When I look around, I see my little girl taking her first steps across that floor right there." He said as he pointed to a spot in front of where we were sitting. "Over there" He said as he gestured toward the front door. "I see her in her raincoat and boots going out to the bus stop on the first day of school, afraid she wouldn't have any friends."

"Where did all the years go?" He asked wistfully before looking back at me.

I realized at that moment that seeing a child married must be a bittersweet moment for any parent. "I grew up." I said with a shrug.

_Geez, how profound Bella._

He studied me for a long moment. "I'm probably the last person who should give marital advice" He said with a smirk "but I like to think I learned from my mistakes."

He blew out a breath. "I shouldn't have been so unwilling to leave Forks." He said quietly. "If I hadn't been so stubborn, things may have been very different for your mother and me. Be that as it may, I've let everyone blame her for breaking us up, when I was just as much to blame." He smiled at me then. "I was glad to hear that you and Edward aren't going to do that to each other."

"I understand that his career requires him to travel." I answered. "There will probably be times where it's not convenient, but even so, we'd rather be together than apart."

He grinned. "Just don't forget your old man okay?"

"Never." I smiled and scooted closer to him on the sofa until I could wrap my arms around him and lay my head on his chest just as I did when I was a small child. He smelled of aftershave and peppermint. I remembered a time, when I was very young, that he used to also smell faintly of cigarettes.

"Hey Dad"

"Yeah Bells?" He said his chest rumbling under my cheek.

"I'm glad you quit smoking."

He chuckled. "Bells, that was years ago. What made you think of it now?"

I hugged him tighter. "I want you to live a long time, and I hate anything that could take you away from me."

Charlie wrapped his arm around me and rubbed his hand on my back as we sat together in comfortable silence.

_-V &V—_

The next morning, Charlie, Emmett and I went to confession at St. Anne's. After a long talk with Father Pat, I felt less nervous about the ceremony itself, since I knew exactly what to expect.

"I wanted to say a few words before the dinner." Carlisle began as he stood in front of our picnic table.

It was the night before our wedding. After the rehearsal at Saint Anne's Church, tradition dictated that the groom's family provide the rehearsal dinner. Since Esme and Carlisle were opening their home for the wedding reception, Charlie felt it only fair that we buck tradition and  _he_ provide the rehearsal dinner.

After much begging and pleading I had been able to convince him to change the location from the Elks Lodge, to First Beach up on the Quileute Indian Reservation. Harry Clearwater, a bigwig on the tribal council, reserved a pavilion down on the beach for our use. Charlie had been in his glory grilling burgers and fish for our gathering.

Now, as we sat at the table, ready to begin the meal, Carlisle glanced at a small slip of paper he held in his hand before speaking again. "A wise man once wrote:  _You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams._ "

"It's an appropriate quotation, not only because it was written by the famous children's author Theodor Geisel, you know him better as Dr. Seuss, and our Isabella is about to become a  _published_ author of children's books herself." Carlisle stopped speaking during the short round of applause.

I blushed and dropped my gaze to the table in front of me.

"But it is most appropriate because, unless I have been mistaken all these months, it accurately describes the way Edward and Bella feel about one another. You have only to spend a few moments with them to know that what they have is real and true." Carlisle took a deep breath. "Having been fortunate enough to find the love of my life and marry her" He said while giving Esme a quick wink, "I cannot express the feeling of joy I have knowing that God has seen fit to bless both my children in the same manner." He lifted his drink and turned toward my Dad. "So Charlie, I want to thank you for this evening, for the meal, but most especially for your wonderful daughter whom Esme and I love as dearly as our own children."

_Damn but Daddy C was blessed with a silver tongue, much like his son._

I didn't even try to suppress the tears that trailed down my cheeks. Edward wrapped his arm around me and pressed a soft kiss to my hair.

After dinner we were treated to a slideshow put together by Rosalie and Alice. The DVD began with photos of Edward and I as babies and progressed all the way up to a shot of us kissing on the dinner cruise two nights before, all set to the tune of Colbie Caillat's ' _You Got Me'_.

It was sweet, and instead of the photos of me with my Mom making me cry, they made me smile.

Edward and I slipped away from the others and walked along the beach, hand in hand, in the moonlight. After a few minutes we stopped walking and Edward pulled me into his arms.

"Have I expressed to you how I cannot wait until you are my wife Miss Swan?"

"Um" I pretended to be deep in thought as I tapped my chin. "Let me see…. Oh, I don't know, maybe about a thousand times?" I answered with a smile.

"Hmm. It's not enough." His answering smile was brilliant.

"I can't wait until you're my husband." I grinned cheekily. "It will feel so strange to say it" I admitted. I stared into his eyes. "But  _right._ " I breathed.

Edward leaned down just enough for his lips brushed lightly across mine. After a couple of passes, his lips lingered as he pulled me into a slow passionate kiss. He pulled away in order to trail kisses along my cheek and my neck. I felt the material of my shirt pull away slightly from my neck just before he placed a warm kiss on the spot where it met my shoulder. My mind was suddenly consumed with the feel of Edward's lips as they returned to mine, and of his hands as they slipped under the hem of my shirt, in order for his fingers to draw lazy circles on the bare skin of my back just above the waistband of my capris.

I knew we had to stop, it was time to go, but before I had the chance to pull away, I felt Edward loosen his hold on me just before he broke our kiss. He leaned his forehead against mine while catching his breath. "I love you so much sweetheart."

"I love you too. I don't want to leave. Can't we just stay together tonight?" I whispered.

He smiled. "Alice would probably kill us. And I'm pretty sure Chief Swan keeps his gun loaded." He answered with a chuckle.

I smiled back. "After tomorrow, no one keeps us apart ever again." I stated firmly.

"Definitely." The look on his face warmed my heart to the core, he looked so happy, so in love.

_With me…_

Most days it was hard to wrap my head around that fact.

I reached into the pocket of my capris and pulled out a slightly crumpled envelope. Edward, realizing what I was doing, reached into the pocket of his hoodie, and pulled out one of identical size.

These were the letters we'd written to one another during our pre-Cana classes, and we'd agreed to exchange them tonight. The plan was that just before closing our eyes in sleep, the last thing either of us would see, would be the words expressing our love for each other.

It was time to go. I saw my father waiting for me patiently a few yards away. Edward sighed and wrapped his arms around me one last time. "I'll miss you tonight." I whispered. "I love you." No matter how many times I said it, it wouldn't be enough.

He let out a breath. "I love you too Bella." He pulled away and clasped my hands in both of his. "I'll meet you at the altar." He said with a wink before pecking my lips one last time.

And then he was gone.

_-V &V—_

Restless couldn't even describe the night I had. Sleep eluded me. I paced, I muttered, I double and triple checked that my gown was perfect.

It was.

I pulled out my laptop, my intent was to surf the net, but I closed it in frustration a minute later when I realized that mine and Edward's wedding day was the top news story. It was beyond strange to see myself staring back at me from the Yahoo news front page.

_Oh boy._

I decided to pull one of my old books from the shelf. When I'd moved to Seattle, I'd left behind any duplicate copies of my classic literature collection to have something to read whenever I visited.

Charlie's monthly subscription to  _Sport Fishing_ wasn't my idea of stimulating reading.

I pulled out my well-worn copy of  _Jane Eyre,_ flipping open to a random page. I recognized the passage immediately. The scene took place just after Jane's wedding day had been ruined by the revelation that Mr. Rochester, her intended, had a wife still living.

Granted the wife was a raving lunatic, living in his attic, but regardless, she was still alive, which meant he wasn't free to marry another. Jane decided that the best thing for both their souls would be her speedy departure…

" _ **You are going, Jane?"**_

" _ **I am going, sir."**_

" _ **You are leaving me?"**_

" _ **Yes."**_

" _ **You will not come? – You will not be my comforter, my rescuer? – My deep love, my wild woe, my frantic prayer, are all nothing to you?"**_

_**What unutterable pathos was in his voice! How hard it was to reiterate firmly, "I am going."** _

" _ **Jane!"**_

" _ **Mr. Rochester!"**_

" _ **Withdraw, then, - I consent – but remember, you leave me here in anguish. Go up to your own room; think over all I have said, Jane, cast a glance on my sufferings – think of me."**_

_**He turned away; he threw himself on his face on the sofa. "Oh, Jane! My hope – my love – my life!" broke in anguish from his lips. Then came a deep, strong sob.** _

_Oh my hell! What am I doing the night before my wedding?_

If possible, I was even more agitated then I was before. I tossed the book on the dresser and my attention was drawn to the envelope lying there. I'd been putting off reading it until I felt sleepy, but that didn't seem likely any time soon.

I picked it up and carried it to my bed. After I slid under the covers, I pulled my cell phone from the nightstand.

I hoped I wouldn't disturb Edward, but I needed to connect with him one last time before my mind would settle.

_**I miss you** _

A few seconds later, I received my reply.

_**I miss you too. Trouble sleeping?** _

I typed out my reply.

_**I think I'll read your letter now. Maybe then I'll relax enough to sleep.** _

His reply came just as swiftly as before

_**Me too. I love you. Sweet dreams.** _

I answered:

_**I love you more than words can say. Goodnight.** _

I set down my phone and opened the letter.

_Beautiful,_

_From the moment we met, I somehow knew that you would be a part of my life. Little did I realize that you would become my_ _ entire _ _life._

_I don't think I've made you fully aware of how bleak an existence I led before I found you. My family and friends loved me, certainly, and I had my work to keep me busy. I was content, but never truly happy. I knew in my heart that something was missing, something that would, if I found it, quell the nagging loneliness which filled my waking hours._

_For years, I went through the motions of living a full life, all the time waiting. For what? I didn't know._

_My heart recognized what I'd been missing the moment you spilled coffee on your shirt and blushed that beautiful shade of pink. I will admit it took a little longer for my brain to catch up with my heart, but once it did I knew that I had to make you mine._

_I count myself among the luckiest men on earth merely for the fact that by some miracle, you felt the same way._

_I thank God every day for helping us find each other my beautiful girl, and I look forward to the day that I can call you my beautiful wife._

_I love you with all my heart._

_Yours forever,  
Edward_

I clutched the letter to my chest as happy tears trailed down my cheeks. Even though we'd spent the night before apart, this night, the night before our wedding seemed more important somehow. This night marked the end of my life as a single woman. Before the sun set the next day I would have a new name; a new life; and someone with whom to share it.

Edward would be waiting, as he promised, at the altar.

_-V &V—_

Not surprisingly, I opened my eyes before the alarm sounded. I sat up and looked toward the window. The sun was shining, just as Edward had promised it would, and the birds were singing. It held all the promise of a beautiful day ahead.

_My wedding day._

I was instantly nervous as I thought about what lay in store. Up until now, thinking about the wedding and reception had been enough to set in motion the butterflies in my stomach; this morning I started to think  _beyond_ the wedding and reception to our wedding night.

I'd pushed those thoughts away for days now, but suddenly they were back, full force.

Edward had booked a suite at the Four Seasons, which was the same hotel where our out of town guests were staying. Tomorrow we would leave for a surprise honeymoon destination.

_This is it. Edward and I are officially cashing in our Vcards tonight, at the Four Seasons Hotel._

"Bells, are you okay?" I hadn't even noticed Rosalie standing in my doorway.

"I'm fine?" I answered with a shrug.

"You don't look fine." She moved over to the bed and sat beside me before draping her arm around my shoulders. "Remember when I told you that it would be your turn in a few weeks?" She said with a chuckle. "Your nerves are in overdrive, am I right?"

I nodded.

"Just take deep breaths, and every time you feel the nerves taking hold, I want you to imagine Edward, smiling, and waiting for you at the altar."

I did as she directed and immediately felt my body relax.

"There is  _nothing_ to feel nervous about. Everything is going to be beautiful. If it makes you feel any better, I would be willing to bet that Edward's also got some serious nerves going on right about now." She grinned.

I shook my head. "No. Edward is always so calm. There's no way he's falling to pieces like I am."

She smirked. "Oh yeah? Then why did Jasper tell me this morning that Edward is losing his mind?" She laughed.

_Edward's losing his mind?_

"And you are  _not_ falling to pieces. Quit exaggerating and get your ass up. The hairdressers will be here in less than an hour."

The morning was crazy. Charlie was able to coax me into eating something at about ten o'clock, but as soon as Lou arrived with the bridesmaids, my Dad and Emmett made their escape.

"We will see you ladies at the church." Emmett informed with a grin. "Pops and I are going to see how Edward is holding up."

I wanted to phone him, but Alice was watching me like a hawk. Before I knew it I was coiffed and made up and wearing the most beautiful wedding gown I had ever seen. I gasped when I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I looked like a princess in a fairy tale.

_Time to marry my prince_

Rose and Alice stood behind me on either side, smiling broadly.

"Now, you will need something  _old._ " Rose began.

"I've got that covered." I said as I reached for the linen hankie on my dresser. "This was my Grandma's, and I'd like to carry a little something of hers with me today."

Alice and Rose smiled.

"Your dress is  _new_." Alice continued. "Borrowed?"

I shrugged.

"How about these?" Alice suggested as she opened a box containing two antique silver hair combs. "These were my Grandma's, and Mom would love for you to wear them today. These could have worked for  _old_ as well."

"Oh Alice, these are exquisite." I said as she secured them in my hair, before placing my veil on my head.

"Okay, now something blue." She looked at me hopefully.

"Got it." Rose said with a grin as she held up the blue satin garter.

As soon as the garter was in place and I'd slipped into my shoes, it was time to go.

"Ready?" Rose asked with a big smile.

"As I'll ever be." I grimaced.

We piled into the limo, Rose, Alice, Tara, Joanna and me, along with Lou, and began the short ride to the church. As we pulled away, I took one last longing look at my childhood home.


	74. Vcards & Vows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Stop-don't you dare skip straight to the end….. I will know if you do… I mean it…
> 
> Enjoy!

 

Every young girl dreams of her wedding. If someone of the feminine persuasion tries to tell you otherwise, you can be sure that they are lying.

I had dreamt of soft music, and a handsome man waiting to take me away to a brand new life. For years, I'd convinced myself that the old dream of my childhood was unattainable.

It turned out that the reality was so much better than the dream.

I leaned on my father more than I actually needed to as we exited the small waiting room and stood in the vestibule. Edward's mother had already been seated; we had only to wait for the music to change; that would be our queue to begin the procession down the short aisle to the altar.

I listened closely to the lovely voice of the soloist as she sang the final verse of the  _Ave Maria._

_Sancta Maria, Sancta Maria, Maria  
Ora pro nobis  
Nobis peccatoribus  
Nunc et in hora, in hora mortis nostrae  
Amen. Amen._

The church was quiet for a moment before the first strains of  _The Ash Grove_ began to play. My bridesmaids turned to smile at me, each one kissing my cheek lightly before processing ahead of me, one by one. I hadn't noticed that I was clutching my Dad's arm in a death grip, until I heard his low chuckle and felt his hand reach over and pat mine gently. I loosened my grip and gave him an apologetic smile.

He smiled back and squeezed my hand as we both took a deep breath and walked through the doors.

I was vaguely aware that the church was packed with friends and family. Somewhere in the back of my mind it registered that their smiling faces were turned toward us as they watched Charlie and I pass.

Unfortunately, I couldn't force myself to spare them a single glance. From the moment I crossed the threshold, my attention had been drawn to the gorgeous man standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for me.

As soon as he saw me, Edward's face lit up with a brilliant smile. His beautiful green eyes expressed every emotion he was feeling: love, joy, relief, expectation, and awe. The intensity of his stare forced the breath from my body in a whoosh. If it hadn't been for Charlie's gentle nudge, I'd have forgotten to continue walking.

We finally reached the altar rail, and I stood there staring into Edward's eyes. His entire face shone with the depth of his love for me, as we waited for the music to finish.

"Let us pray." Father Pat began. "Heavenly Father, the bond of marriage is a holy mystery, a symbol of Christ's love for his Church. Hear our prayers today for Isabella and Edward that through their faith in You and in each other, their lives may always bear witness to the reality of that love."

He then turned to Charlie and me. "Who gives this woman to be married here today?"

Charlie cleared his throat. "I do" He stated. He gave me a sad smile before bending down to kiss my cheek. I felt my throat tighten at the symbolism of my father telling me goodbye.

Father Pat waited for Charlie to take his seat before continuing with the readings.

Afterward, Father asked that the parents of the bride and groom come up and light the candles on either side of the Unity candle. I watched as my Dad, followed closely by Esme and Carlisle approached the small table off to the side of the altar.

It wasn't the first time that day that I missed my mother. A single tear escaped and trailed down my cheek at the thought of how happy she would have been to see her children married. I was certain she would have shed many happy tears. I glanced at Emmett only to find him giving me a forlorn look. As Edward and I watched our parents turn to walk back to their seats, Esme's warm gaze found us, and she blew a little kiss.

After the Gospel, Father began the homily.

"Welcome friends, and thank you for joining Edward and Isabella on their special day." Father paused to smile at us before turning toward the wedding guests. "I've found that during the course of one's lifetime, there are days that we remember more than others. Unfortunately because of the times we live in, those days, more often than not, are burned into our memory because they are linked to some tragic event. But, every now and then, the memory of a perfect day will stay with us. A day in which we are fortunate enough to share a moment of promise and hope for the future."

He smiled at us again. "Today is such a day for me. I've known Isabella for many years, and have just recently gotten to know Edward as well. If I ever doubted the presence of God in our lives, I have only to think about these two young people to know that He is ever present, watching over us, giving us the strength we need to survive our darkest days, comforting us when we are hurting, and showing us the way when we are lost."

"Isabella and Edward have endured more than their fair share of dark days, both before and since they found one another. I like to think that these two souls were destined to be together, and am certain that nothing short of Divine Intervention willed it to be so."

I felt my throat tighten once again. Father had just articulated exactly the way I felt about mine and Edward's relationship. We had always been destined to be together, and after today nothing would tear us apart.

"Isabella and Edward, today, through the Holy Sacrament of Marriage, our Lord will seal and strengthen your love in the presence of your closest friends and loved ones. You will go forth from this church able to face the future with a help mate by your side."

"Isabella and Edward, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"

"Yes" We answered together.

"Will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and His Church?"

"We will."

Father turned to Edward. "Edward, will you take Isabella, here present, for your lawful wife, according to the rite of holy Mother the Church?"

Edward's brilliant green eyes stared into mine. "I will." He said without hesitation.

Father then turned to me. "Isabella, will you take Edward, here present, for your lawful husband, according to the rite of holy Mother the Church?"

"I will." I spoke the words as I looked into the eyes of my future.

Father continued. "Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, I ask you now to join your right hands, face one another, and declare your consent before God and his Church."

Edward began, "I, Edward, take you, Isabella, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Edward smiled down at me as I recited the words I'd committed to memory. "I, Isabella, take you, Edward, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

"Insomuch as you both have come here today and declared your consent to be married, I ask for God's blessing upon you, as I join you together in Holy Matrimony, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen."

Just as we'd practiced, Jasper stepped forward and held the rings as Father blessed them. "Bless, O Lord, these rings, which we bless in Thy Name, that they who shall wear them, keeping true faith unto each other, may abide in Thy peace and in obedience to Thy will and ever live in mutual love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."

After Father sprinkled the rings with Holy Water, Edward took my ring and slipped it on my finger. "Isabella, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity."

I took his ring and did the same. "Edward, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity."

Father then led us in the sign of the cross. "You may now exchange a kiss." He instructed in a low voice.

 _My husband_ smiled brilliantly as he pulled me into his arms and pressed a kiss to my lips. It wasn't a brief kiss but, mercifully, it was chaste. Nevertheless, I felt my face heat up, and when Edward pulled away, he took note of my blush and smirked.

As soon as the music began, we made our way over to the table beside the altar.

_Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.  
Let there be peace on Earth, the peace that was meant to be._

I grasped the candle that Charlie had lighted, while Edward took the one which had been lighted by his parents.

_With God as our Father, brothers all are we,  
Let me walk with my brother, in perfect harmony._

We smiled at each other as, together, we lit the Unity candle.

_Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now.  
With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow,_

Our task complete, we walked back over to Father Pat.

_To take each moment and live each moment in peace, eternally.  
Let there be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with me._

Father gave the Nuptial blessing after which we recited the Lord's Prayer, and then it was time for one final blessing:

"God the eternal Father keep you in love with each other, so that the peace of Christ may stay with you and be always in your home."

"Amen."

"May your children bless you, your friends console you, and all men live in peace with you."

"Amen."

"May you always bear witness to the love of God in this world so that the afflicted and the needy will find in you generous friends, and welcome you into the joys of heaven."

"Amen."

"And may almighty God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

"Amen."

Father then leaned close to us and whispered. "Congratulations my children."

"Thank you Father." We whispered back at the same moment before turning to face the church full of well-wishers. I looped my arm through Edward's, and as  _Ashokan Farewell_ played, we made our way slowly back down the aisle. This time I made sure to smile at our relatives and friends as we passed.

In the relative privacy of the foyer, as we waited for everyone else to exit the Church, Edward pulled me into his arms. "Finally" He breathed. "How do you feel Mrs. Cullen?"

"Like I'm dreaming Mr. Cullen." I answered with a grin just before we were swarmed by, first our wedding party, followed almost immediately by our parents and wedding guests.

_-V &V—_

Edward had his arms wrapped around me as we stared down at the stone. "I hope she knows just how much I adore you." He said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I think she does." I answered in a whisper.

"I'll give you a few moments alone." He said as he pecked my lips and removed his arms from around my waist. It was the first time since we'd been married that we weren't physically connected in some way. I felt the absence of his warm touch immediately as he walked away to wait by a grouping of trees.

I bent down and traced my fingers over the writing on the headstone, just as I always did whenever I visited her. "As you can tell by my dress, I got married today." I whispered. "You would like Edward, even Charlie does." I remarked with a giggle.

I turned to look again at Edward, pacing a few yards away. "I love him so much Mom. I never knew it could feel like this." I sighed. "The ceremony was perfect; the only thing missing was you, although Edward's mother cried enough for two people." I said with another giggle.

I took a deep breath. "I just miss you Mom. And even though Emmett and I are both happily married now, I want you to promise that you'll still stay close. It's a great comfort to know that you're still around, even if it's only in my dreams."

"Anyway, I'd better go." I said as I stood. "Everyone will be waiting for us to arrive at the reception." I paused before placing my bouquet on my mother's grave. "I love you Mom." I whispered before kissing my fingers and touching them to her name.

_-V &V—_

"Maybe we can skip the reception." I said with a hopeful look at my husband as I straddled his lap in the back of the limo.

He laughed. "Bella, it would be bad enough when Rose and Alice came after us, but you  _really_ don't want to piss off my Mom." He grinned as he popped a grape in his mouth.

I'll admit that the champagne we'd been drinking during the ride back to Seattle had emboldened me, but I also knew that I didn't have to be the demure virgin any longer.

I felt empowered.

I grabbed the lapels of his white dinner jacket. "Edward, I am a  _married woman now._ " I pulled against him until we were nose to nose. "I have  _needs!_ "

He forced his lips together in a hard line and bit the inside of his cheek in order to keep from laughing and possibly spitting the grape in my face.

I took another sip of champagne. "Maybe you've had enough to drink." He remarked with a smirk.

"Oh, I see how it is." I answered with a devious grin. "Now that we're married you think you can boss me around."

_Although he was pretty bossy before._

_In matters pertaining to my safety anyway._

"Nowhere in those vows did I hear myself say the word  _obey_  Mister." I said as I playfully poked his chest.

His mouth fell open in feigned shock. "Mrs. Cullen, I would never boss you."

"Too late." I said with a laugh before downing the rest of my drink.

_Was it my imagination, or did his eyes gleam with pride when he called me Mrs. Cullen?_

"Slow down my love." He admonished with a smile.

"Edward, I've been a nervous wreck for weeks. Please, I need to relax."

"At least eat something before drinking any more champagne. I don't want my bride falling down drunk at the reception."

_He had a point._

"Okay, I'll eat, but do I have to move off of your lap?"

Something akin to a growl sounded from Edward's throat. "Stay where you are." He ordered.

I leaned forward and traced his bottom lip with the tip of my tongue. He groaned. "Are you sure you don't want to  _experiment_ in the back of this limo?" I asked in a seductive tone. At least I thought I was being seductive. I may have only succeeded in coming across as borderline drunk.

When he didn't answer, I decided to follow my question up with a little pelvic thrust. My dress was bunched up around the tops of my legs, and my girly bits were brushing up against something very hard in the front of Edward's trousers.

_Yeah, I definitely feel empowered._

"Bella you are making this  _rather_ hard." He said with another groan.

"I don't know Edward. It feels  _very_ hard if you ask me."

"Bella!" He exclaimed before blurting out a laugh.

In the end, I was appreciative to my husband for helping me sober up before reaching his parents' home.

_-V &V—_

The Cullens' lawn and boat dock looked like a fairy land. White twinkle lights were hung tastefully from almost every structure. Once the sun went down, I was certain that anyone within a twenty mile radius would be able to see the glow.

I could hear Carlisle's voice as we stood outside the large tent waiting to make our grand entrance. "First of all, let me welcome you to our home. Esme and I are delighted that so many of you were able to come and share this day with Edward and Bella."

_He is just as smooth as his son._

"At this time, it is my extreme honor to introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen."

The applause was deafening as Edward and I entered the tent, hand in hand. Edward led me straight to the dance floor, and pulled me into his arms.

"Hello everyone. I'm told that this first song holds a great deal of meaning for the bride and groom." I looked toward the stage in order to see the person who went with the voice. "My name's Van by the way." He said as he adjusted the microphone stand.

My eyes opened wide in surprise before looking back at Edward. "You got Van Morrison to sing at our wedding?" I exclaimed. "How in the world?" I was stunned.

Edward grinned widely. "I actually didn't, but Father Pat is a friend of a friend."

_Father Pat? Who would have thought he was a Van Morrison fan?_

I quickly pulled myself together as the song began and Edward held me close.

_Have I told you lately that I love you  
Have I told you there's no one above you  
Fill my heart with gladness  
Take away my sadness  
Ease my troubles, that's what you do_

I smiled up at Edward as I was immediately transported back to the night he proposed. Back when it felt as if this day would never arrive.

_Oh the morning sun in all its glory  
Greets the day with hope and comfort too  
And you fill my life with laughter  
You can make it better  
Ease my troubles that's what you do_

_There's a love that's divine  
And it's yours and it's mine  
Like the sun at the end of the day  
We should give thanks and pray to the One_

I let the beautiful words and music wash over me. Edward bent his head down so that his lips were close to my ear. "I love you Mrs. Cullen."

The tears I'd been fighting back all day finally burst free and trailed down my cheeks. "I love you too, so much."

I melted into him as he bent down and softly kissed my lips while we danced.

_Have I told you lately that I love you  
Have I told you there's no one above you  
Fill my heart with gladness  
Take away my sadness  
Ease my troubles, that's what you do_

As the song came to an end, so did the kiss.

"Originally, I had only planned to perform the one song, but the brother of the bride has informed me that I cannot leave without doing this one." Van said with a smirk. "This goes out to all brown-eyed girls everywhere, especially the lovely Isabella."

I looked across the room until I found my brother with a shit-eating grin on his face. I smiled easily back at him.

_Hey, where did we go  
Days when the rains came?  
Down in the hollow  
Playin' a new game_

Edward and I danced playfully to the song. After a minute, Emmett cut in and twirled me around before handing me off to Chris. I glanced over to see that Edward was dancing happily with his little cousin Fiona.

_Standin' in the sunlight laughin'  
Hidin' behind a rainbow's wall  
Slippin' and a-slidin'  
All along the waterfall_

_With you, my brown eyed girl  
You my brown eyed girl  
_  
Before the song was over, I'd also danced with Jasper, Carlisle, and even Charlie had taken me for a spin around the dance floor.

_Do you remember when  
We used to sing?  
Sha la la, la la, la la, la la, l-la te da  
(Lyin' in the green grass!)  
Sha la la, la la, la la, la la, l-la te da  
(Bit by bit by bit by bit by bit by bit)  
Sha la la, la la, la la, la la, l-la te da  
_

_-V &V—_

"My name is Jasper Whitlock, best friend and brother-in-law of the groom." Jasper said with a wide smile. "I have to say that before last December I never thought I would see this day. The Edward I'd known for years is not the Edward you see before you now." He lost the smile. "Some traits remain. He's still a good friend, a brilliant actor, a loving son and brother, only now, since Isabella, he is  _more._  Finding the love of his life has transformed the man I knew." His smile returned. "The new and improved Edward is optimistic and enthusiastic. For the first time since I've known him, he's taken a real interest in the world around him. He has become a better friend, a better actor, a better son and brother, a better man. I know that he will be a devoted husband and, when the time comes, a wonderful father. There is no limit to what he can accomplish with Bella at his side. I am so happy for you my friend." He then picked up his champagne. "Join me as I raise my glass. To Edward and his beautiful Bella, may all your hopes and dreams come true, and may you always be as happy as you are today. Congratulations!"

The sound of 'Congratulations' reverberated throughout the tent.

Rose stood next. "I'm Rose Whitlock Swan, sister-in-law, and best friend of the bride." She began with a beautiful smile. "My brother Jasper stole a little of my thunder, because I'd also intended to speak about the changes in Bella since she met Edward. She has literally come to life." Rose paused to take a deep breath. "It's as if these two had spent their entire lives waiting to find one another. Once they did, nothing was ever going to be the same." Rose's smile widened. "If anyone in this world deserves happiness it's you Bells." She said sweetly. "I know the years ahead will be filled with beautiful sunny days, but even if now and then a cloud appears to darken the horizon, I have no doubt that you and Edward will overcome it as you have everything else,  _together_. Emmett and I can't wait to be there every step of the way, to offer our love and support through the good times and the bad. We also can't wait to watch our children grow up together." She lifted her glass. "Edward and Bella, may you fall in love a little more every day, for there is only one true happiness in life: to love and to be loved. Congratulations!"

_-V &V—_

Carlisle appeared onstage once again. "At this time I would like to invite the father of the bride, Chief Charles Swan to share a dance with his daughter."

I met my father on the dance floor and he pulled me to him. I smiled when the song began; those first notes triggering a fond memory.

_If you leap awake in the mirror of a bad dream  
And for a fraction of a second you can't remember where you are  
Just open your window and follow your memory upstream  
To the meadow in the mountain where we counted every falling star_

"Great song choice Dad." I told him with a smile.

"Do you remember when you first heard it?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

I nodded. "The Wild Thornberry's Movie."

"You didn't want to go see it."

"That's because I was  _fifteen_ Dad, and you were taking me to a kiddie movie." I answered with a giggle.

His moustache twitched with amusement.

"I'm glad I went though." I whispered. He smiled.

_I believe a light that shines on you will shine on you forever  
And though I can't guarantee there's nothing scary hiding under your bed  
I'm gonna stand guard like a postcard of a Golden Retriever  
And never leave 'til I leave you with a sweet dream in your head_

I leaned my head against my Dad's shoulder.

_I'm gonna watch you shine  
Gonna watch you grow  
Gonna paint a sign  
So you'll always know  
As long as one and one is two  
There could never be a father  
Who loved his daughter more than I love you_

"Here's the best part." Dad whispered.

_Trust your intuition  
It's just like goin' fishin'  
You cast your line and hope you get a bite_

"I'm not surprised that's your favorite." I smiled, loving the feel of being in my father's arms.

_But you don't need to waste your time  
Worryin' about the market place  
Try to help the human race  
Struggling to survive its harshest night_

_I'm gonna watch you shine  
Gonna watch you grow  
Gonna paint a sign  
So you'll always know  
As long as one and one is two  
There could never be a father  
Who loved his daughter more than I love you_

By the end of the song, the tears were back. I noticed too that my Dad felt the need to wipe his eyes before he hugged me. "Love you Bells."

"Love you Dad."

_-V &V-_

While Edward danced with his mother, I felt an arm drape across my shoulders. "Those photographers from  _People_ haven't been as big a pain as I'd feared." Emmett announced above the music.

The song was one I'd never heard, but the lyrics were very sweet.

_Child of mine, child of mine  
Oh yes, sweet darling  
So glad you are a child of mine_

You don't need direction, you know which way to go  
And I don't want to hold you back, I just want to watch you grow  
You're the one who taught me you don't have to look behind  
Oh yes, sweet darling  
So glad you are a child of mine

"Yes, they've been amazingly unobtrusive." I agreed as I watched, mesmerized by Esme and Edward.

"Rose said you stopped by the cemetery."

I nodded. "I wanted to leave my bouquet on Mom's grave." His grip on my shoulder tightened.

I reached up and patted his hand comfortingly.

"She would have loved this." He said as he gestured to our surroundings.

"I know." I breathed.

_Child of mine, child of mine,  
Oh yes, sweet darling  
So glad you are a child of mine_

_Child of mine, child of mine_   
_Oh yes, sweet darling_   
_So glad you are a child of mine_

_-V &V—_

_   
_

"Oh my God, did you see me dancing with Johnny. I almost peed myself in my excitement." Rose squealed like a teenager.

She and Alice had dragged me to the ladies room for a little girl talk.

Alice and I laughed. "You think I'm kidding." Rose continued. "Baby Swan is definitely doing a number on my bladder tonight." She grinned. "Johnny is so great. I hope I made Emmett jealous." I'd never seen Rose act so young and carefree before. "He's agreed to an interview before he leaves town." She beamed.

Alice turned to me then. "Are you excited about tonight?" She asked suggestively.

I groaned. "Alice" I admonished.

"What? It was a simple question." She said, still grinning.

I looked at my sisters' smiling faces. "I am, but I'm nervous too. I'm actually trying not to think about it at the moment."

Alice pulled me into a hug. "Everything will be perfect. You'll see." She whispered.

"Edward, I have to tell you honestly that I  _adore_ your mother." Gordon remarked as we chatted.

Edward and I were making the rounds once again, trying to speak with each guest.

"She is amazing. I had to give her high marks for every aspect of this reception, especially the food. Excellent." He beamed. "She certainly knows how to throw one great fucking party."

We laughed at his colorful language. "She does indeed." Edward agreed.

We found Gloria Powell laughing and chatting with Clint, just like the old friends they were. "Oh Edward and Bella, the wedding was beautiful." Gloria exclaimed. "Everything, your dress Bella, the music. I haven't cried at a wedding in a long time, but I'll admit that yours brought a tear to my eye."

We hugged and thanked her.

"Congratulations you two." Clint began. "And Edward, don't forget to come home." He said with a wink. "We start work in a month."

Edward laughed. "I won't forget. I promise to return, although I admit it will be with reluctance."

We laughed.

At the next table, Emmett was deep in conversation with Phil. They both stood when we approached. Phil hugged me. "Bella, I can't tell you how great it is to see you happy."

"Thanks Phil." I whispered. "I'm glad you could come today."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world."

When it was time to cut the cake, Edward and I didn't make a display of trying to smash cake into one another's faces. It simply wasn't our style. Instead we each politely took a small bite of the cake offered by the other.

"Lianne, when do you move?" I asked.

"In two weeks." She answered happily.

"You know Edward and I own a home over there. Would you mind if I phoned you the next time we're in England? Maybe we could have dinner?"

"Oh Bella, that would be wonderful." She answered with a happy smile as she hugged me. "I've missed you." She whispered.

We continued to make the rounds, stopping to chat with some of Edwards's previous co-stars. Tanya and Felix were there. Tanya, heavily pregnant and glowing, made it difficult to remember the time when I was actually jealous of her, back when I believed that she and Edward had a relationship.

"Oh Bella, you're so beautiful." Aunt Lola said through her tears. She, Suzanne, and Sue Clearwater pulled me into a group hug and proceeded to fawn over me.

We hugged so many people; Father Pat, Dorothy, Johnny, Oprah, Wendy, Kyle, Edward's Aunts, Uncles and cousins and so many more that, when it finally came time to toss the bouquet, I was beginning to feel dizzy and overwhelmed.

I pulled it together and smiled at everyone before turning my back to the group of single ladies, silently rooting for Suzanne to catch it. I knew it was a silly superstition, but I couldn't help but want my father to be as happy as I was.

Surprisingly, Sarah Burton, the Seattle police officer who used to work for Charlie caught it.

Next was the garter toss. As I sat in the chair provided, Edward smirked while reaching under the dress and very slowly tracing up my leg with his fingers until reaching his goal. He pulled the garter down below my knee before poking his head under the dress to retrieve it. I was still blushing when he tossed it into the crowd.

We laughed hysterically when Edward's assistant Alec caught it, knowing that he would be sharing the next dance with Officer Burton.

As we watched them dance, Edward remarked "Maybe we've finally discovered a woman who can keep him in line."

_-V &V—_

"I'll miss you." Esme sobbed as she hugged us fiercely before kissing us goodbye. "Have a wonderful time." We said our emotional goodbyes to the rest of our family and slipped out of the tent.

"What are we doing?" I asked as Carlisle maneuvered the boat away from the dock. "We are escaping my love. The paps will be expecting us to leave by car." He grinned.

"Edward how are we getting to the hotel?"

Edward gave me a guilty look. "I'm sorry Bella. I wasn't completely honest with you."

It was difficult to be overly concerned by his words because he said them with a beautiful apologetic smile on his lips.

"What do you mean?"

"Well" He began as he pulled me closer. "We're not exactly going to a hotel." He breathed as he kissed my hair.

_Oh crap, I hope we're not going straight to the airport. I don't want to fly in my wedding gown._

The boat ride to Seattle was relatively short. When Carlisle docked, Sidney was there waiting. We said goodbye to Edward's father and followed Sidney to the waiting car.

We drove for a few miles before arriving at another dock, where Edward took my hand and led me toward a waiting boat. "All set Mr. Cullen." The driver informed once we were aboard. "It will take about an hour to reach our destination."

"Thanks very much Martin." Edward answered before settling us down on a comfortable seat.

"Edward where are we going?" I asked.

He smiled again. "To the house."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Our house? Or rather the house that  _will_ be our house?"

Edward grimaced. "I'm afraid I must apologize again Bella. The house is ours. It has been ours for over a week, but in an effort to surprise you tonight, I kept the information to myself." He smiled. "Forgive me?"

I smiled when I realized that we would be spending our wedding night in our new  _home._  The home in which we would hopefully spend many happy years together.

Edward had the foresight to realize that our  _home_ was where I would feel most comfortable for our first time.

I threw my arms around his neck. "Oh Edward, you are amazing. I love you so much." I pecked his lips. "You've thought of everything. Thank you." I whispered.

He smiled proudly and returned the kiss. The rest of the ride passed in relative silence, each of us lost in our thoughts of the day past and the night to come.

Our new home was a sight to behold. The stairway leading from the shore to the house was lined in fairy lights, as was the back porch. Edward had a few quiet words with the driver, and then the boat pulled away, leaving us alone on the small dock.

"All the luggage is already here." He said as he took my hand in his and led me up the stairs. Once we'd reached the porch, he had me wait outside for a few minutes. When he reappeared he was smiling brilliantly. "Everything is ready Mrs. Cullen." He whispered as he pulled me into his arms. I let out a squeak when he lifted me up in order to carry me across the threshold.

The house was still empty of furnishings, but I wasn't worried. I was certain Edward had made sure we'd have whatever was  _necessary_ for tonight. Without pausing downstairs, Edward proceeded up the staircase, not setting me down until we had arrived at the Master bedroom.

The room had changed much since the last time I'd seen it. In the formerly empty space, there was now a lovely bedroom set which included the most beautiful four poster bed I'd ever seen. All the bedding was white and the sheer curtains on the bed and at the windows ruffled lightly as a breeze floated in through the open French doors. "If you don't like the furniture, we can get something else." He murmured, sounding suddenly unsure of himself.

I shook my head. "It's beautiful Edward."

He smiled.

"Did you do all of this?" I asked as I gestured toward the lit pillar candles on the window seat, nightstand and dresser along with the bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket. He nodded.

I smiled through the nervousness that was taking hold. "Um, I think I'd like to freshen up." I bit my lip.

"Of course." He said quietly. "The master bath is fully stocked with towels and bath products. Mother made certain.

I went to pull away, but Edward held fast to my hand. "Don't be too long." He whispered before letting go.

I closed the bathroom door and leaned against it with a sigh. The butterflies in my stomach would have been appropriate if I were say, getting prepared to walk out on a stage in front of thousands of people.

_Naked_

They weren't appropriate, however for a woman about to have sex with her husband for the first time. A husband I might add, who was head over heels, maddeningly, adoringly in love with her.

I eyed the large whirlpool tub, and decided that a quick bath was just what I needed. It would wash away the results of the stress and physical exertion of a very long day, and would also help to relax my nerves. I threw in a capful of bath salts and, as the tub filled, undressed.

After draping my wedding gown across the vanity stool, and letting down my hair, I climbed into the tub and washed quickly. I wondered what Edward was doing while he waited. Was he anywhere near as nervous as I was?

Upon exiting the tub, and drying with a fluffy white towel, I realized that I hadn't brought any clothes into the bathroom with me. I assumed my suitcase was probably out in the bedroom. I wrapped the towel around me and brushed my teeth. That was when I noticed a silk robe hanging behind the door.

I pulled it down to find a note attached.

_Thought you might need this – Alice_

It wasn't the first time I was thankful for my new sister's precognitive powers.

_It's even royal blue. Edward loves me in royal blue._

I slipped the robe over my naked body and tied the sash.

"Bella, are you alright?" Edward called through the door.

"Yes. I'll be right out." I hardly recognized my own voice. I sounded frightened. At once, I was deeply ashamed of myself. The man I loved more than anyone or anything was waiting to make love to me for the first time, and I was letting my nerves ruin it.

I only hoped that the tone in my voice hadn't hurt his feelings. Without another thought, I reached for the knob and pulled the door open.

The sight before me took my breath away. Edward was sitting on the bed, his eyes fixed on the bathroom door. As soon as I entered the bedroom, he stood and took a hesitant step toward me. Gone were the wedding clothes, to be replaced by a pair of hunter green silk sleep pants.

As much as Edward liked me in blue; because of his eyes, I loved him to wear green. I stood for a moment to take him in, as he seemed to be doing the same.

His bare chest was begging for me to run my fingertips across it. I let my gaze move lower to his taut abdomen. I loved how he was lean and muscled, but not overly so. My eyes dipped still lower to the happy trail that disappeared below the waistband of his pants.

It had been a while since I'd seen him in such little clothing and, during all those other times, I'd always felt a little guilty for lusting after his beautiful body. The thought occurred to me that now, seeing that I was his wife; it was perfectly acceptable to admire him, to touch him, and to show him in a physical way how much I loved him.

My breath caught in my throat as he crossed the room and pulled me close. "Let's have some champagne." He said as he pecked my lips. "It will help us to relax."

I looked toward the ice bucket to see two glasses of champagne ready and waiting. Edward reached for them, handing one to me.

The room was quiet as we sipped our champagne. I could feel myself starting to relax again. "Bella, what  _specifically_ is making you nervous?"

I bit my lip, hesitating, embarrassed to tell him the truth. When I looked into his eyes, I saw a bit of trepidation there as well. He ran a hand through his hair nervously and looked away. "I mean, if you're afraid that it will be painful, we don't have to do anything tonight…."

_Oh no, as usual, he is worried about hurting me._

"No Edward, that's not it at all. I'm not afraid of a little pain." I smiled at him then and placed my hand on the side of his face to reassure.

He let out a breath. "What is it then?"

I looked into the eyes of the man I trusted with my life, my heart and my soul, and told the truth. "As usual, I'm feeling insecure. I'm afraid that I'll be terrible at this, and that I'll disappoint you. I  _really_ don't know what I'm doing."

Edward kept his serious expression as he searched my eyes. "That's it?"

I nodded. "That's enough."

He smiled and pulled me closer. "First of all, how many times do I have to tell you that you could  _never_ disappoint me, before you will believe it?" His eyes were shining. "I know it will be perfect Bella, because it will be with you." He chuckled then. "I always thought it was the male who was supposed to suffer from 'performance anxiety'."

I chuckled with him and shook my head. As usual, I was being silly and Edward had found a way to soothe my worries with only a few words. Truth be told, I hadn't thought about the fact that he was probably worrying that I wouldn't enjoy our first time as much as I was worrying about him.

_I mean look at the lengths he's gone to in order to ensure my comfort and peace of mind. I don't know if I'll ever be worthy of this wonderful man._

"Finish your champagne beautiful." Edward whispered. I took the last sip and handed my glass to him. He turned and set our empty glasses on the window seat.

He then turned back to me, taking my hands in his and leaning close enough so that his breath fanned across my face. "My love." He whispered as he brushed his lips against mine. "My beautiful wife." As his lips made another pass. "My Bella." And then he kissed me deeply, his lips molding to mine.

I traced my tongue along his bottom lip to which he responded by granting me entrance and gently stroking my tongue with his. I could taste the champagne, and mint.

_He must have brushed his teeth too._

Edward's hand released mine and traveled up to wrap gently around the back of my neck, pulling me deeper into the kiss. The other moved until it rested on my shoulder. I reached around and placed both of my hands on his bare back, running my fingers along the muscles there. As our bodies pressed impossibly close together, I could feel the hardness of his erection through our clothing, proof of how much he wanted me, wanted this.

His mouth released mine as he brushed my hair to the side before I felt his lips against my neck, soft and warm. My hands dropped to my side. His hand on my shoulder moved between us then, slowly down my front so that the back of it grazed my nipple through the material on its way past. His hand stopped when it reached the sash to my robe.

He stopped kissing me in order to pull back and look into my eyes. "May I?" He whispered.

I didn't answer; I merely brought my own hand to the sash, untying it in one swift movement. I didn't look down, but felt the robe fall open. Edward glanced down, and his sharp intake of breath let me know he'd had a glimpse of what was underneath. He grasped the material lightly in his hands as his eyes returned to mine, again seeking permission.

I leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his neck before meeting his eyes again and giving a slight nod. I felt Edward's hands pull the robe open slowly, very slowly, until the edges found my shoulders. Once clear of them, the silken material fell away from my body and pooled at my feet.

He stepped back slightly to look at me and I knew that, even in the candlelight, there was nothing left to the imagination. If I'd had to stand naked in front of anyone other than Edward, the natural urge would have been to instantly cover myself with my arms. Instead of feeling exposed or insecure, I had only to look at his face to feel desired and adored.

"You're perfect my love." He breathed before pulling me against him again. "Bella, I want you so badly. Please tell me you want this too." He said in almost a plea as his fingertips drew circles on the bare skin of my back.

My heart was beating wildly in my chest as I was suddenly overtaken with need for this beautiful man. Gone for the moment were my fears of inadequacy to be replaced by the burning heat of desire. "I do Edward, so much." I managed to stutter out.

Edward turned us and moved the few feet over to the bed, keeping one arm wrapped around me as he pulled back the comforter, before lowering me onto the bed.

He stood over me then for the longest moment, as his eyes memorized my body, an awed expression on his handsome face.

"You are so beautiful."

His obvious need making me feel bold, I sat up slowly and reached for him. I placed my hands on his hips as my fingertips played along the edge of the waistband to his sleep pants. Sensing what I wanted, Edward smiled and leaned down to kiss me. While he kept my lips occupied, I felt the material of the sleep pants fall away from my touch. I tentatively slid my hands lower and felt nothing but the bare skin of Edward's upper thighs.

_Oh my_

My heart began to beat impossibly faster as I realized that now we were both here, together, naked for the first time. If I didn't slow its rapid pace, I was fearful that I'd pass out.

_Cripes. Wouldn't that be just perfect? Edward would probably never come near me again._

Edward grasped one of my hands, distracting me from my internal musings, and pulled it gently until it was resting against his hard length.

_Oh God… he feels so…_

I'd touched him there before, but always with clothing between us. Never bare as he was now. I couldn't help myself; I broke from our kiss, I had to see him.

I looked down.

I swear I felt him twitch against my hand as I did.

My suspicions that Edward was um,  _large_  were confirmed and, as much as I should have been, I wasn't intimidated. There was no way that Edward would ever hurt me. The awful truth was that I knew in my heart that Edward would sooner die a thousand deaths than knowingly cause me harm.

I moved my hand so that I lightly stroked his length. It seemed to grow even larger at my touch.

_How is that possible?_

Edward groaned and pulled my lips back to his, kissing them lightly. "Baby, as much as I love what you're doing, you have to stop or this will be over much too soon. We need to go slowly." He said before attacking my lips again.

I moved my hand up to his chest, resting it there as he laid me back on the bed, positioning himself on top of me. In the moments that followed, Edward worshipped my overheated body. He pulled away from my lips and placed open mouth kisses down my throat, eliciting a moan which seemed to give him the confidence to go further. He kissed along my shoulder before placing a gentle kiss above my heart. From there he moved to cup my breast with his hand, his fingers grasping the nipple gently as his tongue circled and laved the other one. His movements were slow and sensuous awakening a need for friction exactly where his hard length was pressed against me. I spread my legs wider, opening myself to him, and brought my knees up, causing Edward's lower half to settle fully between my legs.

Not knowing what came over me, just knowing that I needed to feel  _more,_ I lifted my hips and pushed my groin against him, feeling the delicious friction that I craved. He groaned out my name at the movement.

Suddenly the hand that had been cupping my breast moved lower to my stomach. I, in turn, lifted my hips and rubbed against him once more. The hand moved still lower until it was just above where I needed his touch most.

Edward's eyes bore into mine; they were dark with desire, but once again seemed to be seeking permission. I answered his unspoken question with another slight thrust of my hips. His lips met mine as his fingers reached even lower and slipped into the wetness between my folds. Once there, he stroked me with his fingertips, the resulting intense feeling of pleasure caused my legs to stiffen. I had never been so aroused in my life.

_I need more_

He stroked a few more times before finding my entrance and pressing the tip of one finger and then a second one inside. The feeling as he pressed them further into me caused my hips to buck up from the bed.

_Oh God…more…_

"You're so soft." He kissed me tenderly. "Baby, you're so wet." He kissed my lips again before letting out a slow breath. "Sweetheart, I think you're ready, please tell me you still want this." He asked in a strained voice.

_yessss_

"Edward" my brain had ceased to function by this point, my body completely given over to sensory pleasure, but I was able to whisper out the words that would make him understand. "I love you, please make me yours." God, I wanted, no  _needed,_  him inside me.

He kissed me again as he leaned up on one elbow and pressed just the tip of his length against my entrance, before gently, slowly, ever so slowly, easing himself inside.

"Relax baby." He breathed as he leaned his forehead against mine, the sound of our stuttered breaths filling the room around us. I tried to relax as he'd told me, and realized that as I did, it lessened my body's natural inclination to fight against the intrusion. As Edward slowly pushed further inside, the feeling of being stretched, and ultimately the feeling of fullness overwhelmed me. "Oh God Bella." He moaned before pushing in a little further. "So good."

I could tell the moment he'd reached my barrier. "I'm so sorry my love." He said as he pressed soft kisses to my lips. With one quick thrust of his hips he was through.

I was no longer a virgin.

He stilled his movements and met my eyes with a pained expression. "I'm so, so sorry." He whispered as he stroked my cheek. "Bella, sweetheart, are you alright?"

I drew in a deep breath and nodded. I  _was_ alright. There had been what can only be described as a pinching sensation followed by a slight burning deep inside. Edward held still for a moment, obviously worried, and waiting for some indication from me that it was alright to continue.

"It's okay Edward. I think it would feel better if you moved."

He let out a breath he'd been holding and began to move slowly at first. After a few strokes, the slight burn gave way to a pleasurable sensation similar to the feeling I'd had as I thrust my hips against him a few moments before, but the feeling this time was more intense. "Bella, oh God….." He said before he sped up his movements.

He slid one hand around and under me until it was cupping and slightly lifting my bottom. This changed the angle of his thrusts, causing the pleasurable sensation to increase in intensity. I grasped tightly to his upper arms, feeling his muscles ripple with the strain of his efforts. On instinct, I wrapped my legs around his waist causing Edward to speed up again until he was thrusting with wild abandon, deeper and deeper into me.

These new feelings and sensations were all-consuming. I never wanted him to stop.

We were both grunting and moaning loudly, apparently having lost the ability for coherent speech. The sensation of pleasure continued to build until the muscles deep inside me were clenching, and I found myself pushing up to meet the punishing rhythm of his thrusts. Up, down, in, out, the pounding ceaseless rhythm continued.

There were no thoughts to distract me, only pleasure, and the feeling of overwhelming love and trust that I had for Edward. There would never be another soul I would trust this completely.

I was his wholly and utterly.

The sensation continued to build until I reached a point of no return. I felt my eyes roll up until I was looking at the ceiling above us, but not  _seeing_  anything, as I arched my back and gave myself over wholly to the physical need.

Edward must have taken my arched back as an invitation, because suddenly I felt his warm lips take one of my nipples into his mouth and suck it gently.

_Gah…_

His actions spurred on my wanton desires. I wanted his mouth and hands on every part of my body. I wanted this punishing rhythm to never slow… I wanted…. Oh… I wanted this to go on forever, this feeling as it carried and lifted me, higher… higher… "Edward" I gasped as I felt myself at the brink, my muscles trembling, and my body ready to tumble over the edge into oblivion.

I wasn't going alone.

"Bella" Edward moaned as my muscles clenched around him and I began to shake. He stilled his movements and called out my name once more as we climaxed. Clutching and gasping, we toppled over the edge together.

I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I couldn't catch my breath. A couple of more languid thrusts and Edward collapsed on top of me, completely spent. I tried to stop the trembling of my body as I came down from my high.

I spend the next couple of minutes attempting to even out my breathing. Edward seemed to be doing the same as he lay on top of me,  _still inside of me._

_I never want him to leave. I never want this moment to end._

I felt complete, whole. A new woman.

What Edward and I had shared had easily been the most glorious moment of my life. If I hadn't been so exhausted, I would have been giddy at the thought that we could do  _that_ for the rest of our lives.

Edward was suddenly aware that he was pinning me down with his much larger body and lifted slightly. He kissed me tenderly as he slowly eased himself from inside me.

We both groaned at the loss.

He shifted until he was beside me, our bodies still pressed against one another, and stared into my eyes, a glorious smile on his face. I shivered a little when the breeze from the open doors wafted across my clammy skin. Edward immediately pulled the sheet up to cover us.

"How are you?" He asked.

I let the smile of wonder I'd been holding back break through as I answered him, while reaching up to stroke his cheek with my hand. "There are no words to describe how I feel Edward." His smile became impossibly brighter. "I'm pretty sure that if I'd known how amazing you and I would be together, I couldn't have lasted until the wedding night."

He kissed my lips. "I  _know_ I wouldn't have made it my love." He whispered with a smirk. "So no more fears of inadequacy?" He asked with a chuckle.

I giggled and shook my head. I had no more fears about anything. It was as if every nerve ending in my body had been stretched to its limit and then released. The effect of which caused me to then be in a state of total and complete relaxation.

_A thousand times more relaxed than drinking alcohol, and hundreds of times better than that awesome massage._

Obviously, I had no previous experience to compare ours to, but I was pretty sure that no coupling of any lovers throughout the history of the world had anything on our first time.

I may have been exaggerating a bit.

A very  _little_ bit.

I grinned to myself when I realized that I finally understood what all the fuss and excitement was about.

"What are you thinking?" He asked quietly as he brushed a strand of hair back behind my ear.

I sighed. "That I understand now what all the fuss is about."

His brow furrowed questioningly.

"Sex" I whispered.

"Oh."

"I mean the world is obsessed with sex. Although to a lot of people I think the act itself is more important than the person they choose to have sex with." I whispered.

He gave me a small smile. "I know what you mean. It was…" He closed his eyes as he drew in a breath. "I think it meant so much  _more_  to us because of the way we feel about each other." He said as he opened his eyes again and stroked my cheek with his finger.

I smiled as I realized that everything was  _more_ for Edward and me. From the moment we met, our hearts minds and bodies were so closely connected that even our casual touch was spiked with electricity.

"I feel a little sorry for those who don't have what we do." I said with a small smile.

Edward pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. "This has been the best night of my life." I couldn't doubt the sincerity in his tone.

"Mine too." I whispered. "Thank you Edward for making everything perfect." I yawned then, the long day finally catching up with me.

"It  _was_ perfect wasn't it?" He remarked with a smug smile. "And it was the perfect expression of how I feel about you sweetheart. You are everything to me." He whispered.

I smiled softly back as I closed my eyes. "I love you." I murmured.

"I love you." He answered. "And I can't wait to make love to you again." He continued, kissing first one eyelid. "And again." Then kissing the other eyelid, before releasing a breath. I felt it soft and warm on my face.

"Sleep baby." He whispered.

_-V &V—_

I woke sometime during the night. I could hear Edward's slow even breathing, indicating that he was still asleep. Feeling the need to pee, and clean up a little, I slipped out from under Edward's arm and made my way to the bathroom. Rose had indicated that there may be blood the first time I had sex. There was a little, very little, but I was glad she had warned me because I would probably have freaked out thinking something was wrong.

She also said something about drinking cranberry juice, but never explained why. I was certain that the kitchen wasn't stocked with anything, much less cranberry juice, so that would have to wait.

After I cleaned up, I slipped back into bed, still naked; and wrapped myself around the warm body of my equally naked husband. Edward sighed in his sleep and pulled me against his chest, and that is where I lay until sleep found me again.

_-V &V—_

My consciousness was trapped somewhere between the world of dreams and the reality of waking. My mind was blending the two, until the images of wedding flowers, a flowing veil, and a solitary bouquet left on a lonely grave gave way to the memory of candlelight, ragged breathing and the image of Edward's gorgeous face above mine, strained with the effort of our love-making.

_So beautiful._

The memory was so vivid that it made my heart hurt. I could feel the tears forming behind my closed eyes as the very emotional day before finally caught up with me. I tried to swallow down the sob threatening to escape, but was unsuccessful.

Edward, immediately awake and aware, pulled me closer.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He sounded so lost.

I shook my head and opened my eyes as I turned to face him. The grey light of dawn was just beginning to peek across the sky and into our room. "Nothing is wrong. These are happy tears Edward. I never thought I deserved to be this happy." I stuttered out as the tears trailed down my cheeks. He smiled sadly and pulled me close, kissing them away.

"I used to think that I must have done something horribly bad in my life, and I was being punished." I sighed and smiled at him. "It's hard to explain. It's as if everything up until the day I met you was out of place or upside down or just plain  _wrong_ somehow, and now everything is exactly where it is supposed to be."

I buried my face in his chest and took deep breaths in order to calm my crying.

He sighed. "You scared me." He admitted. "I never want to see you cry Bella. It's painful."

"I'm sorry." I said, looking up into his eyes.

"It's okay. I understand. Yesterday was emotional for me as well." His look so full of love. "Bella, since we met, I've lived every moment either with you or missing you. Last night was the culmination of everything I've longed for. I wasn't exaggerating when I said that you've become my entire life."

My thoughts went back to the letter I'd read the night before the wedding. His words the same as those he'd just spoken. I kissed him sweetly. It didn't take long for our kisses to become heated.

It wasn't like the night before. This time, in the grey light of early dawn, I let my hands explore my husband's perfect body more than my timidity from our wedding night had allowed.

Edward's soft touches teased me until I was wet and wanting, and when it came time to enter me, I was the one to grasp onto him and guide him inside. I thought I would come right there and then upon seeing the mixture of love and carnal lust exhibited in Edward's face at my actions.

His words, his gentle touch, and his obvious appreciation for my body, all served to embolden me.

I didn't know myself anymore.

My only thought was that I needed  _him_ , needed  _this._  The high we'd experienced when we were together the first time had already changed me. I was addicted, and I was certain I'd never get enough of him.

This time, I climaxed just before Edward which afforded me the opportunity to study the look on his face as he came apart above me. The muscles straining in his neck and shoulders coupled with his expression of sheer ecstasy were a heady combination.

I almost came again at the sight.

_I want that image as my screensaver._

_-V &V—_

It was comfortable and warm where I was lying. There was nothing that could have enticed me away from the soft bedding and smooth strong arms that encircled me.

_Gotta get-get, gotta get-get  
Gotta get-get, gotta g-g-g-get-get-get, get-get_

I could hear my phone ringing from across the room. I knew it was Rosalie.

_Boom boom boom, gotta get-get  
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get  
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get  
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get_

I pulled the sheet over my head.

"Just ignore it." A sleepy voice said from beside me.

I sighed deeply, knowing that Rose would never give up until I answered. I wouldn't put it past her to show up at the door.

_Boom boom boom, now  
Boom boom boom, now  
Boom boom pow  
Boom boom_

"It's Rose. If I don't answer she'll be a pain in the ass for the rest of the day." I said as I stumbled out of bed and across the room to my things. "You are ruining my life." I barked into the phone as I turned back toward the bed.

The amused smirk on Edward's face as he watched me cross the room,  _naked,_ did not escape my notice. Rose's loud bark of laughter drew my attention back to the phone.

"What's the matter Bella? Did I interrupt something important?" She cackled again.

"Was there a purpose to this call or did you just want to torture me at nine o'clock, the morning after my wedding?" I snarled.

This only caused her to laugh louder. "Dayum. Maybe Edward didn't do his job last night if you're this grumpy today?" She teased.

I groaned as I heard my brother in the background. "Damnit Rose. I told you not to talk about that shit when I'm around."

She laughed again. "Listen, there was a reason I called, and I wasn't sure if I'd speak with you before your flight this afternoon."

"Okay." I answered as I slid back in the bed beside Edward. I realized within ten seconds that this was a bad idea if I really wanted to concentrate on anything Rose had to say.

"You may or may not have been aware that, for the week leading up to your wedding, my replacement at WIRI was doing stories about you and Edward."

I frowned. "No, I didn't know that."

"Don't worry, they were fluff pieces." Rose continued. "Anyway, because of the rehearsal, I missed Friday's episode. I didn't have a chance to watch it until we got home last night."

"I thought about calling you then." She said with a snicker as I felt Edward's arms, which had been wrapped around me, begin to move. Suddenly he was running his fingers up and down my thigh under the sheet.

I stopped breathing, wondering where his hands would go next.

"I sent you a link in your e-mail. You  _have_ to see it as soon as possible. It's completely unprofessional, but hilarious."

"Uh" was all I managed to say as Edward moved my hair to the side and began to press warm kisses to the back of my shoulder.

"Bella, are you listening?" Rose sounded amused.

"What?" I stuttered. "Uh, yes. Mmm. I heard you." I practically purred into the phone. Edward started to chuckle behind me.

"Oh my God. Bella, are you and Edward getting it on while you're on the phone with me?" Rose's voice rose shrilly with her question, before she burst into laughter once again. "That's just nasty."

"Babe!" I heard Emmett yell from across the room.

"Shut up Rose." I admonished as Edward went back to kissing down my spine.

"I'm assuming that you are going to the noon Mass at the Cathedral?" She asked.

"That's the plan." I whispered, my thoughts becoming foggier.

"Emmett and I already went because I had no desire to see you or Edward in your  _freshly fucked_  state." She cackled loudly once again.

"Rosalie!" Emmett whined.

"Your brother doesn't like to think about the fact that his baby sister had sex last night" She whispered conspiratorially. "But I, on the other hand, expect a detailed report _. Soon_. I'll call you."

"I gotta go." I moaned into the phone as Edward's fingers began to torture my nipples.

"Watch the video!" She exclaimed before laughing again as I ended the call.

I rolled until I was lying flat on my back. Edward hovered over me, smirking.

"What did Rose want?" He asked.

"She sent me a link to a story WIRI did about us. She wants me to view it ASAP." I answered, unconcerned.

Edward's eyebrows knit together.

"I don't think it's bad." I hastened to add.

"Hmm" He said, thoughtfully.

I rose from the bed and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth, grabbing my robe on the way. When I came back, Edward was still in bed, but had his laptop open in front of him.

"Here" he said as he gestured toward it. "You can access your e-mail on here."

I sat beside him and pulled up the e-mail from Rose, clicking on the link she'd provided. Within seconds, the familiar face of Jessica Stanley filled the screen.

" _ **Tonight we conclude our week of special reports on Edward Masen and Isabella Swan. So far this week, we've brought you the story of Edward and Isabella's childhoods, the story of how they met, along with how they've been able to cope with the media scrutiny and Bella's recent kidnapping ordeal."**_

" _ **Wanting to delve a little further into the past relationships of arguably, the 'sexiest man alive', Edward Masen, we sat down with several of Edward's former 'dates'."**_

Jessica's 'report' then proceeded to show snippets of interviews with almost every female ever seen draped across my husband's arm over the past seven years, as Edward squirmed uncomfortably beside me. I placed my hand on his thigh through the sheet in an effort to reassure him.

He gave me a grateful smile.

Every one of his various 'dates' gave their version of the same story. The studio hired them to play a part; they never saw Edward again after the function; there was no relationship between them and Edward Masen.

Jessica's face filled the screen again.

" _ **Try as I may, I was unable to find a single woman who would admit to having an intimate relationship with Edward Masen."**_

Jessica sighed before smiling sweetly.

" _ **Never fear Seattle. I won't let you down. Somewhere out there is a woman who has had sex with Edward Masen. From this moment on, I will make it my mission to find that woman, and rest assured that when I do, you, my loyal viewers, will be the first to know."**_

The report ended and I sat there dumbfounded staring at the screen.

"What a fucking dumbass." I muttered incredulously as Edward chuckled beside me.

He closed the laptop suddenly and pulled me into his arms, pressing his forehead to mine. "Hmm. I believe she's searching for you Mrs. Cullen." He purred seductively.

"Me?" I squeaked out.

"Yes. You see, you are the only woman that I've ever had sex with."

_True._

His hand reached to untie the sash to my robe. "Edward" I whispered. "I need to shower or I'll be late for Mass" I stuttered out between his kisses. "And we have a flight to catch this afternoon."

He stopped his ministrations for a moment as he pondered what I'd said. "All valid points Mrs. Cullen." He answered in a serious tone. "I guess the only solution is that we shower together."

"Uh.."

He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at me. "It will save time." He argued.

"I have a feeling I'll be getting more than a shower if I agree to this."

_Shower sex. Yes please._

"One can only hope Mrs. Cullen." He answered as he unceremoniously pulled the robe from my body and picked me up.

I wrapped my legs around his waist as he walked us toward the bathroom. "You will have no one but yourself to blame if I'm walking funny when we board our flight Mr. Cullen."

He gave me a cheeky grin. "I'll rent you a wheelchair."

I blurted out a laugh which was cut short by his warm lips pressing to mine.

_Shower sex it is._

 

_  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song recs:
> 
> The Wedding (versions of all of these can be found on Youtube): "Ave Maria" – The version done by Celtic Woman is perfect for the wedding. "The Ash Grove" – celtic instrumental version. "Let There be Peace on Earth" – love the version done by the Choir Boys. "Ashokan Farewell" – Jay Ungar
> 
> The Reception: "Have I Told You Lately" and "Brown Eyed Girl" – Van Morrison. (Yes it is fun being able to play God and have Van Morrison sing at the reception!)
> 
> "Father and Daughter" – Paul Simon ; "Child of Mine" – Carole King
> 
> "Boom Boom Pow" - The Black Eyed Peas


	75. Tropical Sands & Blue Lagoons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song rec: 'Down to the Waterline' by Dire Straits
> 
> A tiny bit of housekeeping. I should have explained in the last chapter that Bella had 2 bouquets. The first she carried to the ceremony and left on her mother's grave. The second was smaller, and was the one she tossed at the reception. A lot of brides opt for two; it's usually in order to keep the first one as a memento.
> 
> Also, to read the full 'shower scene' mentioned at the end of the last chapter, you must go to 'Love Rescue Me', Chapter 74 entitled 'A Love Worth Waiting For'. (Edward's POV of the wedding and wedding night)
> 
> Enjoy!

 

I was beginning to think that I should have gone to Mass alone.

_Who am I kidding? There was no way I was going to be parted from Edward_

It was the day after our wedding, and we were seated in St. James Cathedral listening to the Archbishop's homily. Actually I was  _pretending_  to listen. More often than not, I was shooting glances from the corner of my eye at my gorgeous husband; the same husband who kept sliding the hand that rested between us closer to me until his fingertips were brushing against the side of my leg.

I didn't stop him. I probably should have, but I just didn't.

When those same fingers slipped just under the hem of my skirt, and brushed against the skin of my upper thigh while still inching higher, I grabbed his hand in mine and pulled our joined hands to rest on my lap. I shot him a warning glance. He smiled back, unapologetic, and I melted.

_Gah_

The smile.  _That_ smile, brought the memory of last night and this morning  _in the shower,_  to the forefront of my mind. I could feel my face begin to warm, and knew that I was blushing profusely. Edward released my hand. I didn't even need to look at his face to know that he was still smiling, amused, as he wrapped his arm around my body, pulling me close against his side. He kissed my temple, "Love you Mrs. Cullen." He whispered low in my ear. His warm breath tickled the side of my face.

I smiled adoringly up at him. "Love you too." I whispered back.

I heard a throat clear from the seat behind us. I didn't care.

_Do some people forget what it's like to be young and in love?_

_It would appear so_

Edward kept his arm around me until I got up to receive Communion. On the way back to my seat, I felt the eyes of every person I passed staring at me. They looked as if they knew what Edward and I had been doing all night.

_That's because they_ _**do** _ _know dumbass._

_Are you forgetting that your wedding has been the top entertainment news story for weeks?_

I lowered my head, letting my hair fall down to mask my face.

We'd left the house later than intended; our little romp in the shower delaying us, coupled with the fact that Edward had insisted we eat breakfast.

When we arrived late, we slipped into a pew near the back and had fortunately gone unnoticed by almost everyone until now.

As soon as I sat back down, he pulled me to him again. "We need to leave in a few minutes, I've been seen." I whispered into his ear.

He nodded, immediately understanding my meaning, and pulled out his phone, no doubt to text Sidney.

_-V &V—_

"Dallas?" I questioned as we waited to check our bags.

Edward smiled, "Yes, that's the first stop."

"First stop?" I was confused.

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen. If we fly straight to our honeymoon destination this afternoon, we'd have to fly all night." He leaned down in order to whisper in my ear. "It won't due to spend the second night of our marriage on an airplane. I want you naked and in bed with me."

_Fuck me._

_Please._

My sharp intake of breath caused him to chuckle before he kissed the top of my head and stood back up.

_I wasn't going to make it to Dallas without a change of panties._

_-V &V—_

"Here you are Mr. Masen, will there be anything else?" The flight attendant asked Edward. She was definitely star struck.

"No thank you Rena" Edward said smoothly as he read her name tag.

Rena smiled and went about the cabin as Edward flipped up the armrest between our seats and spread the blanket she'd just handed him across our laps.

I snuggled against him and closed my eyes. "You realize that it's only four in the afternoon Edward?" I whispered.

"Um hm" I felt the rumble of his chest under my cheek.

"I mean, it's still daylight, and we're lying here with pillows and a blanket…"

I was cutoff abruptly as Edward reached across me to pull down the window shade, effectively darkening our little space.

"Mr. Cullen, I hope you plan to behave during this flight," I whispered into his chest.

I felt the rumble against my cheek again as he laughed. Edward ordered a couple of rum and cokes and fired up his iPod. We shared a set of earbuds between us and I relaxed back against him.

_Sweet surrender on the quayside.  
You remember we used to run and hide.  
In the shadow of the cargoes I take you one time.  
And we're counting all the numbers down to the waterline._

The blanket was pulled up to my chest as the music threatened to lull me to sleep. I could feel Edward's warm fingers tracing soothing circles on the bare skin of my back where he'd slipped his hand underneath my shirt.

_Near misses on the dogleap stairways.  
French kisses in the darkened doorways.  
A foghorn blowing out wild and cold.  
A policeman shines a light upon my shoulder._

_Up comes a coaster fast and silent in the night.  
Over my shoulder all you can see are the pilot lights.  
No money in our jackets and our jeans are torn.  
Your hands are cold but your lips are warm._

The next hour or so was pure torture. Between the sultry sounds of Dire Straits and Edward's distracting touches, my body was on fire, all thoughts of sleep abandoned.

The thought of straddling him and dry humping under the blanket however was more than tempting, but I shook it off knowing without a doubt that the images of us doing  _that_ would probably be on the internet before the plane even touched down in Dallas.

So I quietly suffered, while thanking God that my husband was a genius for not having us fly through the night.

Dallas hotel, here we come.

_It's possible that Edward's just horny_

_That makes two of us_

We'd had sex three times, in twenty-four hours.

_Was that a lot for a newly married couple?_

I had nothing to compare it to, so I had to believe that our behavior was perfectly normal.

Thinking about last night and this morning, the husky sound of his voice as he said my name….our whispered 'I love yous'…how perfectly we fit together and moved in synchronicity, all of it, was enough to cause a throbbing  _ache._

_Down there…_

_Where Edward's hand, or another body part, would make me feel oh so much better…._

I pushed my thighs together hard, and tried to will the feeling away.

_Fuck_

_-V &V—_

"I'm starving" I admitted as we lay across the king sized bed facing one another.

Edward and I had barely made it into our suite before we were tearing at each other's clothes.

He brushed my cheek with his fingers. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting to feed you." He whispered.

I smiled. "I think we've been preoccupied."

He leaned over and kissed my lips. "You start a bath, I'll order room service." I smiled and nodded. Edward was on the phone as I unpacked our toiletries and placed them on the vanity before hanging our clothes for the next day in the closet.

I ran the water into the bath, added some bubbles, and clipped my hair into a messy bun.

As I lay there relaxing, I heard the door open quietly. I scooted forward in the tub. Edward didn't say a word as he slipped in behind me.

It was strange that I felt no embarrassment over the fact that he was seeing me naked,  _again_. It was as if a switch had been flipped in my brain the night before which made me feel _almost_ uninhibited around him.

_Almost…_

I still blushed; and sometimes covered my girly bits with a hand or an arm when I felt a little overwhelmed by his intense stare. Only to have him gently pull the offending hand or arm away and express how beautiful I was.

I heard the clink of a glass on the side of the tub and looked over to see a tumbler filled with ice, and what I guessed to be cranberry juice, something he'd been plying me with since this morning.

_Hmm. I tried to remember what Rose had said about it…._

"Food's here." He whispered before kissing my neck. I hadn't eaten since before the flight, but all thought of food was forgotten once I felt Edward's fingers brush purposely across my nipples. After two passes, he grasped them gently between his fingers and thumbs, causing me to moan as the sensation went straight to where I most wanted him to touch me.

He kissed my neck again. I reached my wet, bubble-covered hand up and behind me and began to stroke the hair at the nape of his neck as I turned my head in order to see his face. "Again?" I asked in surprise as I felt his erection press against my back.

With a grin he murmured, "Sorry" before leaving a soft kiss on my lips. I smiled at him.

He made me feel beautiful. And sexy. And desirable.

And to be honest, he also made me horny as hell.

"We don't have to do anything baby. I just can't seem to stop touching you," he admitted.

_I feel the same way_

I picked up the tumbler and drank down the cranberry juice before standing and leaning toward the vanity in order to place it on the counter there.

I turned back and began to sit down again when I felt Edward's strong hands on my hips, turning me toward him. Once facing him, his grip held me, signaling that I shouldn't sit down.

He leaned his head forward and began placing open mouthed kisses across my abdomen, before placing one on my right thigh and then repeating the action on my left. The scruff from his unshaven chin as it grazed across my sensitive flesh sent a delicious tingle straight to my groin.

_Oh…_

I laced my fingers into his hair and pulled lightly as I felt his tongue move slowly along my slit, dipping inside as it passed. "Edward" his name came out as part whisper, part moan and my eyes rolled back into my head of their own accord.

"Relax Bella" He whispered against my sensitive flesh.

I moaned again when I felt his finger dip into my entrance and again his tongue repeated the same movement as before. "Ohhh" I moaned loudly.

"You are so sweet my love" His lips were so close that, when he spoke, the vibration went straight to my bundle of nerves there. I felt my knees go weak.

"Oh God Edward. I need you."

"You have me" He said before his tongue made another pass, and then another. I was standing in water, but I could have sworn that my body had gone up in flames as I squirmed in pleasure.

I wanted it to stop….

I wanted it to go on forever….

My balance was questionable at best; add to that the fact that Edward's fingers and tongue were quickly bringing me to the brink of an orgasm, and it was a recipe for disaster. I needed to sit down. On Edward. More specifically: on Edward's beautiful  _cock_.

_Did I just think that?_

_Oh my God, I've become a wanton hussy_

"I need you inside me." I panted out. "I'm aching Edward." I whispered toward the ceiling, so low that I wasn't sure he could hear me. I looked back down to find him gaping up at me, his eyes dark with desire.

I removed my hands from his hair and placed them firmly on his shoulders as I began to lower myself into the bath. I kept going until I was able to place my knees on either side of Edward's thighs. One glance down at my husband's perfect body left no doubt that he was ready for me.

I smiled before reaching down and grasping his erection in my hand, positioning it, and then slowly lowering myself onto his length.

Edward hissed in my ear. Once he was fully sheathed inside me, I paused for a moment to allow my body to adjust to the feel of him.

I felt stretched, full, perfect.

I heard myself moan again at the feel of him deep, deep inside me.

Edward pulled my face to his, searching out my lips. As our tongues entwined and danced, I could taste myself on him.

It was beyond erotic.

I pushed up on my knees slightly, and began to rock back and forth. Our mouths still pressed together, we swallowed each other's moans. We settled into a steady rhythm as I would rock and swivel my hips, and Edward would thrust up to meet me. With each pass, my clit would rub against him, driving me to distraction.

He pulled his lips from mine, "Does that feel good baby?" He asked in a deep voice.

"Yes" I answered in a barely audible whisper.

Edward leaned back as far as the back of the tub would allow. I continued to ride him as his eyes scanned my body, stopping to linger on the place we were connected. "You're so fucking beautiful," he murmured.

I could feel myself clench deep inside at his words, causing him to groan again. I leaned in to kiss his lips, panting into his mouth as I did. "You like that Bella? You like it when I say _fuck_?"

I don't know why, but hearing  _that_  word in this context was extremely arousing, I felt myself clench around him again. He chuckled in a low husky voice as he began to pick up the pace, driving into me faster. I was panting rapidly as I rocked on top of him. "It seems my girl likes a bit of dirty talk." He grunted out, before grabbing onto my hips tightly. "Hold on my love, I'm going to  _fuck_  your sweet pussy now."

_Oh..._

I was gone. I arched my back and surrendered myself to pleasure as Edward drove into me impossibly deeper and faster. As soon as I felt his teeth clamp down lightly on my nipple, I shouted out his name. Edward gave the other nipple the same treatment and I came apart above him clenching and shaking in a toe-curling orgasm.

My breaths and moans were so loud in my own ears that I almost wasn't aware of Edward gasping out my name before exploding inside me.

I collapsed onto him, my mind a blur, my body floating slowly back down to earth.

We clung to each other in the lukewarm water as we calmed; our breathing and heart rates slowly returning to normal. I searched out his lips once again, "I love you" I breathed into his mouth. "I love you too Bella." He answered.

After another moment, he slowly eased out of me. He grabbed the soap and a washcloth and began to wash my body. I was grateful, barely having to energy to do it myself. When he'd finished, he washed himself before wrapping us both in warm fuzzy robes, and practically carrying me to the bedroom.

We lazed across the bed while eating the sandwiches, fruit and cheeses delivered by room service until, finally satisfied in every way, we brushed our teeth and crawled under the covers together.

_-V &V—_

_First time, wedding night, in our bed.  
Second time, early next morning, in our bed.  
Third time, morning after wedding, in the shower.  
Fourth time, day after our wedding, Dallas hotel bed.  
Fifth time, night after our wedding Dallas hotel bathtub._

I looked at what I'd written in my journal and chuckled. Yeah, I was keeping track of how many times and where we'd 'done the deed'.

I was a freak.

I was well aware that I was probably 'sex obsessed' at this point, but I couldn't help myself.

The man I'd married two days ago was undeniably 'sex on legs' to most of the free world, but I was the only person who knew  _for a fact_  how accurate that description truly was.

_Squuueeeee_

I stowed the journal away in my carryon when I spied Edward returning to his seat. He smiled and kissed me as he sat back down.

It was Monday afternoon, and we were on the last leg of our journey. In a couple of hours we would be landing in Barbados. I had literally squealed as I threw my arms around Edward's neck in the airport when I realized where we were going. I didn't know a lot about the island, but I knew that honeymooning in the Caribbean meant relaxing on a warm tropical beach with my fuckhot husband, and a large frozen alcoholic drink in my hand.

And sex, lots of sex.

_I hope I don't wear out my cooter_

"Excited?" Edward's voice pulled me away from my thoughts. He was smiling widely at me.

"Yes." I grinned back.

I'd learned that airplane rides with Edward were awkward. We could never  _really_ talk. Anything important had to be said in hushed whispers. There were always people around, _eavesdroppers._  Especially now.

Knowing I had some time before we'd land, I pulled out my laptop and worked on my new book.

' _Kayla and the Fairies'_ was undoubtedly inspired by a certain little brown-eyed girl I'd met over a month ago.

Every night while Kayla slept, the fairies would take her to their kingdom. I was writing about the battle between the fairy kingdom and the evil ogre when I heard Edward calling me.

"Bella, sweetheart, wake up."

"Huh?" I opened my eyes and looked around. I was lying against Edward; my laptop stowed in my bag on the floor.

"You dozed off while you were writing," he said. "Don't worry, I saved your document."

"How much longer?" I asked with a yawn.

"We should be getting close."

The sun had already set by the time we landed. Sidney was waiting for us at luggage claim. He and Lou had flown on the overnight flight which arrived that morning in order to make sure everything was secure before we arrived.

About an hour later, we pulled up in front of a private, gated, beachfront villa.

"Oh Edward," I said in amazement. "This is lovely."

It was. The beautiful sprawling house was set in a lush tropical garden. All the rooms opened onto the garden and pool; and beyond that a path leading to the beach. After helping transport our things inside, Sidney disappeared.

"Where is he going?"

"There are a couple of cottages by the main gate where he and Lou will be staying."

My smile widened. "We're alone?"

"Yes. Someone will be here in the morning to cook. Speaking of which," he led me toward the back of the house where we found an elegantly decorated dining table containing several serving dishes.

Edward lifted the lid to the first one, steam wafting up from it when he did. I was abruptly starving.

We feasted on a dinner of fried flying fish and macaroni pie.

After dinner, we carried our luggage to the bedroom. As we unpacked, the balmy breeze blowing through the open French doors reminded me of one of Edward's films. "Have you been to Barbados before Edward?"

"Nope" He grinned. "I got this idea when I heard Hal bragging about how much he and his wife loved it here."

"Oh" I thought about Edward strangling Jonelle Everett in  _September Ends_ as palm trees swayed in the background. It made me smile.

"What's got you so quiet?" Edward whispered in my ear as he wrapped his arms around me.

My smile grew wider. "You, strangling Jonelle Everette."

Edward laughed loudly. "Where the hell did that come from?" He asked as he continued to laugh.

"Well, I was thinking about swaying palm trees, which naturally made me think of  _September Ends._ "

"Naturally," he was still laughing as he held me.

"Which made me wonder where you filmed that movie and about my favorite scene, you killing Jonelle Everett's character." I beamed up at him.

Edward laughed loudly again. "You do realize that my character was the villain of that film don't you?"

"Not in my book."

Edward laughed again. "To answer your question, we filmed in St. John; and you my love, have one of the strangest minds I've ever encountered."

"But you love me." I whispered with a smile.

"That I do. Please don't ever change," he said before kissing my lips.

Edward disappeared into the bathroom, so I gathered up the handful of travel brochures I'd picked up at the airport and lay across the bed to peruse them.

I heard him reenter the bedroom a few minutes later. Without turning my head I spoke. "This is fascinating Edward. Evidently a couple of well-known pirates called Barbados home," I chuckled. "Hey, we could go on a party cruise aboard the  _Jolly Roger,_ " I exclaimed.

"Sounds crowded," he answered quietly. I looked up to see he was wearing his bathing suit.

"How about a swim?" He asked hopefully.

"Pool or ocean?"

"Um," He hesitated. "I was thinking the ocean. We can't go to bed without visiting the beach."

I nodded.

_-V &V—_

There were a total of four bathing suits in my suitcase. All of them beautiful; and each one I unpacked skimpier than the one before it. I sighed. At their insistence, I'd stupidly allowed my sisters-in-law to pack my suitcases. They claimed it was because I wasn't allowed to know where Edward was taking me. After seeing what they'd packed, I believed that their real motive was to keep me in as little clothing as possible.

_Rose and Alice are so dead when we get back._

My logic was probably flawed, but I opted for the skimpiest suit of the lot. It was red and white, and from the front didn't look terribly risqué, but the fact remained that it was a _thong._ The reasoning behind my choice was that I'd rather show the most skin at night when only Edward could see me, than during the day when the chance of being seen by others, even if it's only Sidney and Lou, was greatest. Also, precisely because it was a thong, this suit would be permanently relegated to night use only.

_There's no way I'm running the risk of sun burned ass cheeks_

_Although I bet Edward would be more than willing to apply sunscreen…_

I shook those thoughts from my head for the time being.

"I'm ready." I announced as I bounded out of the bathroom, only to find the bedroom empty. I walked through the open doors and found him a little way down the path leading to the beach, staring at the ocean. I touched his arm gingerly.

He turned with a smile and as soon as he took in my attire, his smile grew wider.

I gave him a little twirl.

When I looked back at his face, his eyes were wide and his mouth was gaping in surprise.

_Yeah, he noticed the thong_

"Like it?" I asked.

He finally managed to close his mouth before clearing his throat. "Very much." He answered in a husky tone as his eyes bore into mine.

_Uh-oh_

I knew that look. I'd seen it several times in the last two days.

I grabbed his hand and began to tug him toward the beach. "Let's go for that swim."

We went for a short walk up the beach. The view of the moonlight reflecting on the water was breathtaking. I couldn't wait to see the Caribbean blue of the water in the sunlight. "It's so beautiful here." I whispered.

"It is" He agreed. "But you, my love, outshine everything else."

I smiled. "Sweet talker."

Edward held my hand, and as I looked up at him, I realized I'd never been so happy in all my life.

He pulled me against him before his lips found mine. "Ah Bella" He sighed before nudging me toward the water. We walked in up to our waists. Edward tried to get me to go in further, but I resisted.

"No way," I shook my head. "Maybe in the daylight Edward."

_When I can see what's coming after me_

He smiled crookedly. "Why not?"

I looked at him incredulously. "Haven't you ever seen  _Jaws_? I don't want to be some shark's midnight snack."

Edward laughed. "Bella, I'm pretty sure that shark killed more people during the daylight."

I shook my head. "Doesn't matter. That first scene, of the chick in the moonlight, scared the shit out of me."

He continued to laugh as he pulled me against him. What started as innocent touches, after a few minutes, grew more daring. I glanced back at the beach and realized that the only lights in sight were coming from  _our_ villa.

It was dark. We were alone. On a beautiful tropical island.

_Why the hell not?_

I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the beach, visions of  _From Here to Eternity_ flashing through my lust-addled brain.

_I watch way too many old movies_

What happened during the next half hour or so was definitely  _not_ what I'd been led to believe by that film. It started simply enough with groping through our swimsuits.

The strings to my top somehow miraculously untied themselves; at least that was Edward's story. A couple of minutes later, Edward's swimsuit, and my bottoms mysteriously landed on the sand.

I wasn't exactly sure how that happened.

Edward's hands and mouth worked me into a frenzy until I couldn't take any more. I needed him inside me, and I told him so.

We tried different positions; it took several tries to get comfortable. Edward on top made me feel as if someone was sandpapering my butt. Me on top was no better for him, and besides neither of us wanted to be seen with rug-burned, er sand-burned knees. In the end, we lay on our sides with my leg flung over Edward's hip as he drove into me.

Despite the awkward beginning, the experience was still amazing and I found that we were more vocal than ever before about what we wanted the other to do  _during_. Edward was still the only one who managed to 'dirty talk' though. Once he discovered how I reacted to it, he said things that made me blush.

Literally.

_Who blushes during sex?_

_Me, that's who._

Once we came down from our mutual highs and had our wits about us again, we gathered our things and headed back toward the house, it was then, while I was checking out my husband's perfect ass that I realized we were both covered from head to toe in sticky, wet sand.

There was even sand in my ear.

We sprayed off using the outside shower, but it just wasn't helping, so I left Edward as he continued to spray and went to our bathroom instead.

_-V &V—_

"Cripes Edward" I called loudly from the shower. "Who was it that thought sex on the beach was a good idea? I've got sand in places I definitely should  _not._ "

I could hear him laughing outside the bathroom door. "Bella, I could come in and help you with that."

"Stay out there Mister. You've done enough damage." I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

"I didn't hear you complaining when we were on the beach." I heard his sexy voice from outside the shower then, just before he stuck his head inside. "In fact, I heard a lot of 'faster Edward, harder. Ohh Edward'." He sang in a poor impression of my voice while laughing at his own joke.

I batted a handful of water at his face playfully. "Jackass." I muttered.

He surprised me by stepping into the shower, naked of course, and still laughing.

I shook my head. "Oh no. Go right back where you came from Mister Movie Star. I'm not falling for your charms."

_The hell I'm not_

He continued to smile as he held his hands up in surrender. "Baby, I promise I'll give you time to recover. I won't try to have sex with you again until tomorrow."

_That sounds like a terrible idea_

_Maybe I_ _**want** _ _him to ravish me again tonight_

I narrowed my eyes before slapping the washcloth into his hand. True to his word, Edward spent the next ten minutes washing my body. He did leave the occasional kiss on a spot after he'd washed it, but didn't attempt to go further.

I was proud of myself for actually donning a pretty pink negligée to bed instead of sleeping in the buff as I'd done for the last two nights. However, I noted that it didn't keep Edward from undressing me with his eyes.

_-V &V—_

_He glared at me with those beautiful green eyes that pierced into my soul. The smirk on his face made me feel as if he knew what I looked like under my shift. I felt my cheeks begin to burn._

' _Miss Swan, explain yourself,' he said as he continued to glare._

' _I…uh…' I didn't know what to say._

' _Do you think I went to the trouble of stealing you away from your father merely to allow one of my crew to have their way with you?' He walked until he was directly in front of me before grabbing onto my hair and pulling it, thereby forcing my head to tilt upward to face him._

' _No one's had their way with me…Sir,' I stuttered out._

_He sneered. 'How many times do I have to tell you, it's_ _**Captain** _ _, not Sir.'_

' _S…Sorry,' I stuttered again._

_He studied my face and I saw something soften in his eyes. 'You really have no idea do you?'_

' _What?'_

' _Oh Miss Swan, I'm going to enjoy your company. Enjoy teaching you. Enjoy making you mine.' He then captured my lips with his, pressing hard against them. I knew I should have fought him, pushed him away, but I couldn't. The touch of his lips to mine made me want him. As he forced his tongue into my mouth, the burning desire he had set free began to spread throughout my body. Down my neck, my shoulders, my arms, to my breasts, making the peeks stand at attention under the thin material of my dress._

_It was as if he sensed this because, immediately his hand was there massaging my breast and pinching the nipple. 'Oh Captain…' I moaned._

"Bella" He answered softly.

"Yes Captain. I'm yours."

I could hear Edward chuckling beside me, and I forced my eyes open. I blinked twice. "Uh, hi?" I gave him a puzzled expression. His eyes were staring intently down at me, but his hair was much shorter, and the beard was gone.

_What the hell?_

Realization finally dawned.

_Just a dream_

I looked at Edward again, he was smiling. "So who's this  _Captain_ anyway, and should I be jealous?"

I thought back to the dream I'd been having and giggled. "Actually" I said as I traced his jaw with my fingertip. " _You_ were the Captain. You were some kind of pirate, and you'd stolen me from my father."

Edward looked genuinely amused. "Is that so?" He smiled and bit his lip.

"Yes" I blurted out a laugh and palmed my face. "It was a dream worthy of a romance novel."

We both laughed then.

Edward wasn't content until I'd imparted every detail of my dream. His eyes were shining with amusement as he took it all in. "Well that was some dream" He stated. "I think we may have to see what we can do to make it a reality." He said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

_Whoa_

His words went straight to my girly bits causing me to throb in anticipation. I reached my hand up and traced a line down his chest, and didn't stop until I'd reached his happy trail.

Edward halted my hand. "Baby, I promised I wouldn't touch you until tomorrow."

I turned to glance at the clock on the nightstand.

_Three a.m._

"Well what do you know? It's tomorrow already." I announced with a smirk.

Edward glanced at the clock and mirrored my smirk. "Aye Miss Swan, so it is." He said in his best pirate voice, sending me into hysterics. "But ye see there's the matter of this, this _garment_ in the way," Edward said the word with disgust as he bunched the fabric of my nightie into his hand.

"What do you suggest I do,  _Captain?_ "

His grin grew wider. "Well, if I had me  _sword,_ I'd cut it off ye, but seein as that's not possible…" I felt Edward's hand jerk the nightie and before I knew it, he'd thrown what was left of it through the air until it landed on the floor beside the bed.

"Edward! Your sister's going to hurt you for that," I said as I lay there in nothing but my panties.

"Ah, but don't ye see Miss Swan? We pirates like to live on the edge." He answered before ripping off my panties as well.

I couldn't help the squeal that escaped my mouth.

Edward stood up beside the bed, and in one fluid movement removed his sleep pants.

I stared at his prominent erection. "Oh my,  _Captain,_ you seem to have found your sword after all," I said with a giggle.

Edward gave me a cheeky smile. "Quite true Miss Swan," he said as he stroked his chin. "Prepare to be plundered me lovely."

I squealed again, loudly, just before he pounced.

_-V &V—_

I shifted in my sleep. It was warm and comfortable. After opening my eyes and taking a moment to focus, I looked around. The bright morning sun was pouring through the windows. I smiled when I remembered last night.

_Our roll in the sand…_

_Playing pirate in the middle of the night….._

I giggled and then looked to my right. My heart clenched a little in my chest when I saw the empty space beside me.

_Where was Edward?_

I threw on my robe and went in search of him.

I followed the sound of voices until I was just outside of the kitchen.

"Yes Candace, thank you. We will be here for lunch, but don't worry about dinner this evening. I plan to take Bella out."

"Very good Mr. Cullen," replied a female voice. I poked my head around the doorway so I could get a glimpse of the owner of that voice. I spied a medium height woman, impeccably dressed, with her hair done up in an elegant chignon. If I'd had to guess, I'd have said she appeared to be in her forties, and she was quite beautiful.

_Gah, is everyone here this attractive?_

"It's Edward, please Candace."

Candace smiled, "Very well Edward. I can see that you don't stand on formalities."

"Absolutely not. Bella less so than I," my husband said with a chuckle.

Self-conscious about what I as wearing, I slipped back to our room and took a quick shower. It sounded as if we were hanging around the house, so I put on a sundress and a pair of sandals.

"Good morning," I said in a quiet voice upon entering the kitchen where Edward was seated at the breakfast bar drinking a cup of coffee.

He and Candace both turned in my direction. Candace smiled warmly.

Edward's face lit up as he crossed the room and pulled me into his arms, leaving a kiss on top of my head. "Candace Gibbs, I'd like to introduce my wife Bella."

"Pleased to meet you Mrs. Cullen."

I smiled. "It's Bella."

"Of course," Candace returned my smile.

We chatted happily with Candace for a few minutes before she showed us to the breakfast table set up outside by the pool.

"What time is it?" I asked with a yawn as we dug into or eggs, bacon and fresh fruit.

"It's almost eleven my love."

"What?" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Bella, it's still early back home. It will take a while to adjust to the time change. Aside from that, your sleep was interrupted last night," he said with a smug smile.

I giggled before looking nervously toward the house. "She's gone," Edward said, obviously reading my mind.

I looked at him in surprise.

"Candace. She left something for our lunch, and won't be back until tomorrow." He continued. "She took me at my word when I said that you and I wanted as much alone time as possible."

We spent the entire day on the beach or in the pool, coming inside only to eat the lunch Candace had left for us. It was one of the most relaxing days of my life.

_-V &V—_

"You look exceptionally lovely this evening Mrs. Cullen," Edward remarked over dinner.

"Thank you Mr. Cullen, you don't look so bad yourself," I answered as I took a sip of my wine.

We were dining at a restaurant that was situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean. "I mean it Bella; you got a little color today. It suits you."

"Rather than the pale, washed out look I usually sport?" I asked jokingly.

"Hey, you're not pale and washed out. You're beautiful. Always."

"Hmm. I could easily become a sun worshipper." I admitted before looking out over the water. "This is some view Edward," I said. We'd arrived just in time to watch the sun set.

He nodded in agreement.

I reached and covered his hand with mine. "Thank you for choosing such a wonderful location for our honeymoon. I will never forget our time here."

He covered my hand with his other one. "I love it here too, but I have to be honest, if you weren't with me it would mean nothing," he smiled. "I've been to a lot of beautiful places, all over the world, but never truly appreciated them until now. You've opened my eyes," he said before lifting my hand and placing a light kiss on it.

I reached the same hand up to stroke the side of his face. "Then I'm glad we'll be able to enjoy them together."

"I'm counting on that," he said before leaning across the table and kissing me sweetly.

_-V &V—_

"It's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic," I said with a smile as we rode on the ferry which would take us to the Atlantis Submarine. When Edward told me we'd be going on a submarine tour, my mind conjured up the image of a military vessel. I couldn't see the attraction, and quite frankly the thought of being submerged in a big hunk of grey metal had been a little off-putting.

Imagine my delight when we actually boarded, and I was greeted by a long open space with bench seating running down the center. The outside walls of the sub contained large circular windows, ensuring that every seat afforded a spectacular view.

"Oh Edward, this is wonderful." I exclaimed as the sub coasted along beside a coral reef. "So much better than a visit to the aquarium."

Today we were just tourists among the crowd, enjoying a day of fun and sun on the island. The submarine tour had, without a doubt been the highlight of the day. To be able to see up close the colorful and exotic marine life, had been an incredible experience. "Look at that" Edward said while pointing at a school of electric blue fish swimming our way.

"Wow," I whispered.

As we were leaving, our guide informed that they also offered a 'romantic' night tour, aimed more for adults. I gave Edward a hopeful look. He smiled before squeezing my hand, and I knew we'd be doing this again before leaving the island.

_-V &V—_

Edward had his heart set on me enjoying various water sports while we were in Barbados. He found out fairly quickly that my lack of coordination on land, extended to some water activities as well.

I enjoyed snorkeling. He teased me about my fear of sharks, but I reminded him that if a shark was in the vicinity, then all the beautiful colorful schools of fish would be getting the hell out of Dodge.

_At least that was the theory I'd invented in my head…_

Of course I didn't tell him that my theory was based solely on everything I'd learned by watching  _Finding Nemo_.

My windsurfing lesson was a total disaster. Well, I guess not  _total._ It could have been worse.  _Maybe._  It had looked so easy when the instructor climbed on his board and showed us how to pull up the sail.

Edward was successful on the first attempt. I was pretty sure he'd done it before. Try as I might, I couldn't pull up my sail, so I leaned back and pulled harder, throwing my entire body weight into it which resulted in me landing ass first in the water.

After doing this for three consecutive attempts, during which my husband sat on his own board, laughing his ass off;  _I may have given him the one-finger salute;_ I was finally able to get my sail upright. I stood frozen on the board holding on to it with all my might, afraid to move.

_I'm just going to stand here until the lesson is over_

Suddenly, a breeze came out of nowhere and caught my sail, which in turn sent me gliding along the surface of the water. I reacted like any other normal, rational adult. I screamed and let go of the sail, which in turn sent me tumbling, ass over tit, into the watery depths below.

I scrambled around until I found my footing and stood up sputtering and coughing just as Edward reached me and pulled me into his arms.

"Sweetheart, are you all right?" He asked in a worried tone.

_Hmph. Not laughing now I see…_

"I'm okay, but I refuse to mount that torture device one more time Edward."

He looked disappointed. "But Bella, you were doing so well. I'm sure if you try again you'll get the hang of it."

"No"

"Come on baby."

"No, no, no." I said as I shook my head for emphasis.

"For me?" He said before touching my lips with his.

"Stop being all sweet and sexy" I muttered. "It's not going to work."

"Are you sure?" He said with a grin before pushing my wet hair back and kissing just below my ear.

I sighed; about to give in, when I spied the contraption of death over Edward's left shoulder.

_No fucking way am I getting back on that board_

It was time to pull out all the stops.

I stepped back from him, still keeping my hands on his shoulders as I looked into his eyes, "Edward." I whispered with sincerity, "If you truly love me, you won't make me do this. Please." I said while mustering up the saddest, most pleading expression I could.

He frowned and swallowed hard. "I'm sorry baby. I didn't know it bothered you that much."

"Edward please don't apologize. It was fun to try it at least." I smiled.

_It most definitely was_ _**not** _ _fun_

He nodded. "Rick, I think we're done here," he called back over his shoulder to the instructor, never taking his eyes from my face.

_-V &V—_

Upon our return to the villa, Candace had another delicious meal waiting for us. We were both so hungry that we didn't even change clothes before sitting down to eat. After we'd had our fill, we wandered out to the pool. I sat on the edge while trailing my legs through the water.

"Would you like a frozen margarita?" Edward asked.

I looked at him questioningly.

He grinned. "Candace prepared a pitcher before she left."

"Oh hell yes."

A short time later, we were still seated with our feet in the pool, but were feeling quite a bit more relaxed thanks to the alcohol.

"I don't think I ever want to leave," I admitted through my alcohol buzz. "It's perfect here. I feel like we're in our own little corner of the world where no one can bother us."

"Hmm." Edward seemed deep in thought as he looked across the pool toward the beach beyond. "Don't you miss your family yet?"

"You're kidding right?" I answered with a smirk. "Ask me that in about a week. Besides, you're my family now," I added softly, my smirk gone.

He nodded and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close. "Well, we're here for a couple more weeks, hopefully it will pass slowly," he said before kissing the top of my head.

I downed the last of my drink.

"Would you like another?" He asked.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" I asked with a smile.

Edward grinned widely. "Maybe," he answered before taking our glasses and heading inside the house. Knowing he would be back in a few minutes, I had to move quickly. I'd felt intensely guilty for cutting our lesson short today, and had formulated a plan in order to make it up to him.

I stood from the pool, feeling suddenly dizzy because of the drink, and started shedding my clothes as I walked toward the pool steps. I dropped my denim shorts where I stood, the shirt followed a few feet away, the bathing suit top after that, and the bathing suit bottoms I left conspicuously draped across the very edge of the pool, at the top of the steps.

Naked, I swam until I was out of site. That was easy to do in this pool considering it was of a unique design. The entire thing was constructed to resemble a lagoon. There was even a manmade island situated off center, containing several palm trees and a small bridge connecting it to the pool side closest to it.

I swam under the bridge and around the pool bar, deciding to hide on the far side of the small island. The pool lights were dim enough that I had no worry Edward would see me. I stood up in the water just enough so that I was able to see the house.

I held in my giggles as I watched my very confused husband, drinks in hand; follow my trail of clothing all the way to the pool steps.

As soon as he took a step into the pool I spoke, "Stop right there," he froze while his head shot up, his eyes peering through the dark in the direction of my voice. "No clothing allowed in the pool." I announced from my hiding place.

I saw Edward's surprised expression morph into a devilish smirk before he set the drinks down on the side of the pool and proceeded to strip off his clothing slowly, teasingly….

I had to slap my hand over my mouth to contain the squeak threatening to burst from my lips when he pulled his t-shirt from his body, twirled it over his head, and released it flying through the air in the direction of my clothes.

_I really need stripper music to properly appreciate this…_

He toyed with the waistband to his board shorts, faking as if he would yank them down quickly and smirked at my sharp intake of breath.

_Can he hear me?_

He then slowly inched them down until every inch of his happy trail was on display. I felt my face begin to flame.

_Did it suddenly get really hot out here?_

Edward turned his back to me before bending and pulling them the rest of the way off, and tossing them aside to join our other clothing. I was treated to a view of his naked posterior while he made a display of glancing over his shoulder in my direction. "Do I pass inspection enough to enter the pool now Mrs. Cullen?"

_That would be a 'Fuck yes'_

"Only if you're 'up' to a little fun Mr. Cullen."

"I'm  _up_ for anything that you may have in mind my beautiful wife." He turned to face me then, revealing the truth in his statement.

_Fuck me…_

This time I wasn't able to contain the squeak. He grabbed the drinks and waded across the pool in my direction. I stepped out from my hiding place. After setting the drinks on the pool bar, he pulled me against him, grasping my ass cheeks in both hands.

"You are full of surprises my love."

"And your hands are cold," I laughed as I tried to wiggle free from his grasp.

"Oh no," he said as his cold hands grasped my ass even tighter. "This is your punishment for being such a tease," he chuckled.

In response, I threw my arms around his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist. "I suppose I deserve it."

"Yes, you do," he answered with a crooked smile. Without releasing me, he turned toward the bar and sat me down on one of the stools. The water lapped around us, as I dropped my legs, but kept my arms wrapped around his neck.

Edward sighed and kissed my lips. "You are so soft," he whispered as his fingers ghosted against the skin of my back, my sides, down my thighs. I, in turn, let my hands explore the contours of his back, his hips, his shoulders, and his chest.

Our movements were slow, exaggerated, unlike some of our bouts of lovemaking, there was no frantic edge, we both wanted to take our time.

We'd been married almost a week, although in some ways it had felt as if we'd been together forever. His eyes never left mine as his hands travelled up my sides again, lingering at the sides of my breasts.

I opened my legs wide, inviting him closer. Edward stepped between them until I could feel his hard length against my folds. He met my lips with a searing kiss. I closed my eyes and melted into it; our lips and tongues dancing, sliding, moving together, no one fighting for dominance.

Edward broke away from the kiss and grazed his lips across my cheek until they were against my ear. "Can you feel that Bella?" He breathed. "Can you feel how much I love you? You are everything to me. Sometimes, I'm overwhelmed by it all," he drew in a shuddering breath as his fingertips continued to ghost across my sides and hips. "I went from being a man who needed no one, aside from my family, to the man you see before you. I hang on your every breath, your every heartbeat. If I were to ever lose you, I know wouldn't survive it."

I gasped at his intensity, and pulled back to look into his eyes while grasping the sides of his face between my hands. "Edward, I don't want you to think about that any more. My 'close calls' were just that. I'm not naïve enough to believe that we're immune from sorrow or tragedy forever, but living through those experiences, and finding  _you_  have taught me that every day is a gift. Our 'happily ever after' began almost a week ago…let's live it." I pulled his lips back to mine, and our passion which but a few moments before had been a slow burn of intensity, ignited into a full blown inferno of love and lust.

Edward broke our kiss, moving immediately down to my nipples where he drew each, in turn, into his mouth, using his tongue and teeth and fingers to make me squirm. I responded by opening my legs wider. The movement caused Edward's erection to press directly against my clit.

_Holy fuck…_

As my desire for him spiked, I began to rub against his length. Up, down, up, down, hoping he could feel how ready I was for him. Without warning, Edward pulled back, grasped my legs spreading them wider while at the same time pulling me forward until my ass was practically hanging off of the stool. He hesitated for a single second before driving into me with one sharp, powerful thrust.

I groaned loudly in his ear as I clung to him.

"Fuck baby, you feel so good," he managed to pant into my ear before he began to drive into me in earnest. In and out, over and over, again and again...

I was lost in a haze of sensation. Edward and I were the only two people on earth, and nothing else existed outside of that moment.

He looked down at our connection. "You have no idea what it does to me to see that. Look at us baby," he urged.

My eyes drifted down to where he was thrusting in and out of me. "It's beautiful Bella," He managed to croak out. "Watching my cock move in and out of your tight warm pussy…"

I leaned forward and traced his lips with my tongue before looking down again, fascinated by the sight of him claiming me over and over.

"You. Are. Mine." He grunted out with each new thrust.

It was too much. Being able to see and feel what he was doing to me, coupled with his words, all of it served to overwhelm my body and my mind. I began to feel myself come apart in Edward's arms. I was shaking, and clenching and convulsing around his hard cock as he continued to thrust.

I climaxed as Edward cried out my name and I felt the now familiar warmth fill me. We collapsed against each other, panting and clutching until the world around us began to come back into focus.

"Jesus," Edward said with a sigh.

He slowly eased out of me and sat back on the nearest stool, pulling me with him until I was seated on his lap. "That was amazing," he breathed into my neck before leaving a small kiss there.

I wrapped my arms around his neck again. "I love you so much." I whispered.

"Me too sweetheart," he breathed before kissing me sweetly.

We sat there for a while longer, relaxed, quietly sipping our no longer frozen drinks, as the water lapped around our naked bodies.

At that moment, life was perfect.

 


	76. Workouts & Sex Drinks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song recs: 'Crash' by Dave Matthews; 'Crack The Shutters Open' by Snow Patrol; 'All the Things You Are' by Ella Fitzgerald.
> 
> As you can guess….this story is winding down. I predict 3 or 4 more chapters. Of course that all hinges on how wordy I am…you know me. (And remember there will be a sequel).
> 
> Enjoy!

 

"Hello Alice," I said as I lay back in my beach chair, watching my husband swim in the ocean. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Your message sounded kind of urgent. Are you sure you're not hiding something?"

I was interrupted by my sister-in-law's giggles. "No, just wanted to make sure you'd call," she paused. "So, um, how'd that windsurfing lesson go?" I heard Rosalie's unmistakable laughter in the background.

"What do you know about that? Were you talking to Edward?"

"No, but it seems some of the guests at the resort where you had the lesson took photos and posted them on the internet."

I groaned loudly.

"I especially like the ones where you're flipping off my brother." I heard Rose guffaw in the background as Alice giggled.

I ignored her remark. "I suppose that means the paps know where we are?"

"Yes," she said with a sigh. "They knew you were somewhere in the Caribbean when photos of you both on the submarine tour surfaced. But after yesterday, they've narrowed it down to Barbados."

At that moment, Edward came jogging toward me smiling and grabbed a towel to dry off.

"It's only a matter of time before they start following you. Just make sure you don't do any  _nude_ or even  _topless_ sunbathing unless you want to share those photos with the world Bella." Alice and Rose both laughed loudly.

I cringed at the thought.

"Whatever," I mumbled as Edward flopped down in the beach chair next to mine.

I felt sure that no paps or fans would make it onto the property, but I guess there was no way to stop someone from taking photos from off shore.

I gazed out at the horizon suspiciously.

"Hopefully, you and Edward have had a chance to have some  _uninhibited_ fun by this time?" She asked suggestively.

"Really Alice? Like I'd share those details with you and Rose. I don't think so." I snarked as Edward gave me a questioning look.

"I'll take that as a yes!" She squealed. "I knew my brother had it in him. Good to know all that God-given sexiness isn't going to waste," she cackled.

"Alice, you are getting every bit as bad as Rose," I continued in an irritated tone. "Goodbye ladies."

"Goodbye Bella," Alice was still giggling. "Oh and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Rose says don't forget about the articles in Cosmo she made you read, specifically the ones on ' _how to please your man'._  That knowledge should come in handy right about now," she blurted before she and Rose both broke down in hysterical giggles again.

I ended the call and scowled at my phone before glancing up at Edward. He was grinning at me from behind his sunglasses.

"You asked me if I missed the family. The answer is a resounding 'No'." I huffed out.

He chuckled and we were both quiet for a few minutes as we lay back, enjoying the feel of the warm sun.

"Bella," Edward's voice sounded from beside me.

"Hmm?"

"Just so we're clear. You already do  _please_ me. Very much."

I looked at his face, lit up by a loving smile, and reached for his hand. There we sat, fingers intertwined, as I imparted the fact that the paps now knew, without a doubt, that we were honeymooning in Barbados.

He sighed. "I feared as much yesterday. When we were at the resort, I saw some people snapping photos with their phones."

"I guess it's better to know and be prepared." I admitted.

He nodded and squeezed my hand.

_-V &V—_

"You're up early." Edward said in a groggy voice as he joined me in the sitting room where I was curled up on one of the sofas, watching the morning rain softly fall.

It  _was_  early, considering that back home it was only five in the morning.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep." I answered as I continued to stare at the water dripping from the palm leaves into the pool.

He took a seat at the other end of the sofa and pulled my feet onto his lap. "Well, you could come back to bed and  _not_ sleep with me," he said with a hopeful grin.

That simply wasn't going to happen. As much as I wanted Edward to make love to me, I'd woken up in the middle of the night with horrid cramps and soon after that, my monthly visitor had arrived.

_ugh_

I frowned, trying to decide how to put it tactfully. My expression must have given something away.

"Or not," Edward added with concern as he searched my face. "Is something wrong?"

I sighed. Obviously, this was the first time since Edward and I had become 'intimate' that I'd gotten my period. I decided deflection was probably my best bet at that moment. "I'm just not feeling my best this morning."

He looked at me with concern before reaching for me and feeling my forehead. "No fever," he said quietly, his expression puzzled.

"I'm just really tired and feel a little washed out."

_That much was true_

He sighed and shook his head. "Maybe you've had too much sun. We'll stay in today. I want you to rest."

I nodded my head in agreement. He stood a moment later and disappeared into the kitchen. It wasn't long before he emerged carrying a steaming cup of tea. He served it to me with a smile.

"Thank you," I whispered gratefully. He went to sit beside me again, before he did, I reached my free hand around his neck and pulled him down, leaving a soft kiss on his lips. "You're too good to me."

"Nonsense," he answered before sitting beside me and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

We were still sitting there when Candace arrived to prepare breakfast.

I went back to our room, deciding that a bath would go a long way to improving my mood. After the bath and dressing in the most comfortable sundress I could find, I made my way back into our bedroom only to find a table containing our breakfast set up on the covered porch just outside of the French doors. Edward was sitting on the bed smiling.

"I debated between the porch and breakfast in bed. The porch won," he said, still smiling.

I finally confided in him that I'd gotten my period.

"I figured as much," he shrugged.

"How did you…?"

He grinned. "Bella, I'm aware of everything about you. You're the most important thing in my world. When are you going to accept that?"

I sighed and smiled.

That night, when I crawled into bed wearing one of his t-shirts, he looked more than pleased. "Why are you smiling?" I asked.

He kept a smirk on his face as he answered. "As much as I love it when you come to bed in a sexy little nightgown or  _nothing_ ," he made sure to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively. "I like to see you in my t-shirt as well. I don't know… it's the way you always dressed before we married. It's very  _you._ "

I giggled as he pulled me against him and wrapped his arms around me.

_-V &V—_

Edward was a total gentleman. He didn't bring up sex for the next couple of days. In a way, I was relieved. I felt icky and, understandably, didn't want to have sex. Well, actually, once the cramps had subsided that first day, I  _did_ want to have sex, in the worst way, but was certain that the idea was not appealing to Edward.

After an entire week of humping like rabbits, I was finding it very difficult to go without.

Despite my monthly visitor, we'd still been enjoying our honeymoon. We'd gone swimming, shopping, and Edward had even taken me horseback riding along the beach one morning. The only thing we hadn't done was have sex.

In fact, all the physical interaction between us had been quite chaste. He'd still wrapped his arms around me as we slept, and held my hand in public, but there were no boob grazes, no butt grabs, no wandering hands.

I missed it.

I missed it all.

When I woke up before him one morning and felt his erection pressing into my back, I couldn't stop myself from wiggling back against it. My movement garnered no reaction from my sleeping husband.

_He must really be out_

I turned carefully in the bed to face him. Edward's face while he slept was one of my top five favorite sights in this world, the others being his face when he smiled, when he laughed, when he climaxed, obviously  _that_ was number one. Hell, I even adored his angry face because it was fucking  _hot._

I continued to watch his face as I slipped my hand inside his sleep pants and tentatively began stroking his erection. I felt it twitch and grow even harder in my hand as his rhythmic breathing stuttered a little.

_What the hell are you doing Bella?_

_Edward does not want to have sex with you…_

_You are setting yourself up for rejection_

The desire to see that part of him, the part I'd missed for the last couple of days, was very strong, so I slithered down under the covers until my face was level with my hand. I gently pulled the waistband to the pants down, and there he was in all his glory.

_Can a penis be pretty?_

_I guess so._

_Edward's is anyway._

I wanted to kiss it.

"Bella, what are you doing?" sounded a very groggy voice from near the head of the bed.

_Oh shit_

"Um… well, I was.. " I groaned as I slid back up until my face was level with his. I really didn't have an answer, so I told the truth. "I don't know."

He looked at me with concern.

_He obviously isn't interested in sex with you right now…_

I was mortified. "Er, I'm going to take a shower," I announced, suddenly feeling the need to escape the room.

Despite the fact that Edward had spent the last couple of days doting on me, I felt isolated.

_Maybe my hormones are making me crazy…_

I'd never felt like that before our marriage, but that  _was_ before we'd begun a sexual relationship. Our actions then weren't determined by my 'time of the month'.

All the events of the last week were running through my mind as I showered. So distracted by my thoughts was I, that I didn't hear the bathroom door when it opened. I had my eyes closed as I rinsed my hair under the spray. I startled a little at the feel of a warm body against my front as Edward pulled me into his arms.

I opened my eyes and smiled up at him.

"I'm sorry baby," he breathed against my lips. "Forgive me, but I couldn't stay away from you any longer. The last couple of days have been torture," he admitted while his hands ghosted over my skin, seemingly attempting to touch me everywhere at once.

"But…" I breathed out in my shock "I thought you didn't want me."

Edward looked at me in disbelief. "Sweetheart, why would you think such a thing?"

"You've barely touched me for two days."

"Bella, you were uncomfortable. I knew you didn't feel like having sex." He sighed. "I should still be leaving you alone, but I can't help myself."

He leaned down and began leaving open mouth kisses on my neck.

"But" I hesitated before continuing in a whisper "I'm still bleeding. Doesn't the thought of sex with me disgust you?"

"Bella" he exclaimed. "Does this feel like I'm disgusted?" He asked as he pressed his hard-on against me.

"No…"

"You could  _never_ disgust me. Even the thought is alien to me." He smiled. "I'm sorry I've been a little 'distant'. The only excuse I can offer is that if I'd started touching you, running my hands over your soft, smooth skin," he continued as he did just that. "Kissing your sweet lips," he said before kissing me. "And your breasts," he said before kissing each one. I felt my nipples harden at his words before his tongue swiped across each one. "I wouldn't have been able to stop until I was inside you."

He stopped talking and looked sadly into my eyes.

"Well?"

His look turned questioning.

"Don't stop…" I murmured, watching his eyes widen in surprise. "Edward, what more do I have to say?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Make love to me." I whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Edward, just …please…"

I didn't have to ask a second time. Before I could say another word, Edward was lifting me. Knowing exactly what he wanted, I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he lowered me slowly, very slowly, onto his length.

"Oh God," I moaned as I felt the fullness I'd been craving.

The water poured down Edward's back as he started a slow rhythm. I gripped his shoulders tightly as we inched slowly toward ecstasy. "I've missed this so much," I whispered against the skin of his neck.

"I'm not going to last long," he was pressing my entire upper body hard against the wall of the shower as he continued to thrust, grazing against my clit with each pass.

It wouldn't be long for either of us. Just as that realization hit, I started to shake and pulse around him, causing the rhythmic pace of his thrusts to falter. "Edward…" I moaned just as he captured my lips in his and the tempo of his thrusts increased again, mirroring the rhythm of our tongues. Back and forth, in and out. He released my lips, and I watched his face as it tensed. He froze. "Bella.." he called in a strangled whisper as he found his release.

_Yep, definitely my favorite sight in the world….._

_-V &V—_

Later, we laughed about the fact that Edward had been just as desperate to have sex as I had been. We'd wasted time because neither of us had communicated with the other.

This conversation led to another, less pleasant one, the discussion about natural family planning. The hard fact was that, if Edward and I didn't want a child immediately, we'd have to abstain from sexual relations for several days every month.

Before marriage, when spoken of in the abstract, it didn't seem like a huge deal. Now, with both of us knowing  _exactly_ what we were going to be giving up, it was going to be  _difficult_ if not impossible to stick with our plan.

Edward's brilliant idea was to have as much sex as possible until the first day of 'abstinence' arrived.

_Sometimes he's such a guy._

But, who was I to argue with a genius plan when I heard one? So, the sexcapades were officially on. I'd had a brilliant idea of my own, I wanted to have sex in each room of the house, and it was a rather large house.

We almost succeeded, but unfortunately, the days of abstinence arrived before we were able to christen a couple of the rooms. The days moved agonizingly slowly after that, as I seriously questioned my ability to go through this month after month.

Edward never complained. I'd come to the conclusion that the man was an absolute saint. If he was anxious about the lack of sex, he hid it well. As soon as he sensed I was on edge, he'd fix me tea and hold me close, always careful not to go too far. His touches were innocent and sweet.

We spent a lot of time just kissing. It was nice.

We also used the time to delve into the extensive DVD collection in the home theater. We watched a lot of action movies and thrillers, and avoided the romances like the plague.

We'd made an agreement that I'd let him know when it was alright to have sex again. The day I woke up and both the calendar and my basal body temperature told me it was safe, Edward wasn't in bed beside me.

He'd gotten into the habit of going to the exercise room early in the morning; at least that was where I'd hoped to find him. When I approached the door and heard his iPod playing inside, I hatched a plan in my head.

_Hmm… we haven't done it in the exercise room yet…_

I thanked Candace for the lovely breakfast she had prepared, and advised her that I wanted to serve it to Edward myself. She gave me a knowing smile and, after informing me of what she'd prepared for our lunch, she left.

I put the food on a tray before stripping off every stitch of my clothing and donning a frilly apron I'd purchased on one of our shopping trips, over my naked body.

To be honest, I'd purchased the apron with just such an occasion as this in mind. Although I didn't think I'd have a chance to indulge in that particular fantasy until we were home in Seattle. Edward, knowing how much I liked to cook, remained blissfully unaware of my motives.

From the front, you couldn't precisely tell I was naked, but from the back….

I was nervous and excited. I hadn't felt this bold since I'd initiated naked swimming and sex in the pool during the first week of our honeymoon. It seemed like such a long time ago….

I carefully carried the tray down the hall toward the workout room. The music was still blaring as I managed to slip inside without Edward noticing me. I set down the tray while he concentrated on the weight machine.

As soon as I changed the music selection on the iHome to  _Crash_ by Dave Matthews, I saw his head shoot up from the weight bench. He smiled at me and stood, the smile disappearing as he stalked toward me. I picked up the tray and waited.

_You've got your ball  
you've got your chain  
tied to me tight tie me up again  
who's got their claws  
in you my friend  
Into your heart I'll beat again  
Sweet like candy to my soul  
Sweet you rock  
and sweet you roll  
Lost for you I'm so lost for you_

Once he was close enough to touch me, he stopped. His eyes were dark with desire as he took in my appearance. "Isabella, what  _are_ you wearing?"

"Um, almost nothing," I whispered before finding my voice. "I decided that this would be the appropriate attire in which to serve breakfast Mr. Cullen." My self-confidence was fading fast under his heated gaze.

His eyes never left my body as he circled me, hands clasped behind his back, studying my appearance. "Hmm. Is that so?"

I nodded.

"And what would you suggest  _I_ wear while eating said breakfast Mrs. Cullen?" He asked.

I cleared my throat, gathering my nerve in order to answer. "My personal preference would be that you dine  _naked_ Mr. Cullen." I grinned while trying to stifle the nervous giggle attempting to escape.

He leaned down by my ear as he pulled the tray from my grasp. "That would be my preference as well, but only if you join me, Mrs. Cullen." He kissed my cheek before setting the tray on a bench.

_Touch your lips just so I know  
In your eyes, love, it glows so  
I'm bare boned and crazy for you  
When you come crash  
into me, baby  
And I come into you  
In a boys dream  
In a boys dream_

"Everything looks delicious," he continued as he began to pull me by my hand over to the weight bench he'd been sitting on when I entered the room.

I got the feeling he wasn't speaking of the food.

_Oh and you come crash  
into me, baby  
And I come into you  
Hike up your skirt a little more  
and show the world to me  
Hike up your skirt a little more  
and show your world to me  
In a boys dream.. In a boys dream_

I sat beside him, our bodies barely an inch apart. A light sheen of sweat from his workout glistened on his skin.

I wanted to lick him.

Suddenly he took his finger and moved it until it was poised at the nape of my neck. My breath hitched and I jumped a little, earning a chuckle from Edward, when he began to trail it down my spine, around my hip and then down my leg.

"You are truly exquisite my love," he murmured. "I believe you could make a burlap sack look fashionable," he said with a soft smile. "I take it we're in the clear now?"

I nodded.

This time when the finger slipped down my back, it paused near my waist as he untied the apron. He left it hanging around my neck and moved to kneel in front of me. He kissed my lips and I felt both of his hands move slowly up my arms to my shoulders before trailing feather light touches down both sides, lingering for a moment at the exposed sides of each breast.

By this time, I was utterly seduced; putty in his capable hands.

_Oh I watch you there  
through the window  
And I stare at you  
You wear nothing but you  
wear it so well  
tied up and twisted  
the way I'd like to be  
For you, for me, come crash  
into me_

He reached his hands down to my ankles and stroked each leg from ankle to knee before slipping them under the hem of the apron and continuing up my thighs.

By this time, I was aware that my breathing had turned into panting.

I was also very close to being naked in front of Edward, and he had entirely too many clothes on.

I reached for him and gave his shirt a tug. He understood what I wanted immediately, and removed the shirt. He then moved to pull off his shorts and boxer briefs.

I couldn't help but stare at his naked body. He was beautiful, and  _all mine_.

He knelt in front of me again as the next song began to play.

_You cool your bedwarm hands down  
On the broken radiator  
When you lay them freezing on me  
I mumble can you wake me later  
But I don't really want you to stop  
And you know it so it doesn't stop you  
You run your hands from my neck  
To my chest_

He gathered the fabric of the apron in both his hands before pulling it swiftly over my head and off. We sat still, taking each other in for a moment before Edward's lips crashed into mine.

_Crack the shutters open wide  
I want to bathe you in the light of day  
And just watch you as the rays  
Tangle up around your face and body  
I could sit here for hours  
Finding new ways to be awed each minute  
'Cause the daylight seems to want you  
Just as much as I want you_

The breakfast was forgotten as our limbs tangled together, both desperate for the connection we'd been missing. It was clumsy and frantic and absolutely perfect.

As soon as Edward was sure that I was ready for him, he laid me down and pushed inside. "I've missed this so much." I whispered before releasing a loud satisfied moan.

"Me too baby," he answered as he pulled back and pushed back into me. _  
_  
 _It's been minutes, it's been days,  
It's been all I will remember  
Happy lost in your hair  
And the cold side of the pillow  
Your hills and valleys  
Are mapped by my intrepid fingers  
And in a naked slumber  
I dream all this again_

Suddenly Edward was lifting me, and I was no longer on my back, but sitting up on the bench, straddling him. He was still inside me. "You're so beautiful Bella. Look," he said as he directed my attention to the large mirror on the opposite wall. "See how good we are together baby."

There we were in the throes of passion staring back at our reflected selves from across the room. I couldn't deny that it was a beautiful sight. Edward naked was glorious, and the girl he held in his arms was beyond blessed.

"I want to try something," he whispered before easing out of me and turning slightly until we faced the mirror. He then turned me around on his lap until my back was against his chest. He lifted me and I used my hand to guide him back inside before leaning my head back against his shoulder. We'd never tried this position before.

I caught our reflection in the mirror again.

_Fuuuuccck…_

This moment in time brought home the fact that I was no longer the Bella I'd been up until my wedding day. This new Bella was neither ashamed nor embarrassed by the vision in the mirror.

The time we'd spent together as husband and wife had transformed the girl I used to be into a woman who trusted Edward implicitly. When I was with him in this way, my usual awkwardness was nonexistent, because I knew without a doubt that Edward loved and desired me every bit as much as I did him.

That fact had awakened so many new feelings in the last few weeks, that sometimes my mind had trouble keeping up with my body's needs. I was certain that it was the same for Edward.

Every part of me was literally burning with desire for this beautiful man as I watched him move in and out of me. The sight was beyond erotic.

The thing that was the most affecting however was not Edward's perfect body as it claimed me over and over, no; it was the look in Edward's eyes. There was lust there certainly, but along with that, his eyes gazed upon me with such a look of profound adoration that it took my breath away.

Almost immediately, I was overwhelmed with the familiar clenching deep inside me. "You're so sexy baby," Edward breathed into my ear and kissed my shoulder as he kept his eyes trained on the mirror. One of his hands was holding my breast while the fingers of his other hand swirled around my bundle of nerves…

_Oh God, it's too much…_

"When you come, your entire body glows," he panted. "It's so beautiful."

With his words I felt myself pushed to the brink. My body responded of its own accord; speeding up its movements and meeting Edward's thrusts more forcefully than ever before. He hissed and I felt him stiffen inside me just before he came, whispering my name like a prayer as he did. I was sent spiraling, clenching and trembling as a mind shattering orgasm rocked my entire body.

I gasped for air; completely spent; as I collapsed back against Edward's chest, my limbs felt useless and heavy.

If it hadn't been for Edward's arms around me, I certainly would have tumbled from his lap to the floor in a heap.

His lips continued to leave soft kisses on my shoulder until I calmed. I had no idea how much time had passed since I'd entered the room. I'd lost track of how many songs had played on the iHome, or what they were….

"Oh Bella, it just keeps getting better…" he whispered.

"I know."

"I have to say that I like your workout routine better than mine," I looked in the direction of the mirror to see him grinning at me over my shoulder.

I glanced at the tray of food. "I'm sure breakfast is cold," I murmured.

"I don't give a fuck," Edward said in a breathless chuckle as he eased out of me.

I giggled and carefully turned to face him. "I guess I could warm it up." I kissed his lips. "After I shower."

He stood, wrapping my legs around him as he did and carried me in the direction of our bathroom.

_-V &V—_

On our final night in Barbados, we went out for a quiet dinner and watched the sunset together. As we left the restaurant, we were met by three photographers waiting outside. They didn't shout any questions though, so I almost didn't mind it.

Sidney was able to lose them before we arrived at our next stop, a jazz club. As we sat and listened to the music, I recalled our first date.

"This reminds me of the first time you took me out Edward." I said with a smile.

"I was just remembering that too," He grinned. "Are you ready to return to the  _real world_ my love?"

"Yes and no," I smiled back at him. "As wonderful as this has been, we can't stay here forever. Granted, I could do my job anywhere, but you can't. So, by the time we've had our few days in England, I think I'll be ready to go home. And, as much as I am loathe to admit it, I  _do_ miss everyone."

We'd spoken with our parents once a week since we'd been gone; Rose and Alice more often than that, Edward called Jazz almost every day, usually about work-related issues, and Emmett I'd only spoken with twice. Seahawks training camp had begun while we were away, so he had very little free time.

Our attention was suddenly drawn to the stage where Margo, whose marvelous voice we'd been treated to since we'd arrived, was speaking. "This next song is a special dedication from 'E' to his lovely bride 'B'." She announced with a wide smile.

I quirked my eyebrow at my husband who by this time was rising from his chair and holding out his hand to me, "May I have this dance Mrs. Cullen?"

"As if I'd ever say no," I answered as I placed my hand in his.

_You are the promised kiss of springtime  
That makes the lonely winter seem long.  
You are the breathless hush of evening  
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song._

_You are the angel glow that lights a star,  
The dearest things I know are what you are.  
Some day my happy arms will hold you,  
And some day I'll know that moment divine,  
When all the things you are, are mine!_

We danced and I listened to Margo's beautiful voice as Edward held me close neither of us feeling the need to speak.

_You are the angel glow that lights a star,  
The dearest things I know are what you are.  
Some day my happy arms will hold you,  
And some day I'll know that moment divine,  
When all the things you are, are mine!_

_-V &V—_

The next afternoon, we said a reluctant goodbye to Candace and our lovely villa. "Maybe we can rent it again Edward," I said during the ride to the airport. "The house is so big; maybe our families could come with us next time?"

He tried to hide his grimace. "Maybe," he answered without looking at me.

I snickered at his reaction.

I would miss Barbados, but as long as Edward and I were together, I looked forward to the next adventure. Besides, we were on our way to London, and this time Edward wouldn't be working.

My stomach did excited flips as I thought about visiting the city I'd grown to adore.

This time we had no choice but to fly overnight. Lou would be traveling with us, but Sidney was headed back home to Seattle. He would have a busy schedule as soon as Edward started filming, so we thought it only fair to give him a few days off beforehand.

After dinner on the airplane, we reclined our seats into the sleeping position and watched  _Gangs of New York_ together. I'd never seen it before. It was brutal, but riveting. There was a console between our seats, so I couldn't snuggle against Edward as I would have liked.

_He's so far away…_

He kept reaching across to hold my hand and, after a while I could hear his slow even breathing and I knew he was asleep. It was late. Most of the cabin was dark; many of the passengers asleep as well.

I couldn't stand the distance between us any longer. Our seats were partially screened from the rest of the passengers, and I didn't see the flight attendants anywhere, so I quietly crawled over to Edward. There wasn't enough room to squeeze in beside him, so I scooted in until I was half beside and half on top of him.

"Hi," I whispered with a grin before kissing his lips.

He took a deep breath and his eyes fluttered open as he wrapped his arms around me. "Hi," he whispered as he yawned and tightened his grip. He kissed my lips.

Edward turned off the movie as I snuggled against him. "Just so you know," I began "I'm staying right here until they make me move."

He grinned before kissing my lips again.

I relaxed in his arms and drifted off to sleep.

It was still dark when I was awoken by voices. "Thank you, I'll wake her up in a moment." Edward's chest rumbled beneath my ear as he spoke, "Tea for my wife and coffee for me please."

"Very good Mr. Masen," came the answering voice of the flight attendant.

I blinked my eyes open and lifted my head. "Hi" I whispered. My mouth felt disgusting and I realized to my horror that I'd been drooling. On Edward.

_Eww_

"Um, sorry Edward. I drooled on your shirt a little."

_Gah, I need to brush my teeth_

He laughed and looked down at the small wet spot on his shirt. "Hmm. I can see that."

I covered my mouth with my hand, not wanting to asphyxiate my husband with my morning breath, and scrambled off of his lap. Someone had already put my seat upright, which aided in the retrieval of my carry-on. I grabbed by toothbrush before stretching as best I could in the space and moaned. "Stiff," I mumbled to Edward as he watched me.

After we'd brushed our teeth, I felt refreshed, and able to face the day ahead; or at least the few hours until I was able to crawl into a soft bed. "I can't believe they let me share your seat for so long." I remarked as I sipped my tea.

"I don't think we hit a lot of turbulence, and since we were asleep, they weren't going to disturb us without good cause."

_-V &V—_

I wrapped my hoodie tightly around my body as we climbed into the waiting car. The temperature in London was a good twenty degrees colder than what we'd gotten used to in Barbados.

With Lou's assistance, we'd successfully navigated the crowd of paps at the airport, and were now on our way to our hotel.

"Bella, I need to tell you something."

Edward's voice pulled me away from my daydreaming as I stared out the window. "Huh?" I gave him a questioning look.

"Another surprise," he announced with a wide smile, looking a little like a kid on Christmas morning. "We're going to stay at our house."

"The Tolkien house?"

"Yes. Mother and Dad came over while we were on our road trip and have furnished and decorated some of the rooms. It was their wedding gift to us."

I brought my hand up to my throat in surprise before smiling excitedly. "Oh Edward, that's wonderful! I can't wait to see it."

_-V &V—_

Edward and I had just enough energy to say a quick hello to Mr. and Mrs. Griffin, the caretakers he'd hired, before lugging our suitcases upstairs. We took a quick tour of the rooms decorated by his parents, and an even quicker shower before collapsing onto the soft bed in our room.

We lay facing each other, under the duvet. "Goodnight Edward," I whispered, although it was mid-morning. I pursed my lips, wanting to kiss him before I slept, but I couldn't bring myself to move.

Edward forced open one eye before closing it again. He pursed his lips, mirroring my action, but didn't move. "Remind me to kiss you when I wake up…" he mumbled.

I giggled before closing my eyes and following him into sleep.

_-V &V—_

The feel of strong warm hands on my body woke me. It was still daylight, although I had no idea of the actual time. I lay perfectly still, hoping that Edward hadn't realized that I was awake.

We were spooned together and his hand was under my shirt cupping my breast as his thumb grazed lazily across the nipple. I felt the overwhelming urge to squirm as his actions brought on that now familiar throbbing ache between my thighs.

I could feel his erection against me, so when I absolutely couldn't take any more, I pressed back against him. The next thing I felt was Edward's warm breath on my neck as he wordlessly began to remove my panties. I pushed the lower half of my body off the mattress just enough to aid him.

Once the pesky piece of silk was out of the way, still lying on my side, I pressed back against him again.

_Oh my, he's removed his boxer briefs as well…._

Edward ran his hand from my hip down to my knee and then back up again. Feeling bold, I reached back between us and took his erection in my hand and began to stroke it.

As soon as I thought I'd gotten him worked up enough, I lifted my right leg and laid it back across his upper thigh, granting him access to where I wanted him most.

Edward glided into me slowly, his lips on my neck and his hand grasping my leg at the knee, keeping it draped across his hip. His fingertips moved gently against my clit as he slid in and out.

I closed my eyes and let the sensations overtake me.

We came together silently, breathlessly, sweetly.

_-V &V—_

"The house is beautiful Esme and Carlisle, we can't thank you enough for what you've done." I was speaking with my in-laws the day after we'd arrived in England. The jet-lag Edward and I had experienced had wrecked both of us for hours after we'd arrived, so I didn't even attempt to phone them then.

"Now Bella, what we did was just a start, but I'll be more than happy to help you decorate the rest." Esme's sweet voice sounded in my ear.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," I answered softly.

"Are you kidding Bella?" Carlisle spoke from the extension. "Esme loves this sort of thing.  _Especially_ when it's for our children."

"That's right dear," Esme reinforced what her husband had said. "Have fun, and we'll see you both in a few days." She said chirpily. "We love you."

I swallowed back the lump in my throat. "We love you too," I answered in a small voice.

I ended the call just as I felt Edward's arms encircling me. "I know I'm stating the obvious, but your parents are wonderful."

He took in a deep breath. "Yes they are. I don't deserve them, just as I don't deserve you," he said as he leaned down and kissed my cheek.

"Edward, I wish you wouldn't say such things."

He smiled sadly. "I just regret all the years I tried to push my family away. I'm extremely fortunate that they never gave up on me."

I turned to face him and pulled him into my arms. "Edward, don't you realize by now that if you love someone unconditionally, you  _never_ give up on them. No matter what."

He nodded and smiled before he kissed me, "I have you to thank for so many things Bella, my relationship with my family, just one of them."

I kissed him before grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the door.

For the next two days we were going to explore London and Oxford. Edward asked that I choose where we would go, because he had something special planned for the two days after that.

The first day, we spent touring some of the places I hadn't gotten to see last time, Westminster Abbey being first on the list. I caught Edward smiling more than once at my fascination with the place.

It was a humbling experience, as it always is, to walk amongst the graves of those who were once the most powerful or successful in their walk of life. It was a reminder once again of our own mortality.

"Charles Dickens, Robert Browning, Tennyson, Rudyard Kipling…" I whispered their names with reverence as we passed.

Sometime later, I announced with a smile, "I think we've spent enough time with the dead Queens and Kings."

Edward grinned. "How about lunch Mrs. Cullen?"

"A wonderful idea Mr. Cullen."

After lunch, we headed over to Harrod's. Even though we thought our presence had gone unnoticed, within ten minutes of browsing the store, the manager arrived to greet us.

We politely declined the offer of one of his assistants to personally guide us through the various departments, and were free to browse at our own pace once again.

We purchased gifts for the family, but admittedly had the most fun choosing gifts for Baby Swan. Edward smiled as I held up one adorable outfit after another. I shamelessly spent more than I probably should have, and ended up leaving there with several baby items, my favorite being a faux fur infant snowsuit.

I chose a neutral color because, although Emmett and Rose had discovered the sex of the baby at their most recent ultrasound, they were keeping that information to themselves until we returned home. Rose said they 'wanted to see my face' when they told me.

I couldn't wait.

_-V &V—_

By the next day, the rumor that I was pregnant was spreading like wildfire. It hadn't even occurred to me that the sight of Edward and I purchasing baby clothes would be misconstrued.

In response, I poured myself into the skinny jeans I'd purchased the day before at Harrod's and the tight form-fitting top I'd purchased to wear with them.

Edward laughed when I emerged from our bathroom.

"I know what you're doing, and I can't say I disapprove." He said appreciatively while eyeing my cleavage. "You look mighty sexy."

"I can't say I feel very sexy. These jeans are  _tight._ I decided not to wear underwear because they'd take up too much damned space."

Edward's mouth fell open, while I fist bumped my inner sex goddess for leaving my husband speechless.

I winked at him before turning to grab my purse, making sure to wiggle my ass in his direction as I did. His resounding laugh made me laugh as well.

We spent the day antique shopping at a couple of stores Esme had recommended, purchasing several additions for our no longer empty house. After that, we had an early dinner at the  _Eagle and Child_.

"Fancy an evening out Mr. Cullen?" I asked in the most horrible impersonation of a British accent known to man as we strolled hand in hand back to our house.

After he laughed at me, Edward spoke. "What did you have in mind my love?"

"I was thinking we could go out to a club?" I asked, unsure of his response.

His eyes widened in disbelief. "A club?"

"Yes. I've been thinking. You know Edward, we're young, but sometimes we certainly don't act that way. Your sister is constantly teasing me about it. Music, dancing, a little alcohol, I think it will be  _fun_."

He shrugged. "I'm game if you are. It was never something I wanted to do before I met you, so yes, this could be fun," he gave me a wicked grin "especially if you let me get you drunk and take advantage of you."

I blurted out a laugh. "That doesn't require alcohol Edward. You should know that by now."

When I emerged from our bathroom in my sparkly midnight blue mini dress and matching stilettos, Edward's eyes shone with approval.

I'm sure his expression mirrored mine as I drank him in.

In his black jeans, charcoal grey button down, and sex hair, he looked absolutely edible.

_Funny how Edward always had sex hair even before he'd started having sex…._

_-V &V—_

What was it about being in a place with loud pulsating music and club lighting, not to mention groups of people drinking and dancing dangerously close to one another, or as I like to call it 'having sex with their clothes on', that made me want to straddle Edward and ride him until morning?

_Don't discount the amount of alcohol you've been consuming…._

_And the sexy man beside you whispering inappropriate things in your ear…_

When we'd first arrived, I'd confided in Edward that I wanted to do something new, maybe try a drink I'd never had before. I ordered something called a 'Havana Passion' which looked delicious.

I watched as Edward's eyes lit up as if with an idea.

As soon as the waitress left after delivering our first round of drinks, he leaned in and began to speak in my ear so there would be no danger of anyone overhearing.

"Bella, if I had known you were looking to try a new drink, I could have made some suggestions." Suddenly I felt his fingers on my leg, inching under the hem of my dress and drawing lazy circles on my thigh. "Such as a  _Comfortable Screw,_ or possibly a  _Slippery Nipple._ "

He waited expectantly as my face flamed. I doubted he could see it in the muted light of our corner booth, but that didn't stop him from chuckling. "I adore your blush." He said in my ear before kissing my hair just above it.

And so it continued with Edward suggesting drinks, every one of which had a sexy or dirty name, as he took in my reaction with amusement.

By the time I had finished my second  _Havana Passion,_ I decided he needed a taste of his own medicine.

He was being so bad.

_It was fucking hot._

"Edward," I began with my lips close to his ear, "I distinctly remember saying that I wanted to try something I  _never had before_. Your suggestions simply don't meet that criteria darling." I said as I let my finger trace the skin of his chest and the smattering of hair there exposed by the open top buttons of his shirt.

"For example," I continued. "I've most definitely had a  _Slippery Nipple_." I smiled and quirked an eyebrow. "Well, actually with the help of your  _tongue,_ I've had  _two_ on many occasions." I watched in amusement as his mouth dropped open.

_Silly man._

_You are about to be schooled by your horny, loving, albeit slightly inebriated wife…_

"As for a  _Comfortable Screw,_ I've had many, you should remember. You were there for Every. Single. One _."_  I made sure that my lips brushed against his cheek as I uttered each word.

"I even seem to distinctly remember having a  _Slow Comfortable Screw Against The Wall._ " I cleared my throat. "Well, actually it was a  _shower_ wall, but a wall nonetheless."

I suppressed my chuckle as I watched Edward's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed thickly.

The waitress replenished our drinks.

"Let's see, oh yes, I've had lots of  _Silk Panties,_ but you already knew that. I'm actually wearing a pair now, although  _technically_ it's a thong, but I guess that qualifies." I grinned as I watched his hand close tightly around his drink.

" _Pop the Cherry,_ I have to confess to having had only  _one_ of those, but it was a once in a lifetime experience." I brought my lips closer to his ear. "The same can be said for  _Sex on the Beach,_ but I'd be open to a repeat performance of that sometime if the circumstance presented itself." I traced my tongue along the shell of his ear.

He took a large swallow of his scotch.

" _Screaming Orgasms,_ and  _Between the Sheets,_ hmm, I know you can't have forgotten about those…." This time I let my fingertips brush along the front of his shirt until they reached the waistband of his jeans.

Edward's jaw clenched and it appeared that his chest had begun to heave slightly.

_Naughty Bella_

"I think that just about covers all the ones you mentioned, although there is one more which I've heard of, but never actually  _experienced._ " I smiled sweetly at him. "Who knows? Maybe tonight's the night I should try a  _Blow Job._ " As the words left my mouth, I reached my hand down and cupped his junk.

_Holy shit, he's about to burst through the zipper…_

_And I think Edward's jaw is somewhere in the vicinity of the floor…._

A distinctive groan escaped my husband's perfect lips as he spun to face me while covering my hand with one of his, effectively holding it in place. With his other hand, he grasped the back of my neck and pulled my face to his. My lips were captured in a searing, needy kiss.

"Baby, I surrender. You win." He breathed into my mouth. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

I jerked my head back and gave him a confused look. "But, we haven't danced yet." I schooled my face in order to keep the amusement I felt at the predicament below his waist hidden.

I watched as he drew in a deep breath before releasing it slowly. "You  _really_  want to dance?"

"Absolutely," I tried to sound convincing.

"Just….give me a minute," he said before removing my hand from his crotch and downing the rest of his drink.

He pulled me by the hand to the dance floor, and within minutes I was lost in the rhythmic sensual beat. It was crowded, and Edward was close.  _Very_  close. I make sure to graze his crotch with my ass as I danced, until somewhere around the third pass I felt his hands hold my hips from behind in a firm grasp. "Bella," his voice hissed in my ear. "If you do that once more, I won't be responsible for my actions."

I giggled out loud, and being more than a little tipsy, pressed against him one last time.

In one fluid movement, Edward had me turned around and pulled against his side. He proceeded to hold me tightly against him as he walked us toward the exit.

"But…" I squeaked.

"We're leaving." He said in answer to my unfinished protest as he pressed a wad of cash into the hand of our waitress as we passed.

"But…"

He stopped and leaned down, his lips close to my ear. "Isabella, I am very close to throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you out of here. The only thing stopping me is the fact that you've admitted you're wearing a thong, and there is no way in  _hell_ that I'm allowing any of these horny motherfuckers a glimpse of your luscious ass. That's for my eyes only."

_Damn he's sexy…._

As soon as we stepped outside, Lou appeared.

_When the hell did he phone Lou?_

I came to the realization that when I drank, I tended to miss things.

We clambered into the car and, mercifully, within minutes were back at our house. As soon as Lou drove away, Edward had me through the front door and tossed over his shoulder. He didn't set me down again until we were inside our room.

_Thank God the Griffins retire early…_

He slammed the bedroom door and the next thing I knew, I was pressed up against it. "Bella, Bella, Bella."

"Edward, Edward, Edward." I repeated back with a smirk.

He narrowed his eyes while smiling. "You are quite the tease aren't you?"

I pulled him down and whispered in his ear, "You won't be calling me a tease when we're fucking in a few minutes."

Shocked by my words, I watched as Edward's eyes almost protruded from their sockets.

I wasn't sure why but, although I didn't seem to have a problem expressing myself  _physically_ with Edward,when I attempted to  _verbalize_  my sexual desires, it was awkward.

He blinked once, twice and then gave me a crooked smile. "It seems that the alcohol has loosened your tongue my dear wife."

_Oh it's loose alright…_

Suddenly, all those articles I'd been forced to read in Cosmo about  _pleasing your man_  came unbidden, but not unwelcome, to my mind.

_Rose and Alice may have been right…_

_Time to put that knowledge to good use…_

I pressed my body against him, effectively causing him to take a step back.

As soon as I had ample room, I dropped to my knees and immediately began working to undo the fly of his jeans. Once it was undone, I began to tug them down. I could hear Edward's uneven breaths as he assisted me, and stepped out of them a moment later.

When I reached for the waistband of his boxer briefs, his hands were there before mine, pulling them down and away. I grasped his erection in my hand and began to stroke it. I had the urge to draw him into my mouth and find out if my tongue was as talented as he'd demonstrated his was.

I leaned forward and placed a reverent kiss on the tip and swiped my tongue across it, just before Edward gasped and I felt his strong hands wrap around my upper arms and lift me up.

"Baby, you don't have to do that," he breathed into my mouth once he had me on my feet again.

"I want to make you happy Edward," I answered back, breathlessly as I pulled his bottom lip into my mouth and sucked gently.

"You already make me so… so... happy," he panted out as his hands found my thong and pulled it away. "I need to be inside you my love."

"Please," I whispered by way of an answer.

He turned and moved forward until I was flush against the wall.

His skilled fingers teased my entrance, finding me wet and wanting. My shoes had added a fair amount of height, so I lifted just one leg in order to wrap it around him. He grasped that leg by the back of the knee, holding it up and slightly away from him as he pushed inside.

"So, I guess a  _Slow Comfortable Screw Against The Wall_  is the winner." I moaned.

"I would say that  _I'm_ the winner my love," Edward said in a hoarse voice before attacking my neck with his lips.

"No…" I panted out, " _I'm_ definitely the winner."

He made a contented sound deep in his throat, "Less talking, more cumming…"

And so I did…

 


	77. Fairytale Cottages & Happy Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: There's a spoiler for 'The Notebook' in this chapter.
> 
> *Enjoy!

 

After Mass on Sunday, Lou drove us to Wolvercote Cemetery. Our visit to Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey a couple of days before had made me wonder where Professor Tolkien's grave was located. After about five minutes research on the internet, we had our answer.

Edward was quiet as we paid our respects and I placed the flowers I'd chosen on the grave of Tolkien and his wife. "He didn't last long after her death did he?" he asked in a somber tone.

I shook my head. "Less than two years. From what I've read, he was lost without her." I sighed heavily. "They loved each other very much, and were married for over fifty years."

"Not long enough," He muttered quietly before wrapping his arm around me, pulling me flush against his side as we stood there. "Sweetheart, this may be the most selfish desire I've ever had but, I fervently hope that I go before you."

I gasped in surprise at not just the statement, but at the sudden thought of being without him. Even the  _idea_  of it caused me physical pain. It took a moment to draw in a forced breath in order to answer.

"Edward… we've talked about this before." I said as I faced him and placed a hand on his cheek. "We can't control what will happen, we can only live each day as it comes. In the end, maybe God will be merciful to us. I mean, Professor Tolkien only had to endure a relatively short span of time until he was reunited with his beloved."

He leaned into my hand. "I'd rather go like that couple in  _The Notebook_ , on the same night, in the same bed."

"You've seen  _The Notebook_?" I asked as I tried unsuccessfully to hide my amusement.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Alice forced me. Sometimes it's just easier to give in. She can be very annoying."

I laughed out loud then.

"Don't feel bad, Rose made Emmett watch it as well." I grinned.

He smiled back. "Are you ready to go?"

I nodded. He smiled and took my hand as we walked toward the car. "On a lighter note, did you know that the Tolkiens lived in the house next door to ours before moving into the one we own?"

I felt my eyes widen in shock. He grinned, no doubt at the realization that he knew something about my favorite author that I did not.

"It's true. They lived at number 22 for five years."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to purchase that house as well?" I teased.

He laughed. "No. First of all, it's not for sale, and second, they lived in ours much longer, and that's where he wrote  _The Hobbit_ and  _The Lord of the Rings_." He chuckled. "So, no. Besides, I think we own enough houses, don't you?"

I nodded and smiled.

Back at our house, Mrs. Griffin had prepared brunch. "Mrs. Griffin, you know we don't expect you to cook for us," I chided.

"Please call me Edith," she reminded with a sweet smile, "and I know you don't expect me to cook for you Bella, but I wanted to. You can't go on holiday with an empty stomach."

My eyes lit up at her words. "Do you know where Edward's taking me?"

She smiled. "Yes I do love, but I'm not breathing a word of it. Now sit down and eat."

I was growing to love the Griffins. They were such a comfortable old couple. Spending time with them was like spending time with your Grandparents.

While we ate, I noticed Edith eyeing me carefully. I finally set down my fork and gave her my full attention. "Edith, please tell me what's on your mind."

She cleared her throat and looked at me. I noticed that her husband kept his eyes fixed on his plate, suddenly finding something of great interest in the ivy pattern. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Edward had stopped eating as well, and was watching our exchange with interest.

"Bella dear, I've never been one to mince words, so I'll just say it. Mrs. Harrison, a lady at our church, stopped me in order to have a word this morning." Edith got a sour expression on her face. "She's a well-known busybody and I should have given her no notice," She sighed as she shook her head. "Evidently, word is all over town that you were out drinking last night. Don't be alarmed, no one cares about that, except for the fact that a lot of people are under the misapprehension that you're expecting." She patted my hand with hers. "I told Mrs. Harrison that you were _not_ expecting and that the baby clothes you purchased were for your brother's child. I also told her to mind her own business." She ended in a huff.

"Thank you," I replied in a small voice as I tried to digest this new information.

"I shouldn't worry Bella. It wasn't my intention to upset you. I merely wanted to prepare you for whatever may be facing you today."

I nodded.

"Thank you Edith," Edward spoke then. "I'm glad you let us know."

I tried to push this new information to the back of my mind, refusing to let it ruin the day.

_-V &V—_

Edward had surprised me, not only with our destination, which happened to be the coast of Wales, but also because  _he_ drove us there.

After brunch, we'd grabbed our overnight bags and headed out to the car. It was sitting in the driveway, but Lou was nowhere to be seen.

Edward, noticing the confused look on my face, merely informed that we were 'escaping alone' for the next twenty-four hours. I giggled excitedly, and climbed into the car.

"I wasn't even aware that you had an international driver's license." I admitted.

"Well, I've only used it a couple of times, but I intend to use the hell out of it when we return to Europe this winter." He winked as he said those words.

_That's right...A Tale of Two Cities starts filming at the end of February._

My stomach did a little flip of excitement at the thought.

I tried to stay awake during the drive, wanting to keep Edward company, but couldn't stop myself from dozing off more than once during the four hours it took to arrive at our destination.

Because the steering wheel was on the opposite side from what I was used to, I woke with a start from one of my naps, fearful that I'd fallen asleep behind the wheel. I may have shouted something like: ' _Holy fuck I'm on the wrong side of the road!'_

Once Edward got over the fact that I'd startled the shit out of him, he laughed at me for five full minutes.

Barmouth Wales was a picturesque seaside town situated on the side of a mountain, all stone structures and quaint little streets. With the mountains on one side, and the water on the other, it truly was a sight worthy of a picture postcard.

"Oh Edward, this is lovely!" I said excitedly, my head bobbing around as I tried to take it all in.

He drove around the town a bit, glancing back and forth between the GPS and his surroundings before turning down a small side street and parking the car. I wasn't sure if we were merely stopping there for dinner, or if we were staying the night.

Edward turned to face me. "The arrangements I made for tonight are very different from what I would normally choose."

"We're staying here? In Barmouth?"

He nodded.

I smiled as I looked out of the window. It suddenly dawned on me what Edward meant by it not being what he'd normally choose. I was fairly certain that there weren't many luxury five star hotels in the vicinity.

He gazed out of the window at the stone buildings before speaking again. "I looked at a lot of rental properties and bed and breakfasts on line." He sighed. "In the end, I decided on one that I thought you would choose yourself."

Now I was really curious.

He exited the car, before coming around to my door. We grabbed our bags and he took my hand. Just around the corner from where we'd parked on a cobblestone street, was a white cottage. It was small, especially when compared to the grey stone structure next to it.

Inside it was smaller than my apartment. "This used to be a fisherman's cottage." Edward said as he gauged my reaction.

The main room downstairs consisted of a sitting area and tiny kitchen. Behind a closed door was a small bathroom with shower. To reach the sleeping loft, there wasn't a proper stairway; it was actually a wide ladder. I tentatively took a few steps up the ladder and beheld a small space with a sloped roof and dormer windows. Most of the entire room was taken up by the full sized bed, enclosed on three sides by walls. It was partially sunken into the floor so that only the top mattress was visible, and that was covered by a thick white comforter.

I stepped back down and smiled at Edward. "It's perfect." I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him and looked up into his face.

"Not too small?" he asked with a serious expression.

I shook my head. "It's cozy, and it's  _exactly_ what I would have chosen. Don't get me wrong, I loved the house in Barbados Edward, but I wasn't raised in the lap of luxury you know."

_Unlike Edward and Alice_

"This is wonderful. It feels like a cottage from a fairy tale."

He smiled in relief. "I'm glad," he answered before capturing my lips in a soft kiss.

After the kiss, I grabbed his hand. "Since we only have a day, let's go explore."

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the town, shopping and then taking a stroll, hand in hand, along the beach.

It was the busy tourist season, people were spending time with their families and, aside from a few merchants, I was certain no one had recognized us yet.

The beach was enormous, but it was a little too chilly for us to even consider stepping into the water. Instead, we sat in the sand and talked about what the next few months held in store.

"Do you have to start filming as soon as we get back?"

He laughed without humor. "I have exactly one day to rest up before I have to appear on set. The first couple of days will be spent in rehearsal, and working with makeup and wardrobe. Boring stuff." He grinned.

I intended to spend the next couple of weeks, while Edward worked, packing up my apartment. The lease didn't run out until the end of the year, but I was in a hurry to  _really_ move into the house. Edward's belongings from L.A. had already been delivered there. For the time being, we would be staying at the apartment until everything was boxed, and then we'd be spending more weeks unpacking at the house.

"I'll leave a copy of my schedule with you." Edward continued. "Once we actually start filming, it will be pretty grueling."

_I wonder what that means._

I frowned. "Maybe we should have gone home sooner. I mean we could have skipped England…."

He smirked. "Bella, there's no chance I would allow you to celebrate your birthday on an airplane, or dragging around as you suffered from jet lag."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

His eyebrows shot up. "What? You honestly didn't think I'd forget your birthday did you? That's the entire reason for this little getaway."

Neither of us had mentioned it. A little part of me thought maybe he didn't remember.

I should have known better.

I shrugged. "It's just a day." I muttered. A day that was usually sad for me because my Mom always made a big deal about it, and she was gone.

"Isabella," he said in a scolding tone. "I beg to differ. The day you came into this world was not  _just a day._ It happens to have been the most important day of my life." He whispered as he pulled me onto his lap in full view of the other vacationers.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat before wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning my head against him.

"I wish you would stop berating yourself, even if it's only  _implied._ " He said sincerely.

Once again, I felt the need to explain. I didn't like upsetting him. "I'm sorry. I don't mean it really. It's just that I never let my family make a big deal out of the day." I said before adding in a whisper, "not since my Mom died."

His arms tightened around me and he kissed the top of my head. We sat silently for a few minutes before he spoke again, "Tell me about your birthdays... before…" he whispered the request.

I let out a breath as I forced myself to remember. Suddenly my mind was filled with images of my Mother's smiles, the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed, the memory of her sweet voice as she woke me every year by singing 'Happy Birthday'.

"She'd bring a waffle or a pancake with a lit candle in it to my room and wake me up by singing to me. She always said I needed to make my wish and blow out the candle early because it was the most important thing."

"Because I was born early in the morning, she said my birthday morning was  _her_  time with me. If it wasn't a school day, we'd spend the entire morning together." I was finding that the subject was surprisingly easy to talk about. "Before she and Dad divorced, the whole family would go out to dinner and afterward we would watch the home movies from when I was a baby. We watched Emmett's on his birthday."

"My Mom would cry when she'd see Grandma and Grandpa Swan in the films, and Charlie would get misty-eyed. Mom's parents had died before she married Charlie, so we never knew them. Grandpa Swan died right after I was born, but Emmett remembers him. Grandma Swan however didn't pass away until I was six. My mother loved her very much."

_Sort of the way I feel about Esme…_

I sighed. "I was always glad that she wasn't here when we lost Mom. Having to live through that would have killed her." I said wistfully. "Instead, she died peacefully in her sleep. They said it was a heart attack…." I trailed off.

"I'd like to see those videos someday." Edward said hopefully.

I smiled. "That would be nice."

_-V &V—_

Despite our efforts at keeping a low profile, by the time we sat down to dinner, it was obvious that we were being noticed. Edward's fans were very sweet, and every one of them congratulated us on our marriage before asking for a photo.

"Bella, I thought we were ignoring rumors in an effort to let them die." Edward asked with a smirk.

"Well darling," I began as I took a sip of my wine. "I know that's what I normally do but, it's hard to explain." I sighed as I gathered my thoughts. "I felt like all eyes were on me, judging me, when I was drinking that first glass of wine. I had to do  _something_."

"So you felt the need to tell each and every one of my fans that you  _weren't_ pregnant?" He remarked with a chuckle.

I frowned. "Don't underestimate the power of the twitter." I answered solemnly.

He laughed. "Bella, I am quite certain that the waiter doesn't 'twitter'."

I joined him in laughter over the amusing exchange I'd had with our waiter Ronald, who looked to be about sixty. "Do you think I freaked him out?"

"Maybe a little."

He was referring to the fact that as I'd ordered my wine, I had told Ronald quite forcefully that I wasn't pregnant. The poor man looked very confused as he stumbled over his words before finally saying that he'd 'keep that in mind'.

Yeah, he didn't know what the hell I was talking about.

_He obviously doesn't surf the gossip sites…_

Every time he'd approached the table after that, he wore a wary expression.

By the time we'd finished our meal, I realized that someone in the kitchen must have enlightened him as to who we were and about the pregnancy rumor. His mood had turned almost jovial by the time he brought us the check.

"Here you are Sir." He said before turning to me. "Still not pregnant Miss?" he teased before winking at me. We laughed.

"Nope." I grinned.

He chuckled. "Well alright then, I hope you have a lovely evening."

"Thank you."

After he'd left us I turned to Edward. "Please give him a big tip."

"I intend to," he answered with a crooked smile as he signed the receipt with a flourish. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to return to the cottage now and spend some quality time with my beautiful wife."

_I think that's code for sex…_

_-V &V—_

It was dark when we left the restaurant, and a chill wind had begun to blow. By the time we reached the cottage, I was shivering.

We brushed our teeth and took a shower, not lingering for long under the warm spray. Wrapped in towels, we raced up the ladder and crawled under the duvet.

"Why's it so cold in here?" I asked.

"I forgot to turn on the heater before we left." Edward admitted as he wrapped himself around me. He pulled off our damp towels and tossed them to the floor before rubbing his hands over my body creating friction in an effort to warm me.

After a few moments in our little cocoon of warmth, I began to relax and the shivering stopped.

Edward's lips found mine in the dark. "Better?"

"Much." I sighed happily. "But I'm never getting out of this bed."

He chuckled as he pulled me closer. "Sounds like a plan," he whispered as his hands rubbed lightly across back. "I love your skin. So soft..."

In turn, I ran my fingers along his upper arm, loving the feel of the muscles as they tensed.

Edward began to kiss me softly, first my lips, then my cheeks, my chin. He returned to my mouth before venturing lower and grazing his lips against my neck. I tilted my head back to grant him better access.

I suddenly felt very warm, where but a moment before I had been shivering.

His lips…

His touch…

His skin against mine… these were all enough to ignite my passion and desire.

It wasn't long before my breaths grew uneven.

His whispered words and his eyes shining in the dark with love for me were enough to overwhelm my senses.

He kissed my lips again, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, "I love you" I whispered.

"As I love you," he said in answer, and I knew that even though I would always miss my Mom; tomorrow I would spend my birthday in Edward's arms, with Edward's lips on mine, and Edward's soft words in my ear.

I also knew that this was how I would spend not only every birthday to follow, but every day for the rest of our lives together. My heart was filled to capacity with love for this man, my husband, my lover, my dearest friend. It was also filled with no small measure of gratitude, whether to Divine Providence or to a simple twist of fate which had brought him to me.

I hadn't even realized that tears were trailing down my cheeks until I felt Edward's fingers wipe them away. "Bella, sweetheart what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," I answered in a choked whisper. "Happy tears Edward. I realized that I'm not dreading my birthday tomorrow; I'm looking forward to spending it with you."

I could see him smile at me in the dark. We made love slowly as Edward whispered softly in my ear. Each movement brought my body closer to that moment of ultimate euphoria, just as affected by his words as by his tender kisses and soft caresses.

As he moved inside me, slowly and deeply, I realized how truly we were two parts to one whole. What better expression of that than to be joined, to be  _one,_ in this way.

I moaned softly as my fingers ran through his hair, before trailing down his neck and shoulders until I was clutching his upper arms and gasping as the sensation of my climax overtook me. Edward stilled and his stuttered breaths told me that he was also close.

We came together silently, in the darkness of our little cottage, and held tight to each other afterward as we drifted off to sleep.

_-V &V—_

It was the middle of the night when I was awoken by a strong urge to relieve my bladder.

The problem was that I didn't want to move. I was warm and comfortable under the covers with Edward wrapped around me.

Finally, after a few moments of arguing with myself, I decided that I wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep until I dealt with it. I extricated myself from the bed and crawled to the ladder.

I felt weird walking around the tiny cottage naked, so on my way down, I grabbed Edward's t-shirt which was lying on the suitcase and slipped it over my head.

When I crawled back in bed, my cold feet inadvertently touched my husband's legs causing him to jerk back.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I shivered back under the covers.

He automatically wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. "Too many clothes," he breathed as he pulled at the material of the t-shirt I wore.

"I had to pee and felt too naked walking around well, um,  _naked._ " I ended with a giggle.

"You're silly," I could hear the smile in his voice. "No one will see you except me."

I thought about that. "I don't know Edward. This place is pretty freaking old. Suppose it's haunted." I whispered the thought, almost afraid to express it out loud.

I felt his chest vibrate with laughter. "Bella, you're afraid of being naked in front of a ghost?"

"No, I mean yes. I mean suppose the ghost is some kind of  _pervert._ " I answered; the thought alone was giving me the creeps.

He laughed out loud then. "You really are nuts. You know that right?"

I shrugged.

"And why suddenly are you so afraid? The Tolkien house is quite old, but I've never heard you mention your fear of ghosts there?"

I frowned. "Well, now that you've said that, I'll probably be freaking out there as well. Thanks a lot Edward." I added with no little sarcasm, drawing forth more chuckles.

"Now that I think about it, if I saw Professor Tolkien's ghost I'd probably scream like a fangirl before I'd remember to be frightened." He continued to laugh as I voiced my thoughts. "Although, I still wouldn't want him to see me  _naked..._  Therefore, as long as I confine my nudity to the bedroom of that house, I probably won't feel too weird." I looked at him worriedly, not able to make out his face in the dark. "You don't think he'd haunt our bedroom do you? That would be kind of rude."

Edward answered through his laughter. "No, I feel certain that Professor Tolkien's ghost would be the height of decorum and good manners. He'd never haunt the bedroom or bathroom either, for that matter."

"Are you making fun of me?" I asked him, suddenly feeling too sleepy to defend myself as I settled into his warm embrace.

"Never," He said before kissing my forehead. "May we go back to sleep now?"

"Okay," I answered with a sigh; the word ' _sleep'_ automatically causing me to yawn and relax into his chest.

It was like Edward uttering that word was  _magic._

As I thought about that, I felt my eyelids close and a little while later I heard what sounded like my voice mumbling, "Are you some kinda hypnotissss Ewar?"

His chest rumbling with quiet laughter was the last thing I heard.

_-V &V—_

"Wake up beautiful girl." Edward whispered as his fingers ghosted under the t-shirt and along my bare back.

"Mmm." I didn't want to wake up. I turned until I was lying fully on my stomach.

Edward pushed my hair to one side. "Happy birthday," he whispered in my ear just before I felt the blankets move. Cool air was suddenly wafting across my bare bottom and lower back where he'd pulled up the shirt. His lips started to press kisses on the exposed skin of my back as he worked the shirt up higher. "Come on Sleeping Beauty."

I opened one eye and peeked at him where he sat beside me sporting a wicked grin. The light outside the window was grey. I had a feeling that it was still quite early. "What time is it, and if I'm Sleeping Beauty, I get to sleep for at least another hour."

Edward chuckled. "It's seven-thirty, and you were the one who said this reminded you of a fairytale cottage. My knowledge of fairytales is somewhat limited but I believe Alice made me sit through Disney's  _Sleeping Beauty_ , and I seem to recall a cottage."

I grinned. "My favorite is  _Beauty and the Beast._ But I'll settle for  _Sleeping Beauty_ and another hour of sleep _._ "

I grabbed the blanket and tried to pull it over my head. Edward's hand was there first, stopping me. "Uh, uh, uh," he said in a scolding tone. "Get dressed; we have a full day ahead."

I frowned.

"If you won't let me sleep, you could at least make it worth my while to be awake." I grinned and wiggled my eyebrows at him as I said the last part.

"Is that an official birthday wish?" he asked, smirking.

I narrowed my eyes. "Maybe."

Edward fulfilled my wish,  _and_ even allowed another half hour of sleep before demanding I get out of bed. In his words, I was 'wasting precious minutes by sleeping'.

_V &V_

_Harlech Castle_

I stared up at the massive stone structure in amazement.

After breakfast and another stroll along the beach, we'd bid our little stone cottage goodbye and driven the few miles up the coast to the castle.

We walked arm in arm through the interior of it as a chill wind, accompanied by intermittent rain, whipped around us.

"If it's this cold in September, I can only imagine what it's like in winter." I said with chattering teeth. I was still having trouble acclimating to the difference in temperature from Barbados. Edward pulled me closer and rubbed my upper arms briskly in an effort to warm me. I seized the opportunity and leaned up to kiss him.

He hummed against my lips. "Despite the cold, are you enjoying your birthday so far?"

"Oh yes." I answered as I thought back to making love that morning and to the gift Edward had presented me with before leaving the cottage. I squealed like a child on Christmas morning when I had unwrapped the first edition copy of  _The Hobbit,_ signed and inscribed by the author.

I didn't want to think how much he'd spent on it.

"Oh Edward," I'd said through happy tears. "This will be a perfect start to our library."

My intention was that the next time we were in England; I would begin my search for books to fill the shelves in the Professor's study. It was a chore I eagerly looked forward to.

During the ride back to Oxford, I had a lot of time to think.

_Twenty-three_

There was nothing special about being twenty-three. It was not a 'milestone' as was eighteen or twenty-one, or even Edward's quarter-of-a-century. I smiled to myself. But, at age twenty-three, I was happier and more content than I'd ever been in my life.

I looked over at Edward as he drove and studied his profile. Even though we were only two years apart, in so many ways he was much more mature than I was. He'd basically been on his own for almost seven years, had his own career, owned his own home. I silently wondered if he'd ever tire of my sometimes juvenile behavior. I also knew there was nothing for it; I was Renee Swan's daughter, my silliness was an inherited trait.

_Thank God for Charlie's genes which diluted the crazy; at least in my case._

_Emmett on the other hand…_

Thinking about Charlie and Renee brought on an unexpected bout of melancholia as I realized that this was the first birthday that I'd spend without at least one of my parents. Suddenly I was glad to be flying to Seattle tomorrow.

I missed my Dad.

And even though I probably wouldn't see him for a few days after we arrived, I was ready to go home.

During the ride, I'd received birthday phone calls and texts from Rose, Emmett, Chris, Alice, Jasper, Tara and Joanna. I'd heard nothing from my Dad, but assumed he was probably working and would call me when he could. Esme had said that she and Carlisle would speak with me that night.

At some point I dozed off, but managed not to freak out this time when I woke up in what felt like it should be the driver's seat.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at the house. "Relax for a while," Edward said as we walked to the door. "We don't need to leave for a couple of hours."

I'd been able to phone Lianne soon after we'd arrived in England, and had been thrilled to discover that she would be available to dine with us on my birthday, so in two hours' time; we would be driving into London and meeting her at one of Gordon's restaurants.

I entered the foyer and almost bypassed the front parlor on my way upstairs when a sudden movement in my peripheral caught my attention. I turned to see three people standing in the room with broad smiles on their faces.

"Happy birthday Bella," Esme's sweet voice sounded from where she stood next to Carlisle and my Dad.

I clasped my hand over my mouth as my eyes filled with tears, and threw myself into the familiar warmth of my father's waiting arms. "Daddy" I whispered as I hugged him while breathing in the scent of home.

"Happy birthday Bells," he answered in a broken whisper. "Hope you didn't think I forgot." When I pulled back to look at him, I noticed the tears pooling in his eyes.

I hugged him again before turning to my in-laws who proceeded to pull me into their arms as the tears streamed down my cheeks.

"How are you here?" I sputtered out when I regained the ability to speak.

"Edward had this arranged for quite a while." Esme admitted through her tears.

We were quite a mess.

It was at that precise moment that I caught a glimpse of my husband as he stood in the doorway eyeing our exchange with a loving smile.

I closed the short distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist before resting my head on his shoulder and whispering into his neck. "Oh Edward, somehow you knew exactly what I'd need today. Thank you. I love you so much."

It turned out that the three of them had arrived the day before, and had spent the night at a hotel in London. Tonight they would be staying with us.

_-V &V—_

"There she is, the birthday girl," Gordon exclaimed as soon as we were seated. "Happy birthday Isabella." He gave me a hug and a kiss before shaking Edward's hand.

"Esme my darling, so good to see you," he said as he gave my mother-in-law a hug. "I adore this woman Carlisle." He announced to my father-in-law while looking at him over Esme's shoulder.

"From what I've heard, the feeling is mutual." Carlisle answered with a laugh as he shook Gordon's hand.

Hellos and introductions were exchanged before we drank champagne and our parents shared stories of our childhood. While we ate, Lianne and I were able to bring to light a few Emmett escapades which even Charlie hadn't heard before.

We laughed until we cried.

"So Dad, Suzanne didn't come with you?" I asked.

He shook his head, but I noticed a twinkle in his eye as he answered. "The school year just started, so she didn't feel right about taking the time off just now."

I nodded in understanding. It was so weird to see my father in love.

_Well, with anyone other than my Mom…_

After the meal, Gordon presented me with a birthday cake complete with lit candles while everyone sang which, in turn, caused the tears to make a reappearance.

As the cake was served Edward turned to me; I noticed he held a large envelope in his hand. "Sweetheart, I have one more gift for you." He looked nervous.

Edward rarely looked nervous.

"I've had my financial advisor and our attorneys working on this for over a month." He handed the envelope to me; inside I pulled out a stack of papers the top one read  _Renee Swan Foundation._

I looked at Edward, hoping for more information.

He covered my hand with his. "I know we spoke about this when we met Kayla, so I hope it's still what you want. The foundation would be specifically aimed at helping children who have lost one or both parents to violence. It will help in two areas, providing them with therapy and helping with their education, to hopefully prevent these children from becoming another statistic. I've contributed the start-up money, but mother can speak with you about helping it to grow. She and Dad are experts at fundraising in the Seattle area." He smiled crookedly. "And I know a lot of people in Hollywood."

Edward went on to explain how the seed money was enough to open a small branch office in Seattle and another in L.A., our two hometowns. He also explained that aside from being a contributor, his name would not be associated with the foundation in any way. All decisions would rest with Emmett, Charlie, and me, and with anyone we chose to hire.

I sat still in my chair as I listened. Amazed at what Edward had done, and incredibly touched that he had thought to name this project after my mother.

When he finished explaining, there was dead silence at the table as I looked through the papers, not able to speak due to the lump which had formed in my throat.

"Bella, say something." He finally whispered, and I realized that he'd been waiting for my reaction.

"I honestly don't know what to say," I admitted. "I can't believe you did this… This is amazing Edward. I can't thank you enough for making this happen." I placed my hand on his cheek as my eyes brimmed with tears once again.

_Gah, all I've done today is cry…_

"And that you thought to name this after my Mom…" I swallowed. "Thank you." I whispered before kissing him sweetly, well aware of the several pairs of eyes watching us.

_-V &V—_

_Jetlag_

We'd been home from our honeymoon for two days, and I swore that the jetlag was worse the second day. The first twenty-four hours after we'd arrived home had been spent sleeping, unpacking, fooling around, and sorting laundry.

I wanted the night before Edward's return to work to be special, so I surprised him by coming to bed wearing only my  _Little Mermaid_  underwear and a smile.

His smile was bigger.

As I emptied the kitchen cupboards, carefully wrapping my dishes and placing them into boxes, I thought back to the night before…

"Baby, you are trying to give me a heart attack?" he whined as he drank in the sight of me, his eyes darting back and forth between my tits and my cartoon underwear. I giggled at his reaction as I moved closer to him.

"Definitely not. I don't want you incapacitated in any way." I said as I climbed onto the bed and straddled him. I paused and tapped my lips with my finger as I thought. "Although, if that were to happen, I could always sneak into your hospital room to visit…maybe play Naughty Nurse?" I made sure to grind against him as I spoke.

He groaned as his hands moved up the bare skin of my sides until they were high enough for him to be able to reach his thumbs around to graze my nipples.

Edward had admitted on the way home from England that, as eager as he was to fully move into the new house, he was thrilled to get a chance to make love in my apartment.

He said it would give 'closure' to all those months of sexual frustration we'd endured while staying there.

I told him he was just a horndog.

Leaving on the Mermaid underwear, I slithered down his body and tugged at the waistband of his sleep pants freeing his erection, as Edward lifted his hips in order to assist my efforts. I turned back to him after tossing the sleep pants to the floor and grasped him fully in my hand.

As I began to stroke him, Edward's fingers found my face, leaving feather light touches across my cheeks. When he traced my bottom lip with his thumb, I captured it with my lips and swirled my tongue around the tip, earning an appreciative groan from my husband.

Wanting to show him how much I loved him, I leaned down until my face was close to his erection. I swiped my tongue up the entire length before wrapping my lips around the top, and drawing him into my mouth. I heard a low murmured 'fuck' as I pulled him in a little further and sucked gently. I was aware that Edward's entire body had tensed.

Suddenly his hands were grabbing at my waist and pulling me. I had no choice but to release him, and the next thing I knew, my face was level with his.

"Oh Bella," he moaned before kissing my lips.

After the kiss, I pulled back and gave him a confused look. "Edward, why won't you let me, you know…"

_Pleasure you with my mouth…._

He sighed. "You don't have to do that Bella," he frowned.

"Edward, I'm confused. I thought all guys wanted that."

_Maybe Cosmo is wrong…_

"I mean well yeah, I do  _want_ it, but…oh fuck."

I was at a loss as I continued to frown. "What are you afraid of? I know I probably wouldn't be very good at it, but with practice I'm sure…"

"No Baby please don't feel hurt by my reaction," he said in a rush. "This is about me, not you my love," he insisted before pulling me down into a desperate kiss.

After the kiss, I looked into his eyes, "Edward please, tell me what's going on."

He closed his eyes and let out a breath. "It's just that everything's been going so well, it's amazing how far we've come. Sex has been…well I think you know, it's been nothing short of phenomenal, and I know there was a time you were afraid of it…" he sighed again, "That being said, after everything you've been through, I didn't want to put you in that position Bella… I don't want you to do something that will inevitably make you feel uncomfortable.."

_What is he talking about, putting me in that position?_

"I love you too much, please know that I'd never expect.."

And then it hit me.

_Oh my God_

Edward was thinking about my mother's death and what I'd had to witness that day.

_No!_

I grasped his face firmly between my hands. "Oh Edward," I exclaimed. "What I lived through has no bearing on my life with you… at least not in the way you're thinking. What I witnessed that day wasn't an act between two people who loved each other. It was violence, it was assault and murder." I felt as if I'd been punched in the stomach as I forced out the words. "Please never compare what we have to  _that._ " I dropped my face to his chest as I clung to him.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," he exclaimed in a panic. "I've made things worse." he said as he frantically rubbed his hands up and down my back. "I would never compare our relationship to that.  _Fuck_. I'm so stupid. In an effort to  _avoid_ dredging up those memories, I've done precisely that. I'm so, so sorry…"

I spent the next few moments mulling over what he had said as he continued to hold me. Eventually I pulled back to look at his face. He looked so sad. "Edward, please don't do this to yourself. I'm okay, really."

He gave me a wary look.

"And I can see that you were only trying to protect me. You're right, there was a time when the thought of sex terrified me, but that was before I met you. In those days, any unfamiliar human contact could send me into a panic attack. That has changed;  _I've_ changed, thanks to you." I let out a breath. "May I ask you to do me a favor?"

"Anything," he whispered.

I smiled at him. "From now on can you please try not to overthink everything?"

He nodded and let out a breath before giving me a sad smile. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"To the brink of insanity?" I asked with a grin.

He laughed before pulling me down for a kiss. One kiss turned into several, and before long we were making love. We took our time, and I made sure only to kiss his lips and his chest, for now.

I smiled as I thought about how he'd fretted over leaving me when the car arrived to take him to work in the morning. I'd forced back the tears at the thought of being separated from him for the first time in over a month, and plastered a smile on my face as I kissed him goodbye.

I had just finished packing the last of my mother's china when my phone buzzed with a text message.

_**Miss you, beautiful** _

I smiled.

_**I miss you too, can't wait until tonight** _

I knew that Edward wouldn't be home until about seven. My plan was to cook dinner so that we could spend a relaxing evening in the apartment. The next text was unexpected.

_**What are you wearing?** _

I laughed out loud at the fact that, no matter how much he tried to hide it, Edward was a typical guy at heart. I looked down at my baggy sweats and ratty t-shirt before making the spur of the moment decision to tease him.

I ran into the bedroom, stripping off my clothes as I did, and pulled one of the sexy lingerie sets from the suitcase, one which I'd never worn. I mussed my hair before snapping a quick photo of myself in the silky little number and sending it to him.

I giggled as I anticipated his reaction.

A full five minutes passed before my phone rang.

"Jesus baby, I can't believe you did that. Luckily I was walking to my trailer when I opened that photo. Needless to say, I'll be hiding in here until I, er,  _calm down._ "

I couldn't stop laughing. "Edward, you are such a boost for my ego."

Edward chuckled, "As are you for my  _libido_."

_Touché_

"Are you still arriving home around seven tonight?"

"Yes, hopefully sooner," I could hear the smile in his answer.

"I'll be counting the minutes." I breathed, not wanting to end the call.

"Me too baby." He paused before speaking again. "I'd better go," he said sadly. "Oh and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Be wearing that when I arrive..."

_-V &V—_

I was so excited that I was practically bouncing in my seat. We were on our way to Emmett and Rose's new home for dinner. It was Friday evening, and tonight was the night they would tell everyone the sex of the baby.

Edward had to work until almost seven again; therefore we would be the last to arrive. I'd seen Rose and Emmett since our return, and had been amazed at how big Rose's baby bump had grown in the month Edward and I were away.

I fell in love with Baby Swan a little more when I'd had my hand on Rose's belly and was rewarded with a kick.

Edward laughed at me. "Bella, if you're this excited now, I can only imagine what you'll be like when the baby arrives."

"I can't help it Edward. It seems like only yesterday that Rose found out she was pregnant, and now we've only got three more months until we get to see Baby Swan in the flesh."

Their new home was beautiful, open and spacious, just the way they liked. Even though it wasn't fully furnished yet, all the furnishings they'd moved from the apartment made it quite comfortable.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway, our loved ones poured through the front door to greet us. Alice and Chris, whom we hadn't seen since the wedding, were the first to reach us, immediately pulling Edward and me into a tight embrace, while Jasper stood by watching with an amused expression.

"Okay so, I want to hear everything about the honeymoon," Chris began excitedly, "well, of course not  _everything,_ " he paused, "Oh  _hell yes_ , you know I want to hear about that too but I won't be tacky enough to  _ask_." He admitted with a loud laugh. "Of course that doesn't mean I won't be open to a little  _detail sharing_ on your part Bella Mia." He grinned as Alice shook with laughter.

Edward and I laughed too. "We missed all of you so much." I exclaimed.

I was hugged by everyone, so much so that I was certain I'd have bruises come morning. Even Mrs. Whitlock embraced first me, and then Edward.

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

As a matter of fact, she was very well behaved during the entire evening. Aside from the snarky remarks she made about a couple of Hale cousins, she didn't act like the same woman I'd grown to know and loathe all these years.

_I'll have to ask Rose about that later…_

Finally, as we sat down to dinner, the moment arrived that we'd been anxiously waiting for. Out of deference to Rose, our champagne flutes were filled with ginger ale. My brother stood up, glass in hand, and a very happy smile on his face. "First of all, thank you for coming tonight. It means a lot to Rosie and me to have you here to share our news." He raised the glass. "Actually, Rose and I would like to toast all of you, because we can't imagine a better family to greet our  _son_ when he arrives."

_A son…._

_A son!_

Emmett stood there grinning as he watched his words register with the others in the room before everyone started speaking at once.

"A boy! You're having a boy!" Alice exclaimed as she jumped from her seat to hug Rose. Mrs. Whitlock began to cry before hugging my brother.

I was, surprisingly, able to hold back my tears, at least for the moment as I pictured a little boy, the perfect mix of Rose and Emmett.

Would he have my brother's brown curls or would he be blonde like Rose? I couldn't wait to find out.

Emmett was laughing when he grabbed his glass again. "I still need to finish the toast."

We all smiled and raised our glasses.

"To all of you gathered here, whether related by blood or not, you are our  _family_. Rose and I cannot wait until we are able to introduce our son,  _Charles Whitlock Swan,_  to each and every one of you."

I gasped.

_Charles…..a little Charlie_

With those words, the tears I'd been holding back began to trickle down my cheeks.

By the time Emmett pulled our Dad into a bear hug and I noticed the tears that both of them tried to hide as they wiped their eyes, I was a blubbering mess.

I wasn't the only one.


	78. Good Friends & Fireside Picnics

 

"Rose" I whispered as I followed her into the kitchen with a stack of dirty dishes. "What is up with your Mom? I feel the distinct absence of the Dragon Lady."

Rose grimaced before shaking her head with a sigh. "The simple answer is that she's in therapy. She started while Em and I were on our honeymoon."

_Wow_

"She informed me of it about two weeks ago. She said she needed to sort through her shit because she didn't want to lose her kids." Rose grinned. "Needless to say, she didn't use the word  _shit._ "

I giggled while Rose smirked.

"Well that's…." I hesitated, thinking of the right word " _something._ "

Rose shrugged, nonplussed. "We'll see if she can keep this up. Obviously, I'd love to have a good relationship with my Mother, but I'm not holding my breath. We had a very honest discussion, and I admitted that my biggest problem with her was that she placed too much value in the opinion of others with regard to her children."

I nodded as I listened. "I mean, honestly Bells, could I be married to your brother if I gave a shit what other people thought?"

We both laughed.

I looked down at her ever growing baby bump and smiled. "So baby Charlie huh?"

She grinned. "Well, Emmett and I have discussed that in order to avoid confusion; we may call the baby by his middle name, but shorten it to 'Whit'." She frowned, "that seems like such an adult name for a little baby though. I guess we'll have to see what feels right when he arrives."

"Three more months Rose," I grinned. "Can you believe it?"

She gave me a nervous smile and shook her head. "No. Sometimes the thought of being a mother is overwhelming…"

Just then we were interrupted by Alice and Chris, carrying dishes and laughing as they entered the kitchen. "Rose," Alice exclaimed. "Your husband is misbehaving again."

"When is he not?" Rose asked.

_Valid question_

We stopped what we were doing and walked into the living room to find Emmett showing ultrasound photos to the other guests. Esme's face was red from laughing, as was Suzanne's, even Mrs. Whitlock was in hysterics. The men were laughing as well, except for Charlie, who had his arms folded across his chest as he scowled at my brother.

_Oh my_

Emmett grinned when he saw us. "Hey Bells! I was just telling everyone that the ultrasound tech didn't have to tell me we were having a boy. Take a look at this," he exclaimed before shoving a photo in front of my face.

It was an ultrasound photo obviously, but it took a moment to focus on what I was actually seeing. I felt my eyes open wide and my chin drop, "Emmett!" I exclaimed. "What is this?"

"Well, you see, that right there is the  _scrotum,_ and…" he began as he pointed at the photo.

I wanted to scream as the room filled with laughter once again. "Emmett! I know  _what_ it is; I want to know  _why exactly_ am I holding a photo of my nephew's  _genitalia_?"

" _Because_ sister dear," he began to explain, "I wanted to share this with everyone. I got a lot of photos from the ultrasound. I'm saving this shit for posterity so that someday I can show my son that even before his birth he was  _packing_."

He then turned toward everyone else as he held up the photo in question.

"He's going to have the biggest dick in the maternity ward!"

I opened my mouth to inform Emmett that the baby already had a big dick for a father, but I just couldn't. I shook my head as I looked at him. "It's just too easy." I muttered.

Emmett narrowed his eyes at me as laughter filled the room once again.

_-V &V—_

Later that evening, Edward and I found ourselves on Emmett and Rose's terrace, admiring the view of the Sound. I couldn't wait until we moved into our new house for good.

I was seated on one of the loungers, leaning back against Edward's chest when we heard someone exiting the house through the glass doors.

"Alice, you and Jasper have been wonderful, but I feel like I'm crowding you." I heard Chris say as he and Alice walked onto the terrace, obviously unaware of our presence.

"Christopher, you're my best friend. Best friends help each other. You have a place with us for as long as you need, you know that." Alice immediately stopped speaking when she saw Edward and me.

For the first time that evening, I took a good look at Christopher's face. I'd sensed that something was off, but was so wrapped up in the news about Baby Swan that I didn't pay close attention.

I felt like a lousy friend.

On the surface, Chris seemed like his usual playful happy self. He smiled and laughed, but only now did I realize that the smiles never quite reached his eyes.

Edward, who was much more in tune with both Chris and Alice, spoke up then. "What is going on? And don't tell me it's  _nothing,_ " he said in a demanding tone. "Chris, why are you staying with Alice and Jazz?"

Chris let out a huff and sat on the lounger next to ours, pulling Alice down to sit beside him. "I made a conscious decision to keep this from you and Bella before your wedding but," he raked his fingertips across his forehead, "Gerry and I have split up," he said in a sad tone.

"Oh Chris, I'm so sorry," I told him as I reached for his hand, covering it with one of mine.

He shrugged and let out a breath. "It's been coming for a while. I knew for sure when he backed out of attending the weddings with me." He frowned deeply. "He said our age difference was just too great, and that we didn't want the same things."

"He  _is_ kind of set in his ways," Alice said with a small smile as she rubbed Christopher's back soothingly.

"I know," Chris answered as he glanced at us before giving Alice a grateful smile. "So, I moved out of his house, put my things in storage, and moved in with Jasper and Alice."

"I wish I'd have known," Edward said sadly.

"No, Edward. I didn't want anything to take away from your wedding day. I'll be okay, as soon as I get over the fact that I've wasted the last three years of my life," bitterness evident in his tone.

"Oh Christopher," Alice said sadly.

Chris patted her arm before getting a determined look on his face. "I love you all, and appreciate your concern, but I'd kind of like to keep this between us right now," he informed. "I don't need to be the main topic of conversation tonight."

We nodded in silent agreement. Jasper exited the house a few minutes later, carrying two large drinks. He gave us a knowing look and handed the drinks to Alice and Chris. "I may have spiked them," he announced with a cheeky grin.

They both smiled at him before Chris's gaze dropped to Jasper's feet. "Loving those boots cowboy," he teased as we watched Jasper's face turned a deep shade of red.

Everyone laughed then, and even though he was hurting, I was certain that Chris was going to be okay.

_-V &V—_

"Are you sure you don't mind?" I asked.

"Baby, go out, have a good time." Edward assured me. "I'll probably just fall into bed when I get home."

It was Saturday afternoon; Edward left at noon for the set, and would be working through dinner.

Emmett had flown to Denver early that morning with the team. Originally Rose and I were going to visit with Alice, Jasper and Chris, but then she had the bright idea that we should take Chris out to cheer him up.

To be honest, I was going a little stir crazy hanging around the apartment every day, even though I'd been busy packing boxes and working on my next book.

So, that was why I found myself dressed to the nines, courtesy of Alice and Rose, and sitting in a club in downtown Seattle while I listened to my friend pour his heart out.

"I always admired him, you know, the older man, a college professor," Chris slurred. "These past few weeks have given me time to think. Gerry is hands down the smartest man I've ever met, but I'm not sure if I was in love with  _him,_ or in love with the  _idea_ of him. Does that make sense?"

We nodded.

He bit his lip before continuing. "I should have known he was too good for me."

"Bullshit!" Jasper suddenly blurted. "Gerry always thought he was better than anyone with less than a PhD. He's what I refer to as an educated  _moron_. Alice and I tolerated him for your sake Chris. You are well rid of that stuck up sumbitch."

My mouth fell open in surprise. Not only at Jasper's colorful choice of words, but at the fact that he would so vehemently defend Chris. The way Chris constantly teased him, I was never sure if Jasper actually liked him.

"You have to admit that he was a very stifling presence in your life Chris. He never appreciated the real you." Alice added.

Chris was thoughtful for a moment before nodding his head. "That's true. Remember when I wanted to be Lady Gaga last Halloween, and he forbade it. I thought he was going to have a stroke," he said with a small smile. "I always felt like he was a little embarrassed by me."

"Exactly," Alice agreed. "Honey, you are a beautiful person inside and out, and even though I know you don't want to hear this now, there's someone out there who is meant for you, and when you find them you won't have to change who you are in here to be happy," Alice said as she gently tapped the spot on Chris's chest which was just over his heart.

I watched as Chris's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you Alice. You always know exactly the right thing to say," he choked out before he hugged her.

_-V &V—_

It was late when I arrived back at the apartment. I slipped into the bedroom to find Edward sound asleep in our bed. I leaned down and kissed his cheek, before leaving to take my shower.

When I climbed into bed, he didn't say a word as he pulled me close and put his arms around me. The sound of his even breaths made me believe that he was still asleep.

That was until he spoke. "How's Chris?"

"At the moment, he's very drunk." I answered with a giggle.

"Sounds like he isn't the only one. I'm very glad that Lou drove you."

Since we'd been back from our honeymoon, I'd convinced Edward that it was perfectly safe for me to venture out without Lou from time to time. The paps didn't seem interested in following me when I was merely running errands.

Tonight, knowing that I'd be drinking, and for Edward's peace of mind, I'd made arrangements with Lou to transport me to and from the club.

"Chris got emotional when he talked about the breakup. I think the only thing that will help him now is  _time._ "

"I'm sure you're right." Edward sighed. "To be honest, I'm glad they're not together any more, Gerry was an asshole, but I hate to see Chris hurting. He doesn't deserve that." he whispered.

I nodded in agreement.

Suddenly Edward shifted position; he leaned up on his elbow until his head was close to my shoulder. I turned in order to see him better. "Bella, I was thinking…" he paused. "This is so weird and so great at the same time because I actually have to check with someone else before making a decision," he grinned widely.

"What?" now I was curious.

"Well, would it be okay with you if I offered our L.A. house to Chris. It's just that I hate to think about it standing empty for most of the year, and I know we said we'd lease it out. But how great would it be to have someone we know and trust living there instead?" His words came out in a rush. "And when we need to be in L.A., we could still stay there…"

I turned to face him fully and placed my finger on his lips to silence him. "Edward, you don't need to convince me, I think it's a wonderful idea."

He hesitated before smiling widely and pulling me close. "Let's ask him tomorrow."

The next day was Sunday. Esme and Carlisle had invited us to their home in order to watch Emmett's game.

"Chris seems better today," I mentioned as I brought Rose a cup of tea where she sat in the sunroom. We'd forced her to sit down and put her feet up before the game started.

Rose shrugged. "Don't be fooled. He's been pretending to be okay for a long time Bells. Call me jaded, but I'm suspicious that there was something more to this," her voice dropped to a low whisper. "I bet that fucker Gerry was cheating on Chris."

I frowned.

"Well, it's something we'll probably never know for sure," I said with a shrug.

Part of me hoped that, if it was true, Chris would never find out. I could only imagine what it would do to his self-esteem.

_Are you kidding? His self-esteem is already in the toilet…_

Rose gave me a sad look, and I was surprised to see her eyes fill with tears. "Chris is a wonderful guy. He deserves better." She said as she wiped her eyes. "Here I'd been so happy with Charlie finally finding someone, and you getting married…"

I pulled her into a hug. "Oh Rose." I didn't really know what to say. My circle of loved ones had grown in the last year and with it the number of people I worried about on a daily basis.

"Damn hormones," she said with a grin as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Come on, let's go watch the game," I urged.

I sat next to Suzanne and giggled at her wide-eyed expression as she watched my Dad rant and rave every time the Broncos scored. During the fourth quarter, when we were certain the Seahawks were going to lose, Dad couldn't take any more. "I need some air," he muttered before leaving the room.

I giggled harder, which caused Suzanne to join in. "Is he always like this?" She asked. "He didn't seem to be this animated during the pre-season games."

I shrugged, "Some games he handles better than others." We were still laughing when Dad reappeared, looking sheepish.

A moment later, I felt Suzanne touch my arm. "You know Bella, we've never really had a chance to talk since I started dating your Dad," she bit her lip. "Do you think we could get together some time?"

I nodded. This very subject had been on my mind as well. "I'd love to Suzanne. I'm pretty sure we'll be making a trip to Forks soon. I'll let you know, maybe we can have lunch?"

Suzanne smiled gratefully, "That sounds perfect."

Our attention was suddenly drawn to the screen where they were conducting post-game interviews. As usual, the reporters sought out my brother first.

_**Hello Emmett, that had to be a disappointing game after your win last week.** _

' _Yeah, all losses are disappointing. What can I say? The Broncos introduced a new player today, and we were blindsided. No one knew what this guy could do.'_

_**Hopefully you'll have better luck next week against San Diego.** _

_Emmett nodded._

_**On a personal note, I hear there will be some changes around the Swan household before the season is over.** _

Emmett flashed a large dimpled grin.  _'Yep. My wife and I are expecting a baby boy at the end of December. Just hoping he doesn't arrive on game day.'_

The reporter laughed.

_**I know your wife is watching back in Seattle, would you like to say anything to her?** _

' _I sure would. Hey Babe, I love you and I want you to take it easy until I get back. Oh and remind the Chief that the house rules still apply whether I'm there or not.'_ He said before wiggling his eyebrows.

_Huh?_

"Jackass," I heard Charlie mutter under his breath as Rose laughed and Suzanne blushed.

Rose looked at our questioning faces, and evidently felt the need to explain. "Well, you know how when we'd visit Charlie before we were married, and he always forbade me and Emmett from sleeping in the same room?"

If the others in the room weren't aware of that fact before, they were now.

"Anyway, Suzanne and Charlie have been staying with us since Friday…."

I smiled when I realized where this was going.

"Emmett enjoyed himself immensely when he showed Suzanne to the guest room and told Charlie he had the option of the twin bed in the baby's room, or the sofa."

"My son doesn't seem to realize that I have more respect for Suzanne than to assume we'd share a room." Charlie defended.

_Huh. I wonder if Dad is following his own rule of 'no sex before marriage'._

Everyone chuckled lightly except for me as I thought about the fact that my Dad may be having sex with my former teacher. The thought made me uncomfortable.

Then I remembered having sex with Edward while my Dad slept two doors away in the Tolkien house and I realized I was being silly.

_Get over it Bella. Parents have sex._

_Yeah, I can accept that, but it still squicks me out to think of it._

_-V &V—_

Somehow, after the game, Edward and I found ourselves in his old bedroom. I looked around at the photos adorning his dresser and shelves and realized that Esme had added a few from when Edward and I were dating.

There was a very sweet one she'd taken when we'd gone out on the boat; we were windblown, but extremely happy.

Edward sat at the foot of the bed and pulled me over until I stood in front of him. He looked as if he had a lot on his mind. "So filming starts in earnest tomorrow huh?"

He nodded.

"Where exactly will you be?" I asked.

"The first half of the week, we'll be filming around the Space Needle, the last half at the Edgewater." He said as he lay back on the bed, pulling me on top of him. "After that, we have a few scenes to shoot downtown before moving to the set constructed near Olympia." He answered as his fingers brushed lightly along my sides.

It was very distracting.

"Hey Edward," I spoke in a low voice, trying to sound sultry. "We're in your childhood bedroom. You wanna fulfill every teenage boy's fantasy?" I made sure to thrust my hips in order to leave no doubt as to the meaning of my question.

His eyes widened before he pulled me down for a kiss. "Do you even need to ask?"

_True_

_Especially considering I can feel his erection through my dress_

"I think I'd better lock the door, because you know my sister barged right in here the last time we were in this r…."

He didn't finish his sentence before the door flew open. "Oh for the love of…. would you two stop getting your freak on and come join the rest of us?" Rose barked, completely unapologetic over the fact that she didn't knock.

Then I heard Alice's lilting laughter, "Good gravy, I know you're newlyweds, but this is ridiculous."

I buried my face in Edward's chest as I laughed.

"Go away ladies," Edward told them, but his voice held no anger. Their answering cackles made him laugh out loud.

"Rain check on violating my old room?" he whispered in my ear.

"Well, when you put it that way, how can I refuse?" I said with a smirk before standing and pulling him with me.

_-V &V-_

"As some of you know, Carlisle's birthday is in four days." Esme began. We were seated in the large dining room awaiting coffee and dessert. "He hates me to make a fuss, but I couldn't let this opportunity pass, now that I have you all here." She said with a smile as Edward entered from the kitchen carrying a large birthday cake, his smile just a bit brighter than the glow of the lighted candles.

Before we left, Chris pulled me into a tight hug. I knew that he, Alice and Jasper were returning to L.A. the next day, "See you soon Bella Mia, and thank you." He added in a whisper. "I have been dreading going house-hunting. I'm just not in the right frame of mind for that right now. To be honest, I don't know when I will be. Your house is perfect. I'm not too far from Alice, but I can still have my personal space, and not feel like I'm crowding anyone."

"Stay as long as you like Chris. We'll be back in L.A. from time to time when Edward's schedule requires it, therefore we've left it fully furnished, but Seattle is our home now." I grinned. "Just promise me you won't hide away from the world the way Edward used to."

Chris smiled and shook his head. "Alice wouldn't let me."

I thought about how Alice and Jasper were the ones to keep Edward from wallowing in depression, and had faith that they'd do the same for Chris.

That next week was spent packing more boxes and enlisting Lou's help in moving them to the new house. A moving truck would be coming to take my furniture in another week or so. With Esme's help, Edward and I were able to choose several furnishings for the new house.

I glanced around at my emptying apartment with a twinge of sadness. It was the same twinge I felt every time I walked into the hallway and faced Emmett and Rose's old apartment door.

There had been a few instances when I'd almost gone over there to relay some news or a funny story, before I remembered that they no longer lived there. It tugged at my heart that they were gone, but that fact made it a little easier for me to leave as well.

The apartment was part of my past, and I was looking toward my future. With Edward.

I met with my publishers on Tuesday. They were adamant about wanting to schedule a book tour. I explained that the earliest I'd be available for such a venture would be in January. They weren't pleased. The release of the book had been pushed back to November, hoping to cash in on the Christmas shopping season, and I knew they were dying to reveal my identity to the general public. In the end, Mr. Corday defended by decision to remain anonymous a while longer, and the others reluctantly agreed to a January book tour.

Edward was working long days. A lot of the time he'd be gone for twelve hours at a stretch. He explained that it wasn't physically demanding, at least not yet. A lot of his day was spent standing around waiting for the next shot, or hanging out in his trailer until they were ready for him. The time of day he seemed to enjoy the most was spent working out with his physical trainer first thing in the morning.

Even after he arrived home, he spent a great deal of time reading over his script. I got the impression that, because we'd had such a long honeymoon, he'd missed a few rehearsals, but he'd never admit it.

When Tanya gave birth to a little girl that week, it was the top story in the entertainment news. By the weekend, every tabloid had a photo of a smiling Tanya cradling her little Katya from the hospital bed. Unfortunately, a couple of the tabloids decided to also run a photo alongside showing me out 'partying'. It was a photo from the night we'd taken Chris out, and was framed in such a way to make the public believe that I'd already grown bored of married life, and implied that Edward's 'fake' girlfriend was more virtuous than his new wife.

Edward was livid, whereas I tried not to let it get to me. I was beginning to understand that these things came in waves. One week they would hate me, the next I could do no wrong. I refused to allow my happiness to hinge on what the latest issue of the  _Star_ had to say about me _._

Edward's mood swings were a little disheartening. I knew that he missed not being with me all day. I also knew that he felt guilty that he wasn't home to help me with the move. I did my best to cheer him, and made sure to remind him about how difficult it had been the last time he'd been filming, especially when he was in London and I was home in Seattle.

On Saturday, I put into action a plan I'd been cooking up for a couple of days.

"Hey Bella," Alec grinned as he met me at my car.

"Hi Alec. Has Edward had a good morning?"

"It's been busy. Here's the key to his trailer, I took the liberty of having one made for you."

"Thanks." I smiled gratefully.

Alec led me to the trailer and informed that it would probably be an hour before Edward would arrive. I glanced around before placing the takeout I'd brought on the counter, and settled in to wait.

Almost an hour later, Alec sent a text informing that Edward was on his way.

I quickly pulled off my coat and draped it over a chair.

The look on his face when he opened the door and found me waiting took my breath away. "Bella! What a wonderful surprise." He exclaimed before pulling me to him.

He was in wardrobe, and looked gorgeous in his dark suit, white shirt and black tie. I wasn't sure I liked the heavily gelled hair though.

His character was a federal agent, but he could have passed for a CEO or a politician.

_He looked hot._

"I brought lunch," I said as I gestured toward the counter full of food. "Unfortunately, I've been here almost an hour. I'm afraid it will require a little re-heating."

"That's fine, I'm famished." He said with a smile before removing his jacket and tie.

I must have been gawking because he gave me a knowing smile before pulling me against him again. "Maybe the food can wait."

I shook my head, effectively clearing the fog from my brain. "No. Eat." I said as I patted a hand on his chest. "You may need your strength later." I followed up my statement with a teasing wink.

"Oh is that so?" he asked, and just for good measure, he flashed me the 'panty-dropper'.

_Shit_

I was about five seconds away from pulling him down on the daybed and having my wicked way with him, when my stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten all day.

Edward laughed. "Let's eat baby."

We silently prepared our plates and warmed them in the microwave before Edward pulled two bottles of water from the mini-fridge.

After the first bite, I abruptly realized I was starving, and dug in. When I came up for air a few minutes later, I could feel his eyes on me.

"Did you skip breakfast again Bella?"

I bit my lip and gave him a quick nod. "I had a cup of tea?" I offered weakly.

"Bella, how do you expect me to leave when I can't trust you to take care of yourself? You've lost weight in the past week."

That was true, but what Edward didn't seem to realize was that I only lost the couple of pounds that I'd  _gained_ while we were away.

"Promise me that you'll take care of yourself, no more skipping breakfast." He asked in a quiet sincere tone.

I looked into his eyes, full of love and concern.

"I promise." I whispered.

That seemed to satisfy him, and he gave me a soft smile. "So how has your day been, other than the fact that you didn't eat?" he asked as he took a bite of his Pad Thai.

"Kind of boring," I answered with a shrug. "I got some writing done, and even wrote the outline for another book."

"That's great Bella," he smiled. "May I ask what this one's about?"

I bit my lip. "Well, some of the ideas came to me while we were on our honeymoon."

It was true. A tropical island and a pony would figure prominently in this one.

Edward stopped chewing and quirked an eyebrow at me.

_What?_

I looked at him warily. "Why are you giving me that look?"

He swallowed and moved closer to me. "Baby, is this book for children, because if you got the inspiration during our honeymoon, I can only imagine it would have to be x-rated," he grinned and pecked me on the lips.

I giggled, having suddenly lost the desire to eat. "Edward, you are  _bad._ "

"I'm just being honest."

"Hmm."

_I can quirk my eyebrow too…._

"Have you finished?" I asked as I pointed to his almost empty plate.

He nodded, still smiling. "And I don't have to be back for…" he glanced at his wristwatch "another hour." He put his arms around me. "Whatever shall we do to pass the time?"

"Uh, checkers?" I asked teasingly.

My answer drew forth a laugh from my husband. "Oh I think we can do better than that," he whispered, his tone full of promise.

"Um, can you give me a minute?" I asked as I held up one finger and stood from the daybed, headed to the tiny bathroom.

After brushing my teeth, I came back out to find that the food and paper plates had disappeared. He smiled and pulled me to him again before kissing my lips. "Why Mrs. Cullen, you're minty fresh."

I grinned. "Yep, I used your toothbrush."

He laughed before excusing himself, no doubt in order to brush his teeth as well.

I quickly removed my dress, tossing it with the coat. That left me in the lingerie set that I'd worn when I sent the text to Edward a week before. He'd said that it was his favorite so…

There was a full length mirror on the wall behind the door. I took a quick peek at my reflection, not dwelling on the fact that I looked a little pale. The beautiful tan I'd acquired in Barbados was fading away.

I sat back on the daybed and waited, striking the most seductive pose I could muster.

_I probably look like a doofus…_

Judging from the expression on Edward's face upon exiting the bathroom and finding me sitting there, I didn't look foolish. Not at all. As he made his way to where I sat, his eyes were bright and happy, his crooked smile as sexy as hell.

He pulled me up from the daybed and into his arms. "How did I ever get so lucky?" he asked. "You are a vision Mrs. Cullen." He whispered.

I smiled up at him shyly, his eyes were smoldering, his burning gaze caused my heart to skip a beat, but there was so much more behind his expression. There was desire, surely, but I could also discern the pure joy and wonder that Edward felt, and I knew that it was there because of me.

When he looked at me that way, as if I were the answer to every prayer he'd ever uttered, it was a staggering, dizzying feeling, and I knew that I would go anywhere, endure anything to be with him, because when I looked into those eyes, I found everything I would ever need.

We took our time, beginning with slow sweet kisses, and soft caresses. I had no idea how much of the 'hour' had passed by the time we were pressed against one another, naked, our clothing strewn about the trailer.

Our lovemaking was slow, sensuous and beautiful.

Afterward, as I lay across his chest, spent and still naked, I could feel Edward's fingertips tracing smooth circles across my back. I felt relaxed to the point that a few more minutes, and I'd be asleep.

"Baby," Edward's voice pulled me back to consciousness. "I need to get back to the set."

"Oh," I tried to jump up from where I was lying on Edward, but his hands held me against him.

"Take it easy Bella. I have a few minutes yet." He sat up, pulling me with him and kissed me awake.

I took a deep breath and smiled at him.

"Better?"

I nodded.

"Good," he said as sat me on the daybed and got up to gather his clothing.

I kept my eyes on him as he moved, never wanting to miss an opportunity to watch a naked Edward. I saw him glance at his watch after he'd pulled on his boxer briefs. "Bella, get dressed. I'd like to introduce you to a few people."

_Oh crap. I wasn't prepared for this…_

Edward noticed my worried expression immediately and smiled. "Sweetheart, it will be fine. It's not every day that I get to show off my gorgeous wife."

_There he goes again…making me feel wanted, loved, beautiful…_

We exited the trailer almost fully dressed; Edward was carrying his jacket and tie. "I can't believe our little romp didn't even muss your hair." I remarked with a giggle.

He grimaced. "I swear they use cement to hold it in place."

I laughed, appreciating the fact that he obviously washed his hair before returning home each night.

Around the corner, we found Alec and Sidney waiting patiently.

I flushed as I realized that they knew  _exactly_ what Edward and I had been up to in the trailer.

Edward simply draped his arm around my shoulders and kissed the side of my head. As we neared the Edgewater Hotel, I noticed a couple of people were holding a conversation with a man seated in a chair. It wasn't until we were right next to them that I recognized the seated gentleman as Clint, in a baseball cap and dark glasses.

He immediately stood and shook my hand, "Well hello there Bella, good to see you again."

I smiled in response.

"Bella, I'd like you to meet Caroline and Andre, who are co-starring in the film," Edward gestured toward the two people standing with Clint; both very attractive; so much so that I immediately felt like a troll standing beside them.

Then I noticed the adoring pride evident on Edward's face as he introduced me, coupled with the fact that I'd just been naked with him in his trailer ten minutes before, and somehow I didn't feel like a troll any more.

I shook hands with his co-stars and followed Edward over to a man standing off to the side leafing through what looked like a script. He was tall and attractive with sandy blonde hair. Truth be told, he reminded me of Jasper. He was even wearing cowboy boots.

"Shane, I'd like you to meet my wife." Edward said as he approached the man. "Bella, Shane is the author of the novel  _Enemy Combatant._  He's working as a consultant on the film."

I nodded in understanding as Shane gave me a big smile and shook my hand. "Edward tells me that you also write Bella." He had a pleasant voice with what to my ears sounded like a slight southern accent.

"Yes, my first children's book is about to be published."

Shane's smile grew wider as he let go of my hand. "That's great. I can't wait to read it."

"Baby, do you think you can stick around?" Edward asked with a hopeful smile. "I'm hoping to only be a couple of hours longer."

"Of course," I returned his smile.

_How could I ever refuse him?_

Edward gave me a quick kiss and waved at Shane before walking back to Clint; Alec and Sidney following in his wake.

"I don't know about you, but I need a cup of coffee. Would you like one?" Shane's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Sounds good."

I followed him to a refreshment table where we chatted as we fixed our coffee.

"So Bella, how long have you been writing?" Shane asked.

"Ever since I was a child, I've written stories for my own entertainment I suppose. I didn't get serious about it until probably my senior year of high school, about five years ago."

_Why am I telling him my life story?_

He nodded. "I've been writing since I was a child as well. I've always been one of those people to live inside my own head," he chuckled. "Needless to say, it didn't make me very popular in school."

"I know what you mean." I whispered, thinking back to my horrid high school years.

Shane gave me a long look. "Forgive me Bella, I know that there have been a ton of stories about you and Edward in the news, but I have neglected to read much about you."

I smiled. "That's probably a good thing. They rarely get it right."

He grinned. "To be honest, when Edward was cast in the film, I paid closer attention to some of it."

I grimaced.

He noticed my reaction. "Nothing bad, I promise you."

We chatted for a long while as we as we watched the crew putting the finishing touches on the set up for the next scene. Edward was nowhere to be found.

Shane was surprisingly easy to talk to. We discussed our favorite books, our favorite authors. "Gosh Shane, you like a lot of dark, depressing stuff." I teased.

He shrugged. "I guess so. I've always liked political intrigue, and stories about the darker side of human nature. You know, the people with no moral compass, terrorists, murderers, and especially serial killers."

I looked down at the dark liquid in my cup, pondering his words.

I heard Shane gasp. "Oh Bella, I am so sorry."

My eyes shot up to his.

"What the hell was I thinking? Please forgive me. I mean, when I said I didn't know a lot about your life it was true, but I know enough to realize my words were insensitive. I'm just so comfortable speaking with you; I wasn't thinking before I opened my mouth…"

"Shane," I said as I lay my hand on his forearm. "Relax; you didn't say anything to upset me."

"Are you certain?" he asked worriedly.

I chuckled. "It's fine. I was just thinking about what you said. My past is precisely the reason that I always tended to read stories with a guaranteed happy ending. I've lived through enough dark stuff that, when I read, it was always an escape from reality."

He frowned. "I can understand that."

"Granted, I was required in school to read some of the stuff I normally avoid. Now that my life is perfect, I should probably give those books another chance." I said with a laugh.

He smiled then. "Maybe we should form a book club consisting of the two of us?"

I nodded and smiled. It was so nice to have someone to talk to.

We spent the next couple of hours chatting as we watched Edward filming in the distance. I found out that Shane was from Oklahoma and grew up with his parents and two brothers. He was twenty-nine years old, and had a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and now lived in St. Louis.

He hadn't been home to Oklahoma in years, and I sensed some sort of familial discord there.

He'd taken a job writing for a news network, while writing books on the side.  _Enemy Combatant_ was his first published work. He described it as 'something along the lines of a Tom Clancy novel'. In other words, something my Dad would love.

_Heck, he's probably read it…_

When it looked as if the scene was wrapping up, Shane turned to me. "Well Bella, I have a meeting with Clint as soon as they're finished filming, so I must bid you a reluctant farewell. It has been a real pleasure speaking with you. I hope to see you again." He said as he grinned widely. "I was serious about the book club thing. Just remember, I'll be on set most days, waiting around until they need my opinion. It gets tedious, but I'm making an obscene amount of money, so I can't complain."

I smiled back at him. "I enjoyed this Shane. I'll try to come back sometime next week."

He waved as he walked away.

The next day, Emmett had a home game, so Charlie and Suzanne drove up from Forks for the afternoon.

"How are you feeling Rose?" I asked as we sat in the sky box.

I would be so happy when we moved into the new house. We would only be a few miles from Rose and Emmett then.

"Really good." She smiled. "I'm enjoying the new job so much Bella. I've pretty much been given carte blanche and it is a wonderful feeling." She leaned in to whisper, "I just found out last night that I'm flying to L.A. to interview Daniel Day-Lewis late next week." She grinned excitedly. "I've been trying to set up a few others while I'm there."

She suddenly turned serious. "Listen, Clint called Emmett and asked that he be on set Wednesday afternoon for his 'ass filming' scene." She rolled her eyes.

I giggled, and made a mental note to stay far away from set that day.

Rose shook her head in semi-disgust. "I don't think it will be too terrible." She began. "Supposedly we only see his ass for a second."

I snorted out a laugh then, she did the same. " _Anyway,_ it means he will miss our pre-natal yoga class this week, and I need a partner, so will you please take his place?"

"Who are you, and what have you done with Rosalie?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

"What?"

I smirked. "The Rose I know would never  _ask,_ she would simply  _inform,_ as if I had no choice in the matter."

She smiled, seeming a little embarrassed. "I think I've mellowed a little. I'm just so damned happy; it's hard to be a bitch 24/7."

I laughed again. "Oh Rose," I said with a sigh.

Approximately two days after I'd visited Edward in his trailer, fan photos taken that day hit the internet. Edward's fan sites were abuzz with everyone comparing and commenting on the photos of Edward fully dressed upon entering the trailer to those of us leaving, him looking rumpled and missing both his jacket and his tie.

The tabloids picked up on the story immediately after I was seen attending the pre-natal yoga class with Rose, explaining that for the sake of our child, I'd decided to give marriage to Edward another chance.

_Fucking idiots_

Rose had been so grateful that I attended the class with her that she didn't tease me about the trailer sex.  _Much._

Despite the constant presence of fans and paps, I still visited Edward three afternoons that week, but since it was during my fertile cycle, we'd forced ourselves to behave.

It was beyond difficult, but somehow we managed.

Shane and I chatted again each time I visited, recommending books to each other and then discussing what we'd read the next time we met. By the end of week, I'd added quite a few new selections to my Kindle.

On Saturday morning, I was writing on my laptop, when I received a phone call from Rose. Even though we'd spent time together just three days before, it seemed like so long ago. This was someone I'd seen daily for the past four years, it was so strange to have that taken away.

"When are you moving to the house? I miss being closer." Rose questioned.

"Well, I'm going to surprise Edward this Wednesday. Everything important has already been moved, but I want our first night in the house to be special. I've just been waiting for this damned fertile cycle to end and…." I shut up, realizing what I was confiding to Rose.

I heard her low chuckle on the other end of the line. "Please continue Mrs. Cullen, I would  _love_ to hear all the sordid details."

_Crap_

As much as she'd tried to wheedle information from me about sex with Edward, I'd successfully remained closed-mouthed about it, aside from telling her that it was more wonderful than I'd ever imagined.

"I… I… oh fuck." I muttered.

"Yes, that is the  _operative_ word," she remarked with another chuckle.

"I don't want to tell you because then you'll discuss it with Alice and you two will laugh about something that is amazing and beautiful and  _perfect._ "

"Bella, we would never laugh at you," she said seriously. "Alice and I are  _so_ happy for you and Edward. I mean, we had conversations while you two were on your honeymoon in which both of us were literally crying tears of joy for you."

"Really?"

" _Really._ " She paused. "Now tell me about the sex," she demanded before chuckling again.

I sighed.

"Bella, tell you what. If you share the details you're comfortable with, I  _won't_ share any details of me and your brother going at it."

_Eww_

"Rose you are evil."

"Sometimes," she said in agreement.

I sighed again. "Well, Edward's been getting home at about seven each evening. I've already informed Sidney to bring him to the new house on Wednesday night. I plan to have dinner waiting. We won't have a table and chairs yet, but I was thinking a picnic in front of the fire…."

"Oh Bella, that's so romantic."

"Yeah. I'm going to light a lot of candles, just like he did on our wedding night…"

Rose squeaked.

I chuckled and continued. "It was beautiful. He'd fully furnished the bedroom, which was perfect considering that was the only room we needed. Well that and the bathroom of course." I trailed off.

There was dead silence for a moment. "Oh my God Bella, did you have sex in the bathroom?"

Rose, ever astute, had gleaned more information from my statement than I'd ever intended to relay.

"Uh…" I was glad she couldn't see the blush I felt overtaking my face.

"You  _did,_ " She gasped, before cackling loudly. "Please tell me you did not have sex for the first time in the bathroom."

"Of course not Rose," I barked. "We did it twice in our bed before having the shower sex." I exclaimed before slapping my hand over my mouth.

_Fuck me._

The roar of laughter from the other end of the line could quite possibly have damaged my hearing if I hadn't jerked the phone away at the last second. "Damn Bella. Three times in less than twenty-four hours and one of those was in the shower!" She was gasping for air as she tried to speak through her laughter. "And now you're doing it in Edward's trailer. You two are a couple of horn dogs."

When she finally calmed, I spoke again. "You will keep that to yourself if you ever want me to babysit." I threatened.

Rose was still snickering. "Oh Bella. That was priceless. I won't ask any more details but," Rose's tone suddenly turned serious, "tell me that Edward made it good for you sweetie. The first time."

And there she was; my friend and surrogate mother; always worried, always protective, always concerned with my happiness.

"Yes," I told her in a whisper. "I knew in my heart that it would be good. It was unbelievable. And since then, it only seems to get better…" I sighed. "Edward makes me feel so loved and so cherished that, it's so intense between us… sometimes I'm afraid I'll be swept away…it's hard to explain."

"Bella, believe me, I understand," she answered quietly. "When you're as deeply in love as the two of you, there's a connection that goes far beyond just having sex."

She sighed. "I'm so happy for you honey, and even though I tease, I hope you know that I love you very much."

"I love you too Rose."

"And I won't tell your brother about the shower sex," her giggle returning. "He still hasn't quite recovered from learning about the trailer sex." She blurted before laughing loudly in my ear once again.

_Fuck my life_

_-V &V-_

On Tuesday, I decided to visit Edward again. After Lou and I dropped some boxes off at the new house, I had him take me to the set, hoping Edward would be finished soon after.

I slipped past the handful of fans hovering near the barricades, and walked toward the crew. Shane spotted me as I entered and walked over. "Hey Bella," he greeted cheerfully.

As we chatted, I noticed Edward walking toward us, smiling happily. Somebody must have informed him of my arrival.

"Hey baby," he greeted me with a smile and a kiss before turning to Shane, "I thought you'd left Shane," it was an innocent enough question, but I was able to detect a slight edge to Edward's tone.

"I, uh, yes, I was just about to leave when I saw Bella. I thought I'd say hi."

Edward nodded before turning back to me. "I didn't know you were coming today."

"I wasn't sure myself until a little while ago. I had Lou drop me off; I thought maybe we could ride home together?"

Edward looked conflicted. "I won't be done for hours yet Bella."

"Oh, well, that's okay. I'm always happy watching."

He frowned. "The thing is, as you can see, we're literally filming in the street today. I'm afraid you'd have to stand so far away that you wouldn't be able to see much." He rubbed the back of his neck while he spoke.

"I don't mean to intrude but, Bella why don't you wait in the coffee shop on the corner. They have a large collection of books there."

At the word 'books' I smiled brightly. "That sounds perfect."

"Thanks Shane," Edward smiled gratefully. "Bella, I don't want you waiting alone, how about if I have Sidney stay with you?"

Shane spoke up again. "I can go with her Edward. I have nothing waiting for me but an empty hotel room. This way we can continue our discussion on what constitutes literary genius."

We both chuckled lightly. We'd had some lively discussions during the time we'd spent together.

Edward frowned at me. "Is that what you want?" he asked almost in a whisper.

Once again Edward was worrying about me. He knew I didn't feel comfortable in the company of strangers. I'd need to explain to him later that I didn't consider Shane to be a stranger.

Not anymore.

I touched Edward's forearm. "Come find me when you finish?" I said with a small smile.

He nodded and smiled gently back before swiftly kissing me goodbye.

The next couple of hours found Shane and I comfortably ensconced in a large overstuffed sofa with a stack of well-worn classics sitting on the table in front of us.

"It's so nice to have actual printed text in my hand. The kindle's great, but I miss holding something a little more substantial."

I smiled and nodded in agreement.

We'd discussed every topic from the rise and fall of the Roman Empire to the public's fascination with vampires, when I decided to ask something a little more personal.

"Shane, if this is too forward you can tell me to mind my own business."

He quirked an eyebrow and smiled. "You've piqued my curiosity Bella."

"I just wondered if you had a significant other. I know you said you'd never been married, but you're such a great guy I can't imagine you don't have someone special back in St Louis."

He looked a little flustered. "No, no one special," he drew in a deep breath. "I've had a couple of relationships, but I guess I'm still holding out for  _the_   _one_  as they say."

I giggled. "So you  _are_ a romantic at heart."

He laughed. "Maybe," he paused, suddenly turning serious, his eyes on mine. "Bella, I …."

"Hey baby," the unexpected sound of Edward's voice made me jump a little. I turned to find him smiling down at me. "Sorry," he murmured as he pulled me up and into his arms.

My heart fluttered in my chest the way it always did when he held me.

We said our goodbyes to Shane and headed back to the apartment.

Edward was unusually quiet that evening. I assumed he was tired.

It wasn't until we were lying in bed that he told me what was on his mind. "You've been spending a lot of time with Shane."

"Yes, he's really great Edward. I haven't known him for very long, but I feel comfortable with him. I think he could be a real friend."

Edward sighed.

"Does that bother you?" I asked, suddenly concerned by his reaction.

He hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe a little."

"Edward…." I whispered in surprise.

He chuckled darkly. "Look, I'm a guy. I can't help getting uptight when some dude is paying a little too much attention to my wife."

I thought about what he'd said, and how much it would bother me if I saw Edward chatting and laughing with an attractive woman.

_I'm an idiot_

"I'm so sorry Edward. I didn't even stop to think how that would make you feel. If you prefer, I don't have to come to the set when I know Shane will be there." It was a sincere offer. As much as I liked Shane, under no circumstances did I want Edward to be upset.

He pulled me close. "No sweetheart. Now I feel like an asshole. Here you are working every day to move us to the house, without a bit of help from me, and I begrudge you enjoying an afternoon with a new friend."

I was quiet for a while before feeling the need to explain myself further. I really didn't want him to stress about this. "Edward, I hope you understand. I mean, sometimes I just miss interacting with people. It's a very new feeling for me," I chuckled thinking back to just a year before, and how much I'd changed. "Rose and Emmett are working every day, my friends Tara and Joanna started their new jobs, Alice and Chris are in L.A., your Mom works…" I paused as his arms tightened around me. "Don't get me wrong, I like having time to work on my books and I will enjoy decorating the house; it's just that I've also enjoyed my discussions with Shane. He's a really interesting guy. I can't believe he doesn't have a girlfriend…"

"Huh," Edward grunted in response.

After a few minutes, I realized I wouldn't get anything more from him. I decided to let it go and soon after, I drifted off to sleep.

_-V &V—_

As soon as Edward left the next morning, I bounded from bed and packed all of our remaining clothing in suitcases. After scanning the apartment for anything left behind, I headed downstairs and loaded the bags in my Mustang.

On my way to Bainbridge Island, I stopped at the store and purchased everything I'd need for our candlelit supper, along with several bags of groceries to stock our new pantry.

For the rest of the morning, I busied myself in the kitchen with cooking and unpacking boxes from the apartment. In the late afternoon, I dusted and swept through the downstairs before tackling our bedroom.

It was a strange feeling to walk in there; everything was just as we'd left it the day after our wedding. I dusted and swept the room before putting fresh sheets on the bed and cleaning the bathroom.

I kept a watchful eye on the time as I put clothes away in the dressers and closet. I decided I'd have to continue that task the next day.

_Edward has a_ _**lot** _ _of clothes…_

At about six o'clock, I spread the picnic blanket downstairs in front of the fire and set a bottle of wine and two glasses on the window seat nearby. I showered and changed into a long champagne colored satin nightgown, before lighting the candles I'd placed near the wine bottle, and waited.

I was excited and jittery as I anticipated Edward's reaction. I imagined how his eyes would light up with understanding that it was safe to make love again.

My entire body flushed as I imagined him moving on top of me in front of the fire.

I drew in a deep calming breath, and poured myself a glass of wine.

At nine o'clock, I still hadn't heard from Edward. I'd broken my own rule and sent him a text asking how much longer he'd be. When he didn't respond, I could only assume he was still filming.

As it got later, I sent a text to Sidney reminding him to bring Edward to the house and asking if he had any idea how much longer it would be before they arrived. His response was immediate and terse: Edward was still filming; yes Sidney remembered where to deposit him; no, there was no estimate on when they would arrive.

My heart sank. I checked on our dinner which I'd placed in the warmer hours before. The beef had dried out to the point that it was inedible. I couldn't stop the warm tears from streaming down my face.

The dinner was ruined. My plans were ruined. The entire night was ruined.

It was no one's fault. It was just dumb luck.

I spent the rest of the evening feeling sorry for myself as I snacked on cheese and crackers, polished off the entire bottle of merlot, and sobbed into the linen napkins I'd set out for our picnic.

_-V &V-_

I groaned as I felt myself being lifted.

_Crap. Was I lying on the floor?_

My head was pounding and my mouth felt desiccated as I tried to open my eyes.

"Baby, I'm so sorry," Edward breathed into my hair as he carried me.

"Head hurts," I croaked out as Edward tucked me into our bed.

"I'll be right back sweetheart."

A few minutes later, he appeared with headache tablets and a bottle of water. I sat up to take them. "What time is it?" I asked as I looked at him through bleary eyes.

Edward frowned. "It's after three. Jesus Bella, did you drink an entire bottle of wine?"

"Guess so.."

He released a breath. "I am so sorry sweetheart. The shoot ran long, obviously. The good news is that I have tomorrow off, or I guess it's actually  _today._ " He said as he ran his hand roughly through his hair. "I had no idea you were planning this, but I don't think there's any way I would have been able to avoid working late, even if I'd known."

"S'okay," I whispered.

"No, it's not," he said before giving me a gentle kiss. "I love you."

"Love you too…" I answered groggily.

He chuckled. "Sleep my love."

_-V &V—_

It was very late morning before I was able to drag myself from our bed. After a couple of hours of listening to Edward apologize for being the cause of my hangover, I was wishing he'd gone to the set.

Well, not really, but my head hurt, and my body ached. I wasn't in a good enough mood to worry about relieving his feelings of guilt. Also, I was angry with myself for drinking the wine, and felt the throbbing in my head was just punishment for my stupidity.

Strong coffee and breakfast went a long way toward helping to improve my mood, and by afternoon, I was almost back to normal.

Several pieces of furnishings we'd ordered were due to arrive, and I was gratified that I didn't have to face the daunting task of meeting the truck on my own.

With Edward there, everything flowed smoothly, and by that evening we no longer had a house filled with empty rooms.

Edward refused to let me cook dinner. Instead he ordered in, and drew a bubble bath, forcing me to relax in it while he waited for the food.

The warm water and fragrant bubbles were heavenly, and managed to remove any lingering stress. As soon as I felt myself trying to fall asleep, I stood and toweled off. Certain that the food had to have arrived by that time; I slipped on a nightie and robe, and trudged down the stairs. The sight that greeted me made my heart stutter in my chest.

Edward was standing beside the fire with a nervous smile on his face, dressed in black jeans and a long sleeved grey Henley, and holding a small bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. As soon as I was close enough, he handed me the flowers and kissed me gently. "I was just coming to find you," he said.

He pulled me down to sit on the picnic blanket which was spread in front of the fire once again, the containers filled with our dinner resting in the center.

"I still feel exceptionally guilty for last night," he began, causing me to roll my eyes. He chuckled and shook his head. "You'd gone to so much trouble sweetheart, that I didn't want your plans to go to waste."

I wrapped my arms around him and smiled. "Thank you Edward," I breathed. "Sometimes you are too good to be true."


	79. Demon Spawn & Movie Marathons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Thanks to the lovely pixiekat7 for her beta work on this! More than just beta work, your note of encouragement was exactly what I needed to hear right now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Mwah!
> 
> *Lots of silly fun and some drama ahead. Enjoy!

 

_Previously-_

_He pulled me down to sit on the picnic blanket which was spread in front of the fire once again, the containers filled with our dinner resting in the center._

_"I still feel exceptionally guilty for last night," he began, causing me to roll my eyes. He chuckled and shook his head. "You'd gone to so much trouble sweetheart, that I didn't want your plans to go to waste."_

_I wrapped my arms around him and smiled. "Thank you Edward," I breathed. "Sometimes you are too good to be true."_

Edward laughed lightly. "You're silly," he said before pressing his lips to mine. "Bella, as I've told you before, you are the most important thing in my world and, even though I know I'm not perfect, when I screw up I will always try my best to make amends."

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Edward, you  _never_ screw up."

He eyed me skeptically.

"Don't say it," I warned. "If you apologize once more I'll scream."

He looked amused. "Really Bella?"

"Yes," I tried to hide my smile. "I may even throw a fit."

"A fit?" He grinned.

" _Yes_ , you needn't look so smug. I am female; I can throw a fit with the best of them."

He laughed then. "Bella, I would be willing to bet that the last time that happened you were still in diapers."

I rolled my eyes. "You're probably right," I muttered.

He hugged me then. "Well, since you won't let me apologize again, let's eat because I've got plans for you later Mrs. Cullen," he gave me a meaningful look.

The promise behind that look caused my girly bits to come to life immediately. I sat back on my heels and pressed my thighs together, willing my traitorous body to behave.

I wasn't sure why I bothered. Nothing I did would alter the fact that I was defenseless against the powers of Sexward.

"In lieu of wine, I thought iced tea the best option," he said as he poured us each a glass.

After we'd eaten and cleared away the dishes, Edward gathered the cushions from our new sofa and spread them on the blanket, and we lay back snuggling against each other before the roaring fire.

"This is so comfortable, and romantic," I whispered to him.

He nuzzled his face into my hair and breathed deeply. "I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be in this house with you again, sweetheart."

"Had enough apartment sex?" I teased.

He chuckled and nodded. "I think I'm good."

"You certainly are…" I began in a suggestive tone, causing him to chuckle again.

Suddenly Edward rolled me onto my back until he was hovering over me. "Well, you know what they say Mrs. Cullen, practice  _does_ make perfect."

"If my opinion counts for anything Mr. Cullen, you've always been pretty damned perfect." I leaned up to kiss his lips.

"Mmm," he hummed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around me. "I wish that were true."

"Okay, let's just say that you're perfect for me," I breathed the words.

"Likewise my love," he murmured. The fire was warm against our bodies, but Edward's lips were warmer as they engulfed mine in a passionate, loving kiss.

_I will never tire of his kisses, his soft words, his beautiful body…_

Unexpectedly, Edward pulled away then and stood. "I'll be right back." I watched as he stepped over to the book shelf which was along the same wall as the fireplace, and pushed a button on the iHome. He turned and sauntered back toward me, pulling his shirt off as he did so; the low sultry strains of Dire Straits beginning to filtering through the room.

It was as if he knew what that music did to me….

_High and dry in the long hot day  
Lost and lonely in every way  
Got the flats all around me sky up above  
I need a little water of love_

Edward knelt down in front of me and pulled me up to my knees as well. He kissed me again, slowly and deeply as his hands untied the robe and gently slipped it from my shoulders. As soon as it was clear of my arms I, feeling bolder than usual, reached for the button of his jeans.

He continued to kiss me as he let me work, until the button and zipper were undone. He stood, pulling me with him and yanked my nightie over my head before ridding himself of both his jeans and boxer briefs.

There we stood, both naked, Edward's arms around me in the warm glow of the fire. "I love you so much baby," he breathed before kissing me again. _  
_  
 _Water of love deep in the ground  
No water here to be found  
Some day baby when the river runs free  
It'll carry that water of love to me_

Edward's fingertips traced along my back as we kissed while my hands were splayed across his chest.

I slowly pulled my lips from his and looked into his eyes, trying to express without words how much he meant to me. Would he reject my attempts once again?

_Please Edward, let me..._

Keeping my hands on his chest, I dropped slowly to my knees. I slid my hands down his body, first over his sculpted chest and then his toned abdomen, until I rested my left hand on his hip and grasped his erection gently with the other.

I looked up to find his blazing green eyes boring into mine as I tentatively began to stroke him. I tightened my grip a bit and increased the tempo of my strokes while Edward's fingertips began to trail back and forth along my upper arms.

Now was the moment of truth.

_Will he push me away?_

_Again_.

I kept eye contact as I swiped my tongue along his erection from base to tip, stopping there to swirl it around the head, once, twice…

Edward licked his lips and inhaled a ragged breath, his eyes never leaving mine.

I decided to go for the gusto, and wrapped my lips around him, bracing myself for possible rejection. Edward's hands moved up to my shoulders, but instead of pushing me away, he gripped them firmly. "Oh God…" he murmured before throwing his head back so that I could no longer see his face.

I brought him further into my mouth and then moved back until I'd pulled him almost all the way out while keeping my mouth closed tightly around him. "Bella, fuck," he grunted, his voice strained.

_Did he want me to stop? Am I doing this wrong?_

I pushed him deeper into my mouth, and this time when I eased him out, I made sure to swirl my tongue around the tip again. The first indication I had that the noises Edward was making were pleasurable ones, was when he flexed his hips, pushing in and out of my mouth in synchronization with my slow rhythm.

"Oh baby, that feels amazing," his voice husky.

The feeling of having him in my mouth was  _different_ ; I couldn't say that I disliked it, but Edward's response to what I was doing…  _that_  I loved _._ It made me feel powerful and sexy.

Eventually, he did pull me up to stand and kissed my lips,  _hard._ "Fuck, I don't want to come in your mouth baby, but I'm going to return the favor. Come on, lie down for me."

Edward helped me to lie back on the cushions and positioned his body between my parted legs. He then proceeded to kiss and lick his way from my neck to navel. "Bend your legs," he whispered as he grasped them. I did as he asked so that he could spread them wide.

As he'd done many times before, he then used his fingers and tongue to make me squirm. At least this time I didn't feel that twinge of guilt, because this time, I'd been able to reciprocate.

When he sensed I couldn't take any more, he rose up and moved back up my body until his lips were hovering over mine. I braced myself when I felt the tip of his erection poised at my entrance.

Edward traced my lips with his tongue and then kissed them tenderly as he slowly eased inside me.

"You're always so wet and warm… oh Bella…" he breathed as he pushed all the way inside. "I love you so much baby."

"Mmm Edward.." I moaned.

"What baby? Tell me what you want." He asked as he moved.

_Oh…._

"Harder," I panted out.

As soon as the word passed my lips, his thrusts became more forceful, the rhythm faster, as I raised my hips to meet his.

He changed the angle of his movements, causing each thrust to hit a spot deep inside, and suddenly I was there… right on the edge…

I moaned again, lost in a haze of sensation as my body began to tense.

_Too much…._

"Come for me Bella," Edward whispered before taking my ear lobe gently between his teeth and moving his hand down so that he could tease my bundle of nerves, gently massaging and circling with his fingers and thumb.

"Ungh.." I cried out as I began to clench hard around him, my body exploding in an orgasm that shook me from head to toe.

Edward thrust again, and once more, before his body went rigid. "Bella," he moaned, sending a shiver through me as he thrust hard one last time and then stilled before collapsing on top of me.

Once our breathing calmed somewhat, I laced my fingers into his hair and left a gentle kiss on his cheek.

_-V &V—_

"Why did we decide to do this again?" I asked Edward as we were riding to Forks with Emmett and Rose.

Edward smirked. "Don't look at me Isabella. You were the one that wanted to ride with your brother."

It was true. In a moment of sheer and utter stupidity, I'd thought that riding with Emmett and Rose to Forks was a good idea. We'd planned this weekend for a while, knowing it would be the only one this season where Emmett wouldn't have a game.

The paps wouldn't think to follow us from Rose and Emmett's house, especially since we were riding in their Hummer, and the three hour drive would give me a chance to have a nice long talk with Rose; something I hadn't had in quite a while.

I'd failed to take into account the fact that my brother could be a pain in the ass, but even his goofy antics were minor compared to what else we had to endure during this particular ride.

The moment we piled into the Hummer, Rose explained the presence of the unexpected passenger seated between me and Edward.

"During our parenting class two nights ago, each couple was handed a baby doll to keep until next class. The doll has a computer chip in it which records how well we care for it," She said with a weary voice. "It's supposed to simulate taking care of a real infant, but if that's true, I'll never make it as a mother," she added, almost in tears.

Emmett patted her hand soothingly as he drove. "Babe, you're going to be a great mother, and our son is going to be a great kid. He's not going to act anything like  _Gollum_ back there _._ "

My ears perked up at that, " _Gollum?_ "

Emmett nodded. "Just look at him," he directed. "He looks like Gollum, and he acts like an asshole."

Edward and I laughed. "Emmett, how can a doll act like an asshole?" I looked at the plastic infant strapped in the car seat beside me.

_He does resemble Gollum…_

"Trust me Bells, he's an asshole. When they cry, it's supposed to be like a real baby. They either want a bottle, a diaper change, or to sleep. Rosie and I were up half the night. There was no pleasing that little fucker."

Edward and I laughed again. Our laughs were cut short by the sudden screams which began to emanate from baby  _Gollum._

"Shit," Rose muttered. "Here we go again."

Edward and I tried to quiet the little thing by sticking its fake bottle in its mouth; I even changed its fake diaper. Emmett was right, it wouldn't shut up. The horrid screeching continued off and on during the entire ride to Forks.

"Can't you strap it to the roof?" Edward asked in exasperation.

"Tempting," Emmett admitted. "Unfortunately that computer chip is very sensitive. It can pick up if the doll is dropped or even moved too suddenly. I'd be afraid of strapping it up there."

"Jesus," Edward muttered as he shook his head.

"What does it matter Emmett?" Rose began, "We're going to flunk the class anyway," she stuttered through her tears.

"Babe, don't cry," Emmett said as he held her hand.

I glared at the demon spawn, still screeching at my side. Then I remembered what Emmett and Rose had planned for tonight. "Are you two taking Gollum with you to dinner?" Since he'd missed his class reunion while he and Rose were in Europe, Emmett had planned to have dinner with a bunch of his old classmates.

Rose wiped her eyes and turned in order to face me fully. "I, uh, was hoping that you and Edward would watch it for us."

I grimaced. "Oh, Rose…"

"That's fucking unlikely," Edward blurted before I could answer.

Rose started to sniffle again.

"Rose, I'm sorry…" his tone more conciliatory. "I mean, maybe if we hadn't seen and heard the little freak in action.. What I mean to say is that we will be more than happy to babysit for your son when he arrives, but if Bella and I have to watch that thing," he gestured toward Gollum, "I'm afraid I'll throw it out the window."

I nodded in agreement.

"But, we can't take it with us," her voice rose in alarm.

"Calm down babe. Somehow I knew Edward would be a pussy about this, and my sister's getting just like him."

"Hey," I defended.

"I'm just kidding," Emmett said with a snicker. "I already spoke with Pops. He said he'd be glad to babysit; says he needs the practice."

"I bet you didn't tell Dad everything," I challenged.

"Hell no I didn't," he boomed. "And if you don't want to get stuck dealing with Chucky, you'd better keep your mouth shut."

I hated keeping things from my Dad, but on the other hand the demon spawn made me want to jump from a moving vehicle.

I made the spur of the moment decision that Edward and I would borrow Charlie's truck and go out… somewhere…. anywhere… as long as it wasn't within hearing distance of the banshee.

_-V &V—_

I couldn't concentrate on my game. Neither could Edward for that matter. And by the looks of everyone else in the bowling alley, neither could they; although their reasons were vastly different from ours.

The good citizens of Forks weren't concerned that they'd left Chief Swan to unknowingly babysit the spawn of Satan. They didn't feel tremendously guilty for not even having left a single word of warning. No. The patrons of the Sunset Lanes were more intent on staring at the Chief's former basket case of a daughter and her fuckhot movie star husband.

_Whatever_

"Edward, are you ready to leave?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I think it's probably time we bailed out your Dad."

I sighed. "Poor Charlie, I hope he survived."

When we reached the house and opened the front door, we were greeted with an eerie silence.

"Dad?" I called as I walked further inside.

"In here Bells," his voice sounded from the dining room.

Edward and I stepped around the corner to find him cleaning his shotgun. Gollum was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey Dad, how was your evening?"

"Good," he said in his usual monotone. "Suzanne came by. Made me dinner."

"That was nice," I said as my eyes darted everywhere. "Um, where's Gol.., er, where's the doll?"

Charlie set down his gun and folded his arms, resting them on the table in front of him. He then proceeded to not answer the question. "Funny thing about that doll; Suzanne said they have those things at the high school. Supposed to discourage teen pregnancy." He shrugged.

I grimaced. "Not just teens," I muttered as I seriously pondered whether or not I ever wanted children if that's how they behaved as infants.

Charlie narrowed his eyes. "That's the other thing," he said, "that doll, although I'm sure it would scare the hell out of some hormone- driven teenagers, and maybe that's a good thing," he shrugged again. "But, there's no way that thing accurately simulates the behavior of a real baby."

He had my full attention now. "Really?" Edward asked as we slid into chairs across the table from Charlie.

He nodded. "I'm not sure why Rose and Emmett are taking a  _parenting_ class. I can see taking a class on childbirth so you know what to expect at the hospital," he paused and I watched as his face paled a little. "Wish your mother and I had; I've never been more frightened than when I was in that delivery room, not even when someone was holding a gun on me," he said in barely a whisper.

_Wow, not sure if this is convincing me to want a baby…_

He looked into my eyes, "But it was worth it," he said with a smile. "And if Emmett and Rose need advice on taking care of the baby, they can always come to me. I've changed my fair share of diapers and you kids made it to adulthood without ever drinking the Clorox," he grinned, "although I'm not a hundred percent sure that your mom didn't drop Emmett on his head once or twice."

We laughed.

"Point is they don't need that class. I'm sure all it's done is make them dread parenthood and pushed their anxiety level through the roof," he pursed his lips as he thought. "When they get home I'm going to tell them as much, and explain why I yanked the computer chip out of the little bastard."

My mouth fell open in shock, before I laughed. "You shut it off?"

"Yep, and stuck it in the basement," he smiled, pleased with himself. "Suzanne called one of her teacher friends and they told us how to do it. It's a good thing, because my next option was to use it for target practice," he grinned cheekily, showing his dimples.

Both Edward and I threw our heads back and laughed loudly.

"Dad, you're a nut," was all I could say.

He put his hands up defensively. "Hey, that doll's either defective or it was programmed by some jackass who knows nothing about infants. Either way, no one in this house will suffer sleep deprivation tonight."

As I'd promised Edward, we spent the next hour or so watching home movies from when Emmett and I were children. At first it was difficult seeing and hearing my mother, but after a while I began to derive some comfort from it. I relaxed into Edward's side as he rubbed my shoulder soothingly, while Dad made comments here and there about what we were seeing.

Emmett and Rose arrived just as we were watching video of Emmett's seventh birthday party in which he insisted that I get the first piece of cake. There I sat in my high chair at fourteen months old, my big brown eyes peering out from behind a mask of blue and white icing. It not only covered my face, but my hands and arms almost to the elbows. Emmett, both the one in the video and the one sitting beside us, howled with laughter every time I shoved another handful of cake into my mouth.

"Good times Sissy," he said before leaning over and kissing the top of my head.

Later that night, after we'd crawled into my old bed, Edward wrapped his arms around me. "You okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes. I'm glad we watched them even though it made me miss her more. Overall, it made me happy to see her again." I sighed and snuggled closer to him.

"I was glad to see them too Bella. It's strange, in a way it almost feels like I've been able to meet your mother now."

The thought made me happy.

After a few minutes of silence, Edward leaned down and kissed me. Then he kissed me again. Then he pushed his hand under my t-shirt until it rested on the bare skin of my back. "Is the door locked?"

"No," I whispered.

Edward slid out of bed and walked around it on his way to the door. I heard the click of the lock in the darkened room. Before he climbed back in bed, I watched his silhouette as he pulled off his t-shirt and threw it on the floor.

I tensed when he pulled me against him. "Edward, this bed creaks a lot."

"Ah huh," he murmured as I felt his warm lips kiss below my ear and then down my neck.

"I mean it's  _really_ noisy," I continued breathlessly. "My Dad can hear everything."

Edward stopped kissing me in order to reach over and press along the top of the old clock radio, hitting all the buttons until soft music began to play. "There, no excuses Mrs. Cullen. It will probably be a while before we visit Forks again, and I don't want to waste the opportunity to ravage you in your old bedroom."

"Perv," I giggled.

"Guilty," I could just make out his smile in the darkness.

And ravage me he did. As always happened when we made love, the world around us fell away, leaving me aware of nothing but Edward and I. In the end, I had no idea if I'd managed to remain quiet or not. I silently prayed that I wouldn't be embarrassed in the morning.

_-V &V—_

It was nice to see Father Pat again and to visit the church where Edward and I were married two months before. In some ways, it felt as if a lifetime had passed since that day. Every time I chanced a glance at my husband during Mass, he would give me a tender look and I wondered if he was thinking about our wedding day as well.

"Don't let him intimidate you," I whispered to Edward before I left the house with Rose. We were going to meet Suzanne for lunch, while Dad and Emmett took Edward out to the shooting range for a little target practice.

Edward grimaced. "I think he'd be tempted to shoot your brother before he would want to shoot me."

I laughed. "You're probably right."

Suzanne was waiting for us when we arrived at the diner.

As we ate, we shared light conversation about our weddings, Rose told us about Paris, and I talked about Barbados and London. Suzanne chatted about the current school year, and the goings on at Forks High.

After that, our conversation took on a more serious tone.

"I'm so glad we could have lunch today girls. I really want to get to know Charlie's family better."

"He's pretty important to you isn't he Suzanne?" Rose asked.

Suzanne wrapped her hands around her teacup and nodded. "He is," she said softly. Her words were simple enough, but I could sense the weight of the feeling behind them.

I began to feel uneasy. A knot was forming in my stomach, and I fought the urge to rise from my seat and flee the diner.

_Why does this make me so uncomfortable?_

Rose quirked an eyebrow at me; she knew me too well. Fortunately Suzanne never noticed my momentary panic.

She drew in a deep breath. "He makes me happy."

Rose nodded and smiled.

Suzanne eyed us nervously for a minute before continuing, "I was married once."

Rose and I sat there, quietly stunned by her revelation.

Suzanne looked at us again, "I'm surprised Charlie didn't say anything to you, but on the other hand, that's Charlie."

It was true; Charlie would never share personal information about anyone, even with his family. I'm sure he felt that Suzanne's past was her story to tell.

_My Dad's such a good guy…_

"Paul was in the army, we married soon after I graduated from college." She cleared her throat and began to play with a paper napkin that was lying on the table. "He was killed in a routine training exercise seven years later."

I noticed that Suzanne's hands were shaking as she told us of her pain. My apprehension at hearing how much Charlie meant to her was forgotten as I reached over and covered her hands with one of mine, offering what comfort I could.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

Rose nodded as well. "Oh Suzanne, I had no idea."

Suzanne offered a small smile. "It was a long time ago now. But sometimes, it feels like it happened yesterday…"

I knew the feeling.

"I don't have a lot of family, and Paul and I weren't able to have children, so when I finished out the school year, I decided to leave Colorado. I needed to escape the memories, so I sent my resume out to several schools on the west coast. Forks didn't pay as much as some of the others, but I couldn't resist the pull of the small town when they offered me a position." She smiled. "I love it here."

_She may be perfect for Charlie after all._

"I'd been friendly with Charlie ever since you were my student Bella, but I was glad he never asked me out back then. I wasn't ready." She smiled softly, "Your Dad told me that, in his case, it wasn't ever an option while one of his children was hurting. So you see, his happiness has always been contingent upon yours and Emmett's."

I knew this of course, but somehow hearing it from a third party, brought it home.

"He's a great Dad," was all I was able to choke out as my eyes filled with tears.

"He's a wonderful man. I try not to compare him with Paul, but they are similar in many ways." Suzanne said wistfully. "Quiet, strong, stubborn," she chuckled. "But in one way, Charlie is very different. Paul had wanderlust, being in the military was a good fit for him. He didn't like staying in one place for very long." She took a sip of her tea. "But Charlie has no desire to ever move away from Forks and that suits me just fine." She said with a smile.

_They sound really serious…_

Suzanne followed us back to Charlie's house where we continued to chat until the men arrived.

As soon as he saw me, Edward pulled me into his arms, and kissed me soundly.

We said our goodbyes to Charlie and Suzanne, and headed back to Seattle.

"So how was your lunch?" Edward asked as we rode along.

"As much as it surprises me to admit this; I hope Charlie proposes soon. Suzanne is perfect for him."

"Whoa Bells," Emmett exclaimed. "What the hell?"

"I know, I know," I said with a laugh. "That doesn't sound like me, but" I turned to face Edward, placing my hand in his as I looked into his eyes, "I'm starting to become a firm believer in instant gratification. Besides, they've known each other for years, what's the point in waiting? Dad's not getting any younger." I grinned.

There was stunned silence for a moment before Edward, Rose and Emmett all laughed at my response.

"Out of anyone, I thought you'd be the one most opposed to Pops remarrying Bells." Emmett was still shocked.

"I want Dad to be happy. He's been alone too long."

"Amen," Rose answered with a smile.

_-V &V—_

"Hey chicka," Chris chirped happily over the phone line. "Just in case you didn't know it already, we're flying up in two weeks for Mama E and Daddy C's costume party."

I smiled, well aware that Carlisle and Esme were having a costume party the week before Halloween. They'd decided to hold it early because of the fact that Edward and I would be flying to New Orleans on Halloween for the next phase of filming for  _Enemy Combatant._

"Yes Chris. I know all about it."

"Well Bella Mia, what you probably  _don't_ know is that Alice and I are doing yours and Edward's costumes; and you're not going to find out what they are until the day of."

"But…" I cringed, fearful of what Chris and Alice could come up with when they put their heads together.

"No buts!"

"But…"

"Isabella!"

I sighed loudly. "Okay! Let me just say that I refuse to wear anything too risqué."

Chris chuckled. "Now seriously, would we do that to you Princess?"

I hesitated for a long moment. "I'm not sure."

Chris laughed. "Wow, I'm gratified to know how much confidence you have in us. By the way, we're doing Emmett's and Rose's along with Daddy C's and Mama E's."

This caught my interest. "And no one will know what they're wearing beforehand?"

"Uh-uh. It's going to be so much fun!" He practically shouted. "Well Bella, I'd better get back to work. See you soon girlfriend. Ciao."

"Ciao, I mean goodbye."

I knew for a fact that no matter what they dressed Edward in; he'd still be sex on legs. I only hoped that whatever I wore could compare, and Edward wouldn't look like he was 'slumming it' by standing next to me.

_-V &V—_

' _ **The gossip sites seem to have run amuck with photos and speculation about Mrs. Edward Masen and the unknown man she was spotted with, sharing coffee and conversation. I have it on good authority that the 'mystery man' is none other than Shane Benedict, author of Enemy Combatant.'**_

' _ **Bella and Shane met on the set of the movie bearing the same name while Bella was there visiting her husband. Evidently Shane and Bella immediately hit it off, but sources in the know tell us they are 'merely friends'.'**_

' _ **Never fear Bellward fans, although the honeymoon may technically be over, Edward and Bella still can't seem to get enough of each other. Despite Bella's new friend, she and her husband were recently spotted back in Bella's hometown, attending services in the Church where they were married. Eyewitnesses said it was obvious that they were deeply in love; evident by the fact that they were holding hands and smiling at one another most of the time.'**_

I was so bored that I'd taken to reading the online gossip about Edward and myself. The insinuation that there was something other than friendship between Shane and I managed to piss me off somewhat, but I kept reminding myself that as long as Edward wasn't upset, then I would do my best to ignore the nonsense.

I only went to visit Edward once during the next week, because filming had been moved to the set they'd constructed outside of Olympia. Edward and I managed to have an 'extended' lunch hour in his trailer that day, which more than made the two hour drive worthwhile.

He wasn't arriving home until after nine each evening, which made my days rather long and lonely. I tried my best to keep busy; doing a bit more furniture shopping, meeting for lunch with Rose one day, and with Esme another, writing, cleaning and cooking, but I missed Edward terribly.

When Friday dawned, grey and rainy, it only added to my feelings of loneliness. Edward said that he'd be extra late because of doing a night shoot, but the good news was that he would have off all weekend.

I was in the midst of planning a special dinner that we could have on Saturday evening when my phone rang.

_Shane_

We'd exchanged numbers the last time we'd seen each other. Obviously, I'd made sure that it was okay with Edward before doing so.

"Hi Shane, how's it going?"

"I have the day off, can you believe it?"

"That's great, what will you do with all your free time?" I asked with a smile.

"Well…there's a John Huston movie marathon at the Uptown Theatre, and I was calling to see if you wanted to go?" He asked in a happy tone. "That is, if you're not busy."

I thought about it. Edward was working really late, and I was bored out of my mind sitting at home.

This seemed like the perfect distraction.

Then I thought about the paps. They'd already made too much of my friendship with Shane.

_Although, if I drive myself to the theater, there's a good chance the paps will assume I'm running errands, and won't follow._

"When does it start?"

"In a little over an hour." Shane didn't even attempt to mask the excitement in his voice. "You can come?"

"Why not?" I agreed. "It sounds like fun. Besides, Edward won't be home until really late, it gets lonely around here. It would be nice to get out for the afternoon."

"That's great Bella."

"Shane, because of the paps, I'll meet you inside the theater okay?"

He chuckled. "Sounds good Bella. Text me when you arrive."

I sent a quick text to Edward, telling him that I was going out for the afternoon, and that I missed him. I knew he wouldn't see it until he had a break from filming, but I wanted him to know that I was thinking about him.

On my way to my car, Rose called.

"Hey Bells, I've got a doctor's appointment this afternoon so I should be home early. How about you come over and have dinner with us before Emmett flies to Chicago?"

"Gosh Rose, I'd love to but I'm going to a movie marathon with Shane, and I don't think it's over until about seven. I think I'll just go home and crawl into bed at that point."

"Oh." Rose was quiet for a minute.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well.. Don't take this the wrong way Bells, but I just wondered if Edward is okay with the idea of you going out alone with Shane. I mean, I know you Bells, and I know you only have eyes for your husband, but the paps and the gossip sites have been pretty harsh lately."

I bit my lip. "I've discussed this with Edward. He's perfectly fine with me having a male friend."

"Are you sure?" She asked. "Bells, Edward's a sweetheart, but he's still a guy. There's no way he's not jealous, even only a little."

"I don't..."

"Listen, it's not for me to tell you what to do. I have male friends. I don't go out with them one on one though, we always go out as a group with their wives or girlfriends. From what you've told me, this Shane is unattached. I just want you to keep your guard up. He may be looking for more than friendship from you."

"Oh Rose." I suddenly felt nervous as I backed the car out of the garage, then I sighed, feeling a little defeated. I thought back over every conversation I'd had with Shane. "I don't get that vibe from him Rose. I think he's just lonely. He's here in Seattle without any friends or family."

"Honey, I didn't mean to cause you stress. If you think this guy's okay, then by all means go out and have a good time."

"Well, I've left a message with Edward, but he's working really late. It's not like he'll even miss me. As for the paps, I'm meeting Shane there, if anyone follows, I'll probably turn around and go home."

"It would be for the best I think Bells." Rose said in a quiet tone. "I love you sweetie. Maybe we can do dinner next week."

"Sounds good. Love you too."

_-V &V-_

"I can't believe you've never seen  _The Maltese Falcon_ Bella." Shane stated incredulously.

I shrugged. "It never caught my interest. I'm glad to say we've amended that today. Edward will be pleased." I smiled.

Shane smiled and nodded.

After Rosalie's warning earlier, I'd paid close attention to Shane's demeanor, but I could detect no flirtatious or suggestive behavior whatsoever during our afternoon and evening together.

The experience wasn't any different than if I'd gone to the movies with one of my friends from college.

I smiled to myself and grabbed a handful of popcorn as the next film began.

Four hours later, my stomach full of pizza, nachos and popcorn, I said goodbye to Shane and walked from the almost empty theater to my car.

I was halfway home before I remembered to turn my phone back on.

There were four voicemails, all from Edward. I got an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach as I listened to them one by one.

Edward's voice began, as soft and smooth as velvet:

' _ **Baby, where are you? I know you said you'd be out, but I need to speak with you. Call me back when you get this.'**_

In the next one, he sounded a little nervous, but not terribly worried yet:

' _ **Sweetheart, I am a little concerned that you haven't called me back. I may as well tell you that I'm on my way to the house. Clint doesn't need me back on set until tonight, so I thought I'd surprise you. Come home as soon as you can, or I can meet you somewhere. Love you.'**_

In the next message, his worry was evident:

' _ **Bella, I just spoke with Lou. I can't believe you went out alone, and aren't answering your phone. Where are you? I'm getting anxious sweetheart. Please call me.'**_

By the last one, he was in a full-fledged panic:

' _ **Bella, I'm freaking out here. If you get this, call me right away. Otherwise, I'm phoning every member of our family hoping you're with one of them. I'm losing my mind baby. I love you. Please call.'**_

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

I'd never intended to worry him. In retrospect, my message had been very vague. I should have told him exactly what I was doing, so he'd have understood why my phone was shut off.

But deep inside, I knew that I'd purposely withheld the fact that I was spending the better part of the day with Shane. I could lie to myself all I wanted, but at the time it seemed easier to explain what I'd done after the fact, than to pique his jealousy unnecessarily while he was working.

Yes, I was aware that he was a little jealous of Shane. I also knew that he had no reason to be.

I dialed his number without hesitation.

He answered just as quickly. "Where are you?" His clipped tone sounded from the phone, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. Gone was the panic, and in its place was a cold, detached, and very businesslike Edward.

My heart sank as I gathered my wits to respond. "I'm on my way home. Listen Edward, I've been in a movie theater for hours, that's why my phone wasn't on. I'm so sorry..."

He cut me off. "I'm well aware of where you've been Bella, and with  _whom_ you chose to spend your day. Rose told me. I wish  _you_ had been the one to relay that information, but no matter." His tone changed from cold to angry then. "Do you have any fucking idea how worried I was? Call me crazy Bella, but it wasn't that long ago that you were kidnapped by a lunatic asshole that planned to kill you. I tend to lose my mind when I can't get in touch with you."

My stomach dropped to my feet at his words. I couldn't recall a time when Edward had been truly angry with me.

"I'm sorry," I said in a small voice.

"Are you? Because from where I sit it doesn't seem that way. I can't imagine treating someone I loved in such a callous manner. And then to find out that you were with  _Shane._  I honestly don't know what the hell to think anymore." He barked the words, sounding nothing like the man I married.

"Edward, what are you saying?" I was beginning to find my voice.

I heard him draw in a deep breath. "I'm just angry Bella. We probably shouldn't be having this conversation until I've had a chance to cool down. Do me a favor and as soon as you get home, lock yourself in the damned house." He growled, and I imagined him raking his hand through his hair. "I never thought I'd miss the day when you were afraid of your own shadow. At least you wouldn't be spending hours in a darkened movie theater with a virtual fucking stranger."

His words hit me like a chill wind. At first my mind refused to process the idea that Edward preferred the damaged girl I used to be to the more confident woman I was becoming.

_No, he's just upset…_

Regardless, I couldn't drive another mile. His angry words affected me so much that my hands were shaking and my eyes began to fill with tears, making driving next to impossible. I pulled the Mustang into a convenience store parking lot and listened to Edward in complete silence.

I didn't even breathe.

"Listen," his tone slightly softer now, "I've got to go; we just arrived back at the set. I'll see you in a few hours."

I reached over and disconnected the call without giving him a chance to say goodbye.

I was hurt.

I was also angry, but the anger I felt was directed toward myself every bit as much as it was directed toward Edward.

I didn't know what to do, and before I could even think, I was dialing Rose's number.

"Is he very angry?" She asked worriedly as soon as she answered.

"Yes," I managed to choke out as the tears finally began to fall.

"Oh Bells, I thought you'd told him you were with Shane. I didn't mean to blurt it out like that. I'm so sorry."

"S'okay," I said with a sniffle. "That's not the part that hurts Rose."

"What is it sweetie?"

"He said he missed the person I used to be; the one who was afraid of her own shadow and wouldn't have spent the afternoon with a virtual stranger."

I heard Rose draw in a sharp breath. "What a douchebag," she muttered angrily.

"No Rose, I should have told him exactly what I was doing. I just didn't want to upset him and now it's all blown up in my face."

"Bella, be that as it may, he still didn't have a right to say something like that. Edward is talking out of his ass. If he could have seen the way you were five years ago, hell even three years ago…." She huffed. "I want to smack him."

I giggled through my tears. "Please don't. The bottom line is that this is my fault. Yeah, I'm hurt by what he said.  _Very_ hurt…."

"Bells, he had no right to say that, but I can't believe Edward really means what he said, he was probably just angry and venting. I know he was beside himself with worry when he called."

I sniffled.

"Sweetie, are you at home?"

"No."

"Where are you, do you need me to come get you?"

"No Rose. I'm in the Mustang in a convenience store parking lot. I needed to calm down before driving the rest of the way home. Once I get there, I'm going to bed."

Rose sighed. "I'm sorry you're hurting."

"Me too."

_-V &V—_

Soon after I arrived home, my phone rang with a call from Edward. I ignored it; not quite ready to speak with him again. He didn't leave a voicemail.

In order to avoid a repeat of his panic attack from earlier in the evening, I sent him a quick text.

_**I'm home. Going to sleep now.** _

I hoped he understood my meaning, and wouldn't phone again.

I tried falling asleep in our bed, but Edward's scent was all around me, causing fresh tears to fall. In the end, I wandered downstairs into my little study in the front of the house and curled up on the divan across from my desk.

I tucked the fleece throw around my body and was soon lost in a fitful slumber. Around midnight I awoke shivering from the cold. Edward hadn't arrived home yet, so I started a fire and poured myself a glass of wine. I carried it with me back to the study and thought about what I would say to him.

I knew I wanted to apologize for making him worry, and also make it clear that he had no reason whatsoever to be jealous of Shane. My friendship with Shane had obviously bothered Edward a lot more than he'd admitted. I'd been blind to that fact, but on the other hand, he should have been honest with me.

After another sip of wine, I thought back to what he'd said.

_Does Edward really wish I was still the broken, dependent girl I was before?_

I felt myself tearing up again as I considered that. His words hurt and I intended to tell him that tomorrow.

After finishing the wine, I snuggled down into the divan again, and drifted off to sleep. My dreams were soon invaded by images of the park ranger's leering smile and Edward's harsh words. I screamed so loudly that I woke myself up. As I fought to catch my breath, I blinked, searching the blackness around me, unsure of where I was.

A pair of strong arms surrounded me then, pulling me against a hard chest. Instead of feeling comforted, I was startled and screamed again while trying to escape the embrace. The arms tightened their hold. "Baby, it's me. You were having a nightmare." Edward soothed in my ear.

I stopped fighting and relaxed into his warmth for a moment until the memory of his voice from the night before returned.

' _I never thought I'd miss the day when you were afraid of your own shadow.'_

Was this what Edward wanted? A girl whose dreams were plagued with visions of a monster intent on taking her life?

_Fuck that._

I was  _never_ going to be that girl again, no matter what. My body went rigid and I backed out of his arms, pushing against his chest with my hands.

"Don't. Just don't."


	80. Time Warps & Slow Motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Thanks to the lovely pixiekat7 for her beta work on this. Kat, your words of encouragement make all the difference, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
> 
> Important Author's Note at bottom.
> 
> *Enjoy!

 

I managed to push Edward back far enough so that I was able to stand. He stood up with me before sighing loudly. I felt his warm breath wash over my face and noticed the distinct smell of liquor.

"You've been drinking?" I asked.

"A bit, during the ride home," he shrugged and pointed to my wine glass. "Seems I'm not the only one."

_True enough._

"We need to talk," I advised, "in the kitchen."

Edward nervously dragged his hand through his hair. "Bella, I want to apologize…"

"No," I stopped him by placing my fingers on his lips. "In the kitchen." I repeated.

There were two reasons I chose the kitchen. First: it would be a little more difficult for Edward to wrap his arms around me at the kitchen table and it was imperative that I say my piece without distraction. His arms were a major distraction, not to mention his hands, his lips, his smile…

_Ugh…shut the fuck up and focus already._

The second reason was that we'd never had sex in the kitchen. If we had, the memory would completely neutralize my anger and I needed to hold onto that for a little while longer.

I started a pot of coffee while Edward, looking quite forlorn, took a seat at the table. It was the middle of the night, and I was certain he was exhausted, but I was taking my Dad's advice and not allowing us to go to bed angry.

_You were already sleeping Bella…_

_That doesn't count. Edward wasn't home then…_

I shook my head and chuckled lightly, realizing that I was arguing with myself.

Edward looked confused as I set a mug of coffee in front of him with a small smile. There was a long awkward moment between us before I broke the silence.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to speak first," I began in a low voice.

He nodded.

I looked into his eyes. "Edward, first of all I need to tell you how much I regret my behavior from earlier today. I should have been honest with you in my message. I wasn't, and for that I am truly sorry." I looked away from him, fixing my gaze on the dark liquid in my cup. "I fooled myself into believing that the time I've been spending with Shane didn't bother you. I liked to think you trusted me, I've never given you reason not to, but deep down I knew that you were jealous."

"Bella.."

I held up my hand. "Please let me finish."

He nodded in acquiescence, albeit reluctantly.

"As much as we love each other, we can't deny that we've both been affected by our past experiences. I have been selfish and insensitive, doing what I wanted, without regard to how it might make you feel." I looked back up at him. "After what Meghan did to you in high school, I should have realized that my spending time with another man would bother you."

He sighed and shook his head, obviously wanting to argue with me.

I whispered. "I also considered how I would feel if the tables were turned and you were spending time alone with a beautiful female friend." I took a deep breath. "I had to admit that I didn't like the thought of that. It hurts enough when I have to watch your love scenes..."

"Bella…" he said in a pained voice.

I held up my hand again. "However, I won't apologize for my friendship with Shane, because that's all it is and all it will ever be. Edward,  _you_  are the only one I could ever love, the only man I want to have children with and spend forever with.  _You._ "

I reached over and placed my hand on the side of his face. He leaned into my hand and smiled, although his eyes remained troubled. As soon as I touched him, the anger I felt vanished, leaving only the hurt behind.

After a moment, I drew my hand away and placed it back on the table. "And just so you know, Shane has been a perfect gentleman. He has not made me feel uncomfortable in any way. He's a really nice guy, but I decided tonight that I will no longer spend time with him on my own. Even if it didn't bother you, it's the right decision if for no other reason than the paps. We don't need to continue to fuel that fire."

He nodded slowly, keeping his eyes trained on mine.

"There's one more thing I want to discuss, but I'd like to give you a chance to speak first."

He let out a gust of air. "Bella, I was so scared tonight. When I couldn't reach you and I knew you weren't with Lou, I panicked. I don't think I've been that frightened since the night the ranger took you…" He ran both hands through his hair, pulling at it in frustration. "I kept remembering you in that hospital bed bruised and unconscious. I couldn't handle it if something happened to you…" His voice broke and he swallowed hard before looking away. "Then when Rose told me where you were and that you were with Shane, I snapped. I'd imagined the worst, only to find out that you were off enjoying yourself with another man. I was relieved, but I was also angry and irrational, and I'm so sorry for yelling at you baby. There is no excuse for my behavior. Please, please say you'll forgive me."

He looked at me with pleading eyes as he pulled my hand into both of his.

I looked down again, sorry to have caused him so much anguish. "There's nothing to forgive. I deserved your anger Edward. As I explained..."

He shook his head vehemently. "How can you say that? Of course you didn't deserve that. No one deserves that, especially not you."

I drew in a breath and shook my head in response, "Stop doing that."

He looked confused.

"Stop giving me a pass when I screw up. You had every right to be angry with me, plain and simple. But from now on, I want you to be honest about your feelings Edward. Please don't hold back if something I'm doing bothers you. Okay?"

He nodded, looking a bit relieved.

"I tried to ignore the way I felt when you were with Shane. It didn't really bother me until you spent that afternoon with him in the coffee shop." He touched his fingertips lightly to my forearm as he spoke. "I  _do_ trust you Bella. I'm not sure that I trust him, but I'll always trust you. Please don't doubt that, no matter how much of an asshole I am."

I nodded and turned to face the table again.

I had yet to take a sip of my coffee. Needing the warmth, I wrapped my hands around the mug as I thought about what I needed to say next. "I was angry with you tonight as well." I spoke just above a whisper.

He frowned, his expression one of remorse.

"When you said that you missed the girl who was afraid of her own shadow, it gutted me Edward."

I heard his sharp intake of breath as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "Shit," he muttered through clenched teeth. As soon as he opened his eyes again, he reached for me. "Please Bella, I didn't mean it..."

I let him grasp my arm and looked into his eyes. His look was sad, pleading and filled with regret…

"Edward, I need you to understand that I have no intention of ever being that frightened little girl again. As long as nothing unforeseen happens, I don't think I  _could_ ever be that girl again," I explained as tears began to fill my eyes. I looked down at my lap, hoping he wouldn't notice. "You have no idea how much I  _hated_ being weak and broken; everyone feeling the need to constantly protect me." A couple of tears fell on my hands where I was wringing them in my lap. "Maybe that's why I rebel against having Lou with me every time I go out. That is selfish of me, and I'm sorry. I promise to keep him with me more often in the future." I sighed. "I just needed you to know how much your words hurt." I sniffled and Edward immediately pulled me from my chair onto his lap.

I buried my face in his shirt as I allowed a few tears to fall. He smelled of bourbon and coffee and  _Edward._ I breathed him in and immediately felt myself begin to calm.

"Bella," his voice was a broken whisper. "I am so sorry. Please believe me. I didn't mean it. I could kick my own ass for being so heartless." He took a shuddering breath, his face nestled in my hair and his arms wrapped tightly around me. "I love my strong, beautiful girl. It was such a fucked up thing to say. You are everything to me baby."

"I feel the same way about you," I whispered.

We sat for a long time, neither of us speaking, as Edward rocked me in his arms.

I finally pulled away in order to look at his face. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked exhausted.

"Let's go to bed," I whispered.

Once we were upstairs, under the covers, I let him pull me into his arms. There we lay under the down comforter in our little cocoon of warmth. Eventually, I broke the silence, "I think we just had our first fight as a married couple," I announced in a whispered chuckle.

Edward let out a small laugh. "Maybe we  _are_ normal after all?"

"Yeah right," I giggled. "Dream on Mister Movie Star. I don't think we'll ever fit the definition of  _normal._ "I told him as we both started to laugh.

I leaned up on my elbow and looked at him as an idea came to me. "You  _do_ know what the best part about having a fight is, don't you?"

He quirked an eyebrow and smirked, "Please tell me you're going to say  _makeup sex_?"

I grinned. "Yes, well, at least that's what I heard  _normal_ couples do…"

"Well… in our quest for  _normalcy,_ I think we should at least give it a try."

I shrugged, "I'm game if you are Mr. Cullen."

I laughed out loud when Edward rolled until he was hovering over me, grinning from ear to ear. He attacked my mouth with his in an urgent kiss. I pulled away to speak, "Wait, do we still have to be mad at each other?"

His eyebrows shot up, "I don't think so. Are  _you_  still mad?"

"No, I'm not. Are  _you_?" I asked.

"No baby, of course not." He leaned down to kiss me again. "Well, maybe a little mad at myself, but I'll get over it."

"Hmm," I murmured into his lips. "Ditto…"

_-V &V-_

"You're going to be perfect," Alice was beaming as she put the finishing touches on my costume. At that very moment, Rosalie emerged from Carlisle and Esme's ensuite, looking every bit a Tudor queen. A very  _pregnant_ Tudor queen.

"Are you going to tell me who I'm supposed to be yet?" I asked.

Alice smirked, resembling her brother when she did. "I'm surprised you haven't figured that out yet  _Swan_." I glanced at Esme and Rose who were trying to hide their amusement.

Everyone attending was supposed to base their costume loosely on a character from a movie or television show. Chris and Alice had coordinated the costumes for each couple. Alice and Jasper resembled Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard from  _Breakfast at Tiffany's._ Rose and Emmett were King Henry and Queen Jane, resembling more the characters from  _the Tudors,_ rather than the historical figures _._ Carlisle and Esme were Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood, his true love.

I looked at myself in the mirror and studied the burgundy and black dress. "I don't know who I am supposed to be," I said in a low voice.

"Here, these last two items may clue you in." Alice said before strapping a sword to my waist, and tucking a flintlock pistol into the sash of my dress.

"Okay, now I kind of look like a pirate, but I can't think of a female movie character that fits…"

"Think,  _Swan._ " Rose and Esme giggled.

_There she goes, calling me by my maiden name again…_

_She's never done that before…_

And then, suddenly it came to me.  _Swan._  As in  _Elizabeth Swan._

As in,  _if I'm Elizabeth Swan then my fuckhot husband must be… must be…._

"Edward is Captain Jack Sparrow," I said in an awed whisper.

All three women laughed out loud. "Let's just say that his clothing and hair may look like Captain Jack's, but the man is  _all_ Edward. I refused to overdo the makeup. It would be a sin to hide Edward's natural gorgeousness like that."

I giggled.

"Besides, in your sexy dream he was just a pirate not Captain Jack right?"

_What the fuck?_

I realized that I must have said those words out loud when Alice and Esme slapped their hands over their mouths to muffle their laughter.

I turned to glare at Rose who threw her hands up in defense. She had been the only person, outside of Edward who knew about my pirate dream in Barbados. "Hey, that dream was too good to keep to myself."

I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled.

"Oh Bella, smile. We're all letting our hair down and having some fun tonight." Esme soothed. "Believe me honey; I'd be worried if you  _weren't_ having sexy dreams about my son."

_Could this be any more awkward?_

Esme got a wistful look, "He is one beautiful male specimen, just like his father…"

_Aw cripes…_

"Uh," I paused, "wow, I'm all kinds of uncomfortable right now."

"Sorry Bella, Mom has had a little too much to drink." Alice informed while she and Rose laughed.

"Oh pshaw," Esme said before making her way across the room to her dresser. "I may have had a couple of shots to get into character," she said with a mischievous smile as she checked her reflection in the mirror. Alice moved closer to me and her voice dropped to a whisper, "If you think you're uncomfortable now, just wait until she starts talking about  _men-o-pause_." Alice mouthed the last word, but Esme still caught it.

"Don't make light of something you will have to deal with yourself someday missy." Esme said with a frustrated sigh before taking another sip of her drink. "According to some of my friends, my symptoms aren't too bad. Except for the hot flashes, those are driving me crazy. They seem to be the worst at night." She set her glass down as she continued to talk to our reflections in the mirror. "So, I made it easy on myself and started sleeping naked. The hot flashes aren't much of an issue anymore." She shrugged. "Plus Carlisle's definitely not complaining," she giggled. "He's all about ease of accessibility..."

"Mother!" Alice gasped while Rose guffawed.

Esme laughed and turned to Rose, continuing the conversation in a loud whisper. "Although, he may not have been too keen the other night."

"Why, what happened?"

I reminded myself to smack Rose later for encouraging her.

Esme giggled. "I got up to go to the bathroom, completely disoriented and when I passed the mirror I startled him out of a deep sleep screaming that there was a naked woman in the house."

Rose and Esme both fell apart in laughter as Alice rolled her eyes.

"I think I'll go find Edward," I said, eager for a reason to escape.

Esme's remarks must not have bothered Alice too much, because before I'd set foot through the door she was shouting after me. "Bella, I know you two, you're not allowed to sneak off to Edward's bedroom before eleven o'clock or I'm coming after you."

I grimaced, knowing that with Alice it wasn't a threat, it was a promise.

Edward wasn't in his room as I'd hoped, so I decided to look for him on the main floor. As I rounded the corner of the dimly lit hallway, headed for the stairs, I almost bumped right into a woman with blonde hair walking toward me. "Oh excuse me," I muttered before stepping around her.

"Bella Mia, this costume must be better than I thought," the woman said in a very familiar voice.

" _Chris?_ "

He chuckled. "Yes, it's me. Can you guess my movie character?"

I took a good look at him.  _Blonde wig, wool sweater, black skirt…_

"How in the heck are you able to walk in those heels Christopher? I'd break my neck." I laughed.

"Practice darling, practice."

I pursed my lips as I studied him again. "Are you Ed Wood?"

"Bingo. I'm actually Ed Wood from  _Glen or Glenda._ "

I nodded and smiled. "I remember the Johnny Depp movie…"

"Oh honey, no offense to Johnny, but you have to admit that I rock this angora sweater a lot better than he did." We both laughed.

"Have you seen Edward?"

Chris gave me a sly wink. "Why yes I have, and he is  _hot._ "

I felt my stomach flutter with excitement at his words, and hoped the day would never come when the thought of Edward wouldn't elicit that response from me.

"Come on Bella, let's go find your man," Chris said as he looped his arm through mine.

We found him with the rest of the men, downstairs having a drink. As soon as I took in what he was wearing, I stopped dead in my tracks.

It was the image from my dream come to life.

_Hair to his shoulders,_

_White ruffled shirt opened just enough to expose the upper part of his chest._

_A captain's coat, tight trousers…_

_Oh my…_

The fact that he liked my costume was evident on his face as he made his way over to where I stood in the doorway.

"Like what you see Mrs. Cullen?"

I nodded, still looking at him with wide eyes. "You look just like my dream." I whispered.

He chuckled and pulled me against him before frowning and looking down. "What is that?" He asked as he searched the sash around my waist with his hand, eventually pulling out the pistol from its hiding place.

He swallowed hard. "Wow. You have a gun?" He rasped.

"And a sword," I told him with a grin before pointing to my scabbard.

He replaced the gun and pulled me close again. "Do you have any idea how sexy that is, and how much I want to take you upstairs right now?"

I nodded. "But Alice will kill us."

He grimaced. "I'm aware."

We both sighed. "All right, let's get something to drink, the guests will start to arrive shortly," he said in a reluctant tone.

Most of the guests were around our age, when I asked Edward why that was, he explained that his parents' Halloween parties had actually always been for he and Alice to invite their friends. The tradition had continued even after they moved away. Edward barely invited anyone, but Alice more than made up for it with her long list of friends.

The party was in full swing, and we were laughing and chatting with Chris when his attention was suddenly drawn to the doorway. I looked up to see Shane, in full cowboy regalia, standing there smiling.

"Hold the phone!" Chris exclaimed. "I thought I knew every one of Alice's friends in Seattle." Shane was walking directly toward us, and before I could stop him, Chris blocked his path while offering a hand to shake. "Well hello there handsome. I'm Alice's best friend Christopher Miles, but she's never mentioned you before. The  _bitch._  What's your name so I can doodle it in my journal while I think dirty, dirty thoughts of us together?"

Shane burst into laughter, as did Edward and I. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that Shane was a good sport, and not offended by Chris being  _Chris._

"I'm sorry Christopher but I don't know Alice, although Bella and Edward have spoken of her." He shook Chris's hand. "I'm Shane Benedict."

Chris's other hand flew to his throat. "Even his name sounds manly." He leaned in closer to Shane. "Uh, no need to mention what I said about Alice to anyone. Not only is she my best friend, but we also work together. If she finds out that I referred to her as a bitch, well, it could get ugly. Girlfriend can be scary when she's pissed. Not Lindsey Lohan scary, more like the White Witch from  _Narnia_  scary..."

We were all shaking with laughter when we heard the tinkling of a familiar soprano behind us. "Oh Christopher, if you are saying rude things about me, you will be watching the next episode of  _Glee_ alone."

Chris looked horrified. "But you always watch it with me sweet cheeks."

Alice narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest.

Chris's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Very well, I'm sorry. It was all a terrible misunderstanding. I thought you'd been holding out on me with Shane here, but come to find out he's Bella and Edward's friend, not yours. And for the record, most of the joy I derive from  _Glee_ night springs from the fact that I spend it with  _you_. The entire exercise would be pointless otherwise."

Alice's lips twitched as she tried not to smile before turning to Shane. "I'm Edward's sister Alice, and this is my husband Jasper. Sorry if Christopher said anything inappropriate. We've been working on his tendency to blurt."

As they stood there talking, I pulled Edward down in order to whisper in his ear. "Who invited Shane?"

Edward smiled brightly. "I did. I felt like an absolute dick for my jealousy and I hate the fact that you've been avoiding him because of me. I've spent some time with him on set this week and have learned firsthand that he's a great guy. I can understand why you like him so much."

I smiled back at him.

"He told me that one of his brothers lives in New Orleans, he's hoping to introduce us while we're there." Edward wrapped his arms tighter around me. "You were right, he's lonely. He mentioned that he's usually very slow to make a friend, that's why he is amazed at how quickly he hit it off with you. But I believe now that he's not interested in being more than friends with you."

I hugged Edward and whispered, "Thank you for inviting him."

"My pleasure my love."

_Gah, he makes one fuckhot pirate!_

_Who am I kidding? He makes a fuckhot anything…_

"So Shane, great costume," Edward remarked once we rejoined the conversation.

Shane laughed. "Edward, I'm from Oklahoma. I already had all this stuff. Came in handy though, I must admit." He said with a wink as he took a sip of his beer.

After a few more minutes of Chris openly flirting with Shane, Alice was able to drag him away.

"Christopher honey, I'm going to need you to come with me now." Alice coaxed as she gently tugged on his arm. "I want you there when I have to say hello to Deirdre."

"Alice," he hissed. "I don't understand how you remain friends with that woman, she's a horrible gossip, she misses her lips every time she attempts to apply lipstick and don't even get me started on that creepy husband of hers, not only does he have that awful comb over, but he leers at you." Chris continued to babble in a whisper. Alice flashed us a brilliant smile as she led him away.

Jasper had been standing with us eyeing the entire exchange with an amused smile.

"Aren't you going with them Jasper?" I asked.

"When they're like that, I've found that it's best that I stay far away," he answered with a grimace.

"Wow," Shane laughed then. "That Chris is something else."

Edward nodded. "Yeah, he's a good friend. I hope he didn't bother you."

"No, not at all." Shane said, still smiling.

Not knowing any of Alice's friends, I was grateful that Edward stayed by my side for the entire evening. When some of the guests found out that Shane was the author of  _Enemy Combatant,_ he was immediately pulled into a group of fans eager to chat with him. I noticed that a couple of the women used the opportunity to flirt.

I chuckled as we drifted away from the crowd and Edward pulled me into his arms.

"What are you smiling about?" He practically purred in my ear.

"I'm happy that none of the women here have openly flirted with you."

Edward grunted out a laugh. "Believe me; they're very subtle, they don't want Alice to kick their asses."

I was shocked. "You mean someone  _has_ flirted with you?"

"Two someones," he whispered.

I frowned.

"Bella, it's something I deal with on a daily basis. I pay no attention, believe me. I have noticed that when you're with me they give up a lot sooner. I think seeing firsthand how madly in love I am with you can be quite intimidating." He gave me a beautiful crooked smile.

"Now you're teasing me."

"No, I'm not. You're beautiful and sexy and I am completely smitten Mrs. Cullen."

"Is it eleven o'clock yet?"

"Almost," he breathed as he held me. "Believe me; I'm watching the clock like a hawk. We have some bedroom defiling to accomplish if I remember correctly."

"I'm really glad that your Mom insisted we stay the night."

Edward smiled.

"Well, it would seem that you never can believe what you read in the gossip rags," a male voice sounded from behind us. "Every other week, they announce that you two are breaking up."

Edward turned with a smile. "Hello Stuart."

"Hey Edward, how's it going."

I turned to see a man with a pleasant face smiling at us. Edward made the introductions, and explained that Stuart was a friend to both he and Alice.

We chatted about the usual for a few minutes until Stuart said something that got my attention. "Edward, has anyone mentioned getting phone calls from a reporter asking about you?"

I felt Edward's body go rigid. "No, have you?"

Stuart shook his head. "Not me, but a couple of people from your class in high school have. I ran into Blake Thomson the other day, he said he'd gotten a phone call asking about you and so did Denny Taylor."

Edward was quiet for a minute.

"Sorry man, maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, no, I'm glad you told me. I'll have someone check into it. Thanks Stuart."

"No problem."

Fortunately, Edward didn't have time to dwell on this information because our attention was drawn away at that very moment by a familiar tune:

_It's astounding;  
Time is fleeting;  
Madness takes its toll.  
But listen closely..._

_Not for very much longer._

We turned to watch as Esme, Emmett and Rose began leading the rest of the guests in a flawless performance of 'Let's Do The Time Warp'.

_I've got to keep control._

_I remember doing the time-warp_   
_Drinking those moments when_   
_The Blackness would hit me_

_And the void would be calling..._

_Let's do the time-warp again.  
Let's do the time-warp again.  
_   
_It's just a jump to the left.  
_   
_And then a step to the right._

We laughed as the guests lined up and danced like 'Transylvanians'.

"Edward," I whispered.

"It's almost eleven."

_It's so dreamy, oh fantasy free me.  
So you can't see me, no, not at all.  
In another dimension, with  
voyeuristic intention,  
Well secluded, I see all.  
_   
_With a bit of a mind flip  
_   
_You're into the time slip.  
_   
_And nothing can ever be the same.  
_   
_You're spaced out on sensation.  
_   
_Like you're under sedation._

"Let's go," Edward leaned down to whisper.

_Let's do the time-warp again.  
Let's do the time-warp again._

Then, similar to Brad and Janet in the movie, Edward and I walked backwards to the doorway. Thankfully there was no Dr. Frank-n-Furter lurking around the corner waiting to surprise us, so we were able to make it to Edward's room without incident.

I was fairly tipsy and a little giddy as I watched him walk over to the bed and turn on the side light. After that, he walked back over and reached behind me, shutting off the overhead light and locking the door.

_He's way sexier than Johnny in that costume._

"Thank you for the compliment Mrs. Cullen and, for the record, I think you're much sexier that Keira Knightley."

"Uh…I guess I said that out loud."

_Damn it. I've got to stop doing that._

He laughed. "Yes, you did." he said as he came up behind me and began to run his hands across the bare skin of my arms.

I walked casually away from his touch and made of show of seeming to tour the room. As I walked past his dresser, skimming my fingertips along the top, I spoke. "Hmm, let's go back a few years and pretend all the awful stuff never happened. If you'd met me in high school, I wonder what you would have thought of me."

I quirked my head to the side as I waited for a response.

He smiled crookedly. "Baby, if I'd have met you in high school, Charlie probably would have shot me because I would have become your stalker."

"Really?"

"Without a doubt. If I had asked you out, and you had turned me down, I don't think I would have ever recovered." He said theatrically with his hand over his heart. "But I would have haunted your every waking moment."

I laughed. "I thought you had a girlfriend."

He smirked. "Sorry to admit this, but I'd have dropped Meaghan in a New York minute once I met you. I like to think I'd have been a gentleman about it but…probably not." He grinned mischievously.

_Gah, why do I love that he just said that?_

"I know what I feel, what I have felt since the moment I met you. It was and is all-consuming Bella." As he spoke, he moved closer until I could feel his warm breath on my face. "Thankfully, I'm a grown man and was able to keep my urges somewhat in check, but my hormonal teenage self probably would have acted on impulse, hence the real possibility of getting shot by your father."

I laughed again. "So tell me more about this hormonal teen age boy," I asked as I traced the bare skin of his chest with my finger.

Edward blew out a gust of air.

"I suppose he was like most normal teenagers." Edward whispered into my ear before taking the lobe gently between his teeth."

"Mmm, there's that word again."

"Hmm?"

" _Normal_."

He chuckled.

"So tell me, did you have posters of your female obsessions all over your walls?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Mom removed them, the only posters gracing my walls were from  _Fight Club,_ and one of Kim Basinger from  _91/2 Weeks_  that was kind of sexy _._ "

As he talked, he pulled the pistol from my waistband and removed the sword, setting it aside. "Kim Basinger huh?"

"Actually, I was a Mickey Rourke fan."

"Sure you were."

"I was," he defended as he threw his wig on the floor and removed his jacket.

I pursed my lips and looked around the room. "Where'd you hide your porn?"

_Why the hell did I just ask that?_

Edward blurted out a laugh. "You are so unexpected Isabella."

"Don't try to tell me you didn't own any porn Edward, because I…"

He cut me off. "I didn't say that I didn't have any, I just didn't expect the question." He tilted his head toward the closet. "I kept that kind of stuff in the back of my closet."

"Hidden?"

He shrugged. "Not necessarily. My Mom wasn't a big snooper. If she ever suspected I was on drugs or anything like that, I'm sure she would have morphed into a bloodhound, but porn? Eh, I don't think she cared."

The whole time he was speaking, his fingers were working to remove my costume, until I was standing there in nothing but a black corset and panties.

"Holy Mother of…" Edward's eyes opened wide as he took me in.

"You like?" I asked as I did a little twirl.

He pulled me against him. "I think it would be safe to say that, yes."

I was feeling bold, so I reached down and felt his erection through front of his trousers. "Ohh it seems the  _Captain_ approves as well."

Edward smirked. " _Captain_?"

"I think that's appropriate when you're dressed as a pirate." I said as I gave him a little squeeze.

"Oh God Bella, you are going to be the death of me." He groaned as he attached his lips to my neck.

In the end, we decided to defile the ensuite first with a round of bathtub sex. After that, and a little recovery time, we defiled Edward's old bed.

As we lay in each other's' arms drifting off to sleep, Edward turned and kissed my forehead and chuckled low in his throat. "Whasso funny?" I asked, half-asleep already.

"Thanks for the new memories Mrs. Cullen. Before you, the only action these four walls witnessed were my teenage rounds of 'self-love'."

That woke me up. "Edward! You dirty boy." I giggled. "What's with you and your Mom? You're both on a roll with the 'over sharing' tonight."

Edward groaned. "What's she said now? Wait, on second thought, I don't want to know."

I shook my head. "Trust me, you don't." I whispered as I felt myself relaxing into sleep once again. I lay there for a while before feeling the urge to speak again, "Edward…"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever known your Mom to sleepwalk?" I slurred out.

"No, not that I remember."

"That's good," I breathed. "But just in case, you may not want to venture out of this room until daylight…" I said before yawning loudly.

"Bella?"

"Huh?"

"Promise me that if I ever ask why you said that, you won't tell me."

"Okay."

_-V &V—_

"Baby, I cannot wait to experience New Orleans with you." Edward told me on the plane. "I think you're going to love it."

I hoped.

Edward's schedule for New Orleans wasn't grueling. There were specific shoot locations reserved for very specific times. This meant that we'd be able to spend almost every evening together.

Our suite at the Hotel Monteleone was beautiful. The best part was that it was located in the French Quarter, so while Edward worked, I used that time to explore.

The sights and even the smells, which I'll admit were sometimes suspect, brought about a flurry of creativity, and I found myself writing for at least a couple of hours every afternoon. Sometimes I would wake up in the wee hours of the morning with a story line in my head, and have to write it down immediately, and so it was that Edward found me more times than not, typing away on my laptop in our sitting room.

We went out to dinner each evening, but we were rarely alone. Instead, we would dine with other members of the cast and crew. One evening during the first week there, we went out with Shane and got to meet his brother Ethan, who lived in New Orleans.

Ethan and Shane had similar features, but Ethan was a bear of a man, built more like my brother than Shane who was on the lanky side. Their personalities were also very different. Ethan was outgoing whereas Shane was quiet and contemplative.

After dinner, we decided to go to a club because neither Edward nor Shane had to be on set the next day. I watched in fascination as woman after woman approached our table asking Ethan to dance. He never turned them down. Not once.

Shane laughed as we watched him. "This happens any time I go out with him. He's always been a very approachable guy."

"I'm just thankful they're asking him and not Edward." I admitted.

Edward grinned and kissed the side of my head. "As if I'd dance with anyone other than you my love."

Shane grinned at us and shook his head.

The next day, we did something you can only really enjoy in a place like New Orleans. We went on a cemetery tour.

"Is it weird that we have visited a lot of cemeteries together?"

_L.A., Forks, Oxford, now New Orleans…._

"I can see where some might view that as strange, yes." Edward was grinning. "But honestly there have always been specific reasons for our visits."

I shrugged. "I guess."

The cemeteries in New Orleans were beyond fascinating. I knew my jaw dropped more than once at the extravagance and craftsmanship that went into some of the mausoleums.

After I creeped myself out thinking about what kind of gravestone I wanted, I informed Edward that I'd had enough. Instead of going back to our room however, I coaxed him into visiting a wax museum.

"You love these places don't you?"

I grinned. "I guess I do. Maybe the thrill is that I find them a bit frightening. The five year old girl inside me is always just a little apprehensive, convinced that the figures will come to life." I giggled.

Edward pulled me close as we watched the history of New Orleans unfold in wax. "Don't worry, I'll protect you baby." He chuckled.

And somehow, I knew he always would.

The next day I visited Edward on set. When it looked as if he wouldn't get a lunch break for quite a while, he virtually twisted my arm to go have a bite with Shane. Since arriving in New Orleans, we'd discussed again my friendship with Shane, and Edward had insisted that he was no longer jealous.

I acquiesced to having lunch, but made sure we ate in the catering tent rather than somewhere off set.

The paps were everywhere, and I had no desire to give them their 'money shot' this week.

"Oh my God, this is delicious," I muttered as I dug into my jambalaya.

Shane nodded. "I try not to eat on set too often. I'm certain I'd gain weight if I did."

We ate in comfortable silence after that, until Shane began to speak. "Bella, can I ask you something?"

I nodded.

"What's your friend Chris's story?"

"Well…" I gave him a confused look. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Shane frowned. "I realize he was flirting with me, but I couldn't tell if he was serious. Is he in a relationship?"

"Ah…" I hesitated and stared at Shane. Then the pieces began to fit together. Shane had no girlfriend. He'd had a mysterious 'falling out' with his family, he'd never been married. I didn't know why it had never occurred to me before…

"Um, Shane?"

"Yes?"

"If I ask you a question, will you give me an honest answer, knowing that I will keep the information to myself? I mean, I won't even tell Edward if you don't want me to…"

He smiled, amused. "What is it Bella?"

"Are you gay?" I whispered.

Shane burst out laughing. "You think that's why I'm asking about Chris?"

I nodded, and he laughed again.

"I'm sorry Bella. I probably should have told you this story a long time ago, but I didn't want to do so without my brother's permission."

I shot him another confused look.

"I need to fill you in on some of the missing pieces of my past. It will hopefully explain a lot."

His tone became so serious in an instant, that I stopped eating and gave him my full attention. "Ethan has always been the star of the family. My older brother Cole and I were the quiet, studious ones, whereas Ethan was, well you met him, he just naturally draws people to him. Always has."

"He is kind, thoughtful and good to the core. Even if he wasn't my brother, I would be fortunate to have him as a friend. I think people can't help but to like him." Shane chuckled. "You should have seen how the girls chased him in high school. He always had a group of them following him around, wanting to be 'the one'."

"He would go out on dates, but never had what we'd label a 'serious' girlfriend. Soon after he graduated from college a couple of years ago, he sat down with my parents and confided in them that he was gay." Shane rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "To be honest, I'd suspected for a couple of years, but assumed he'd tell me when he was ready. A few days before he told our parents, he confided in me and Cole. We held out hope that our parents would see beyond their prejudices and remember that this was their son; the boy they loved with all their hearts."

Shane looked down at the table. "They didn't," he said in a forced whisper.

"I'm so sorry," I told him.

He nodded, still looking down as he continued. "All my worst fears were realized that day. My father said things to Ethan that I wouldn't have said to my worst enemy Bella. My mother just sat there crying, I know she didn't agree with Dad, but she refused to go against him."

"Cole and I just want Ethan to be happy. Cole has a wife and kids and lives near our parents, so he refuses to break with them over this. I don't look at it quite the same way. Maybe it's because I've always been protective of my little brother," he chuckled. "When you look at the size of him, that's hard to imagine, but I couldn't let Ethan go through that alone. I told Mom and Dad that I'd be back as soon as they welcomed Ethan back. I'm still waiting. I haven't set foot in their house since."

"Wow," it was a pitiful response, but all I could muster at that moment.

Shane sighed. "There's more," he said in a pained voice. "I had a girlfriend at the time. Lizzie."

"We had dated for a couple of years before moving in together. I had plans to propose, I even had the ring; I was just waiting for the right moment. As it turned out, that moment never arrived." He shook his head as if he still couldn't believe what he was about to confide. "You think you know someone…."

He looked up from the table and into my eyes. "It turned out that I didn't know Lizzie at all. Before all of this happened, she had adored Ethan and the rest of my family, as they adored her, but after Ethan's admission, she changed. She never came out and said that she agreed with my parents, but she made it clear that she didn't think I should break with them over it. She pressured me subtly for weeks to make amends. When I refused, she became angry. I still loved her, so I decided to give her some time to make her peace with my decision."

"At Christmas that year Ethan, who was living about two hours away from St. Louis, was supposed to drive up to spend the holiday with us. A couple of days before however, Lizzie informed me that Ethan phoned to cancel because he was going skiing with some friends. I was surprised, but part of me was glad. You see he'd been in a pretty severe depression since the incident with my parents, and I saw the ski trip as a step in the right direction."

Shane chuckled bitterly. "When I arrived home from work the next evening, Lizzie had our suitcases packed, insisting that we use this opportunity to drive to Oklahoma and patch things up with my parents. When I refused, she became livid. That's when I found out that Ethan hadn't gone anywhere. She had phoned him to cancel, telling him that we were going to spend Christmas with my parents. After that, everything she'd been thinking and feeling for the previous few months began to spill out of her. Yes, she had loved Ethan as a brother, but his homosexuality was an 'embarrassment' and she was terrified that he would bring other 'gays' around our friends and her family. She didn't want to be humiliated or have to explain his lifestyle to them, so she thought it better to disassociate ourselves from him as soon as possible."

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I argued with her, calling her heartless and informing her that she obviously didn't know my brother at all. I tried to call Ethan immediately, but he wouldn't pick up. The thing I couldn't wrap my head around was why Lizzie would purposely make him believe I'd abandoned him when she knew very well how fragile he was. I asked her as much, and she said that he was obviously sick and in need of professional help, and if he attempted something drastic, that would merely serve to prove her point."

"Bella, I have never wanted to hit a woman before, but I wanted to hit her that day."

"Oh Shane." My heart was breaking for my friend, and even though I'd met Ethan and knew he was fine, I needed to hear the rest of the story.

"I grabbed my suitcase and drove straight to Ethan's, phoning him the entire way. He was in a pitiful state when I arrived, not having eaten for a couple of days, but he'd been drinking quite heavily. I got him cleaned up and forced him to eat." Shane rubbed his hands over his face. "Needless to say, that was the end of my relationship with Lizzie."

"It's been almost two years since our breakup, which to some probably seems like a long time, but not to me. I recently heard from a mutual friend that Lizzie's engaged." He shook his head in disgust.

"About a year ago, Ethan's company transferred him to New Orleans. Currently, I'm on a leave of absence because of the film, but I've been seriously considering quitting my job and moving here to be closer to him, especially now that the publishers want me to turn  _Enemy Combatant_ into a series."

"Oh wow." I said. "I wonder if it that means a series of films as well."

"That will depend on how profitable the first one is." Edward replied.

I turned in surprise to find him standing near our table, a sandwich and drink in his hands. "Sorry Shane and Bella, I couldn't help but overhear the last part of your conversation. It wasn't intentional, I assure you." He said as he took a seat beside me and gave me a chaste kiss.

"That's alright Edward. How much did you hear?"

"Um, enough to say that I've been where you are Shane. Hurt, damaged, and mistrusting of the world. Just don't give up. Not all women are like Lizzie. The day I met Bella changed my entire perspective and the rest of my life."

"For the better I hope." I said with a cheeky grin.

"For the better," he smiled back, "Absolutely."

_-V &V—_

"As it turns out, Shane has this really handsome younger brother and…"

"Bella, why are you noticing other men?" Alice scolded as we drank our champagne, earning a laugh from our husbands.

Edward and I had flown up to Chicago that morning for his cousin Claire's wedding, and were now spending time with Edward's family before flying back to New Orleans the next day.

"Just shut up and listen," I snapped. "I need to find a way for him to meet Chris."

"Oh," she paused. "Ohhhh!"

"Now you understand?"

"A huh. So how do we get them to meet?"

"I don't know. I want to invite Shane and Ethan to Seattle for Christmas."

"Okay. Hmm. I know Shane is a nice and all, but you know how important Christopher is to me. I'll not willingly be the cause of him getting hurt again. What do you really think of this Ethan person?"

"Alice, you know we love Chris and want to see him happy. Believe me, if Ethan were anything short of wonderful, I'd never consider playing matchmaker. But he  _is_ wonderful. He's kind and considerate, but also a lot of fun. Most importantly, he's single. What he's gone through at the hands of his parents because of his orientation is heartbreaking."

"Oh no," she whispered. "I've always told Chris that he is lucky to have the family he does."

"At least Ethan has Shane. He refused to abandon him and neither of them have contact with their parents now."

Alice sighed. "What is wrong with people? I guess Shane's parents are like so many others who are only capable of loving their child as long as they fit into a certain mold. It's awful." She sighed. "Well, if nothing else, we'll all make a new friend right?"

"Exactly."

"Bella let me see what I can arrange, and you work on having Shane and his brother commit to Seattle for Christmas."

"Will do." We smiled and tapped our glasses together in triumph before draining them.

Edward and Jasper simply smiled and shook their heads. I could tell that they weren't thrilled by our matchmaking.

"Stop judging," I told Edward.

"I didn't say a word," he defended. "I simply hope you keep in mind that Chris is still hurting and it sounds as if Ethan's not in the greatest shape either. Not to mention the fact that they live in different parts of the country…"

"Hey," I held my hands up defensively. "I'm not doing anything other than inviting a couple of friends to spend Christmas in Seattle. If one friend happens to meet another friend while there and they hit it off….well I would say that was meant to be, wouldn't you?" I grinned.

"Edward, I think you and I are out of our element here. The best thing to do is stand back and let the professionals handle this." Jasper added with a chuckle.

"Smart boy," Alice said before kissing him lightly.

_-V &V—_

' _ **I know for a fact that Edward never laid a hand on her. She told him that she wasn't ready to have a physical relationship. Being the decent guy he was, he respected that. We found out later that the entire time she was supposedly dating Edward, *beep* was seeing some older guy behind his back.'**_

My eyes were glued to the screen, taking in the bits and pieces of the interview which was certain to send our lives into chaos.

Rose had phoned a short time before, alerting me to the fact that Victor James had tracked down a couple of Edward's old classmates and done a 'no holds barred' interview with them. He'd discovered the details of Edward's false arrest and was planning to air an hour-long special the next week. It seemed that even Jessica had gotten in the act, volunteering all of the information she'd gathered while researching Edward's past.

My stomach churned as I worried how my husband would react.

He was obviously too busy to phone me, but I did get a text which gave me a little insight to his current state of mind.

_**B-** _

_**The attorneys are already on it. Wish you were here. Really fucking need you** _

_**-E** _

Those words were enough to send me into action. I contacted Lou before grabbing my purse and jacket. He met me just outside the door to my suite.

I knew they were filming in Jackson Square, so Lou escorted me to Edward's trailer about a block away from the set. I shot a quick text to Alec and was informed that they were almost done with the first scene, so Edward was due for a break soon.

When he first entered the trailer, Edward's face was a blank, it was the expression he wore quite often, the one behind which he hid all emotion. I knew he'd just run the gauntlet of reporters, eager to get a sound byte, but they would remain disappointed because my husband was not going to yield.

As soon as he saw me, the façade cracked and everything he was feeling inside bubbled to the surface and flashed across that perfect face.

Sorrow, anger, worry, vulnerability…

I pulled him to me without a word and wrapped my arms around him. He buried his face in my hair and breathed deeply before he spoke. "How do you do that?"

"What?"

"I was so fucking angry Bella, but then I saw you. With one touch, you were able to calm me."

"You need to be calm and rational Edward. It's the only way to get through this. Victor James would like nothing more than for you to lose your temper in public."

He nodded before pulling back and giving me a hard look. "Are you okay?"

"Of course." I said softly. "However, I am worried about you. I know you never wanted any of this made public."

He nodded.

"But knowing you as I do, that part probably doesn't bother you as much as having to relive the hell you went through." I stroked his cheek with my hand.

"Yeah, I don't give a shit who knows what happened. I'm innocent of any wrongdoing, and if James tries to imply otherwise I'll haul his ass to court."

"The past is over and done, and I'm happy now. I just want to be free to turn on the damned television and not have to hear a painful incident from my past discussed as if they were rehashing the football scores from the night before." He said bitterly. "Bella, I hate the fact that there are people like Victor James out there; people with boundless ambition, but no heart or soul to go along with it. He will not be satisfied until he has exposed every secret, every misstep and every embarrassment from my past. If the record of my arrest is made public, there will be some who will believe the worst."

"Edward, those people were the ones who never liked you in the first place. Don't you see? Mark my words; this will backfire on Victor James. The public will be on your side. You were a seventeen year old  _victim_  of a deceitful girl and an inept police department."

_-V &V—_

"Better?"

I asked as I rocked against Edward where we sat, wrapped around each other in our bed at the Monteleone. Edward leaned his forehead against mine and stroked my nose with his as our breathing calmed.

"Much. Let's stay in bed all day tomorrow," he whispered.

The added stress of the paps and their relentless questions regarding Edward's false arrest had made the last few days of our stay in New Orleans rather difficult.

I thought about his suggestion. "Um, I'm pretty sure that Clint would send someone after you. You have to be on set rather early if I remember correctly."

The Victor James special was due to air in two days' time. The previews he had released had prompted a couple of legitimate news organizations to do some investigating of their own, and the truth of what they discovered was fast becoming public knowledge.

We'd received nothing but support from the general public, which aided in improving Edward's mood considerably.

_-V &V—_

"All I can say is that you and Edward have the strangest luck," Rose sounded over the phone. "The same day that a scandalous report is due to air about Edward's past, the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton is announced." She laughed.

I smiled at the surprising turn of events.

"So you think this will affect the amount of coverage Victor's report will receive?"

"He never stood a very good chance of turning anyone against Edward, now his chances will be even less." She said. "Every legitimate network is scrambling to find out about the 'royal fiancée', they won't be paying attention to this story for a while, but I predict that when they do, Victor James and his motives will be seriously called into question."

"Relax Bella, this is good news."

It turned out that Rosalie was right. Once the public got over the initial shock of finding out the details of Edward's tragic arrest and suicide attempt, it only served to make people love him more.

Our story was dissected by television psychologists who explained that our mutual tragic pasts would have fueled a deep understanding of one another. That understanding, coupled with the love we felt, formed the basis for an incredibly strong union.

_Duh._

_Tell me something I don't already know_

Although we had the public's support, this was still an exceptionally difficult time for Edward. The constant barrage of questions from reporters every time we ventured out was taking its toll. Even the words of encouragement from well-wishers seemed to grate on his nerves. There were days that I could tell he was holding onto his sanity by the thinnest of threads.

I did whatever I could to help. When he wasn't working, and made it clear that he wanted to hide in the privacy of our hotel suite, I didn't try to change his mind. I stayed close to him, letting him know with both my words and my actions that we were in this together. I gave him whatever part of me he needed at the moment, whether it was a friend, a lover, or simply the person willing to provide a swift kick in the butt when he was wallowing in self-pity.

By the time we returned home to Seattle for Thanksgiving, his mood had leveled out, and he wasn't as prone to fly off the handle at the mere mention of Victor James's name.

_-V &V—_

"Happy birthday brother bear," I practically sang into the phone line.

"Thanks Sissy," Emmett responded with a laugh. "Are you on your way home?"

"We're actually in Denver at the moment. We've got over an hour layover here and should arrive in Seattle about nine o'clock tonight."

"It'll be good to see you again."

"I've missed everyone. Are you going out to celebrate tonight?"

"Nah. I want Rose to rest. She's been working so hard at the new job that I've been making her take it easy when she comes home. Can you believe we only have another month?"

I grinned. "Oh Emmett, isn't it exciting?"

"Yes, and pretty scary too Bells. I hope I don't screw up the whole parenthood thing."

"You'll be a great Dad."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. Besides, you had a great role model. Dad's the best."

"Can't argue with that," I could hear the smile in his voice.

I sighed. "Sorry I'm not there to have birthday cake with you."

"That's okay Sissy. I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Love you too Em."

_-V &V—_

Esme and Carlisle were kind enough to invite all of us, including Charlie and Suzanne, to their home for Thanksgiving dinner.

As I gazed around the table at my family, I felt a deep sense of peace and belonging which I'd only ever felt with Dad, Rose and Emmett.

_Thanksgiving._

"What are you thinking about sweetheart?" Edward whispered; his lips against my temple.

"Of the many reasons I have to be thankful."

_-V &V-_

I found my Dad sitting quietly after dinner while the rest of the men were playing pool. "You don't want to play?"

He shook his head. "You're not helping with the clean up?"

"I was, but Esme told me I'd done enough and kicked me out," I replied with a smile. It was true enough. Esme and I had cooked almost the entire dinner, so she felt it only fair that I not have to clean up as well.

I hesitated where I stood, thinking that maybe Dad wanted to be alone, when he gestured to the space beside him on the sofa. "Have a seat Bells."

Dad had been unusually quiet during dinner, and I knew something was on his mind. "Dad what's going on?" I always found that the direct approach was best when dealing with Charlie.

He laughed. "You are so much like me that it's scary."

I grinned back. "I know you've got something on your mind Dad, so spill."

He sighed and grasped his chin with his hand. "You like Suzanne don't you?"

"I think she's great." I answered honestly. "She's exactly right for you."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Yeah, I kind of thought that too. But…"

I frowned. "But?"

He blew out a breath. "I really care for her,  _more_ than care for her." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "But Suzanne, well, she's looking for something  _permanent_." He looked directly into my eyes when he said the word, no doubt waiting for a reaction.

I shrugged. "Okay; so propose already."

He looked surprised. "You're okay with that?"

"Dad, I married Edward less than eight months after we'd met." I scooted close to him and looped my arm through his. "When it's right, you just know."

He frowned again. "I'd like something permanent with her, but after what happened with you mother, I can't help but worry…"

"Dad, Suzanne's not Mom."

"I know."

I took a deep breath, resolving to tell my Dad what he needed to hear. "Dad, I never told you about the day Mom died."

I felt his body go rigid beside me. "Bells, you don't need to tell me about that honey…"

I cut him off. "No, not about her death, about the time we spent together earlier that day." I looked into his eyes, they were sad but accepting. "It's almost as if we knew it would be our last day together," I whispered. "Mom talked about her childhood, her sisters, her parents. She confided that her greatest accomplishments were Emmett and me."

Charlie gave me a wistful smile.

I hugged his arm tighter. "Then she began to cry, saying how sorry she was for ever leaving you. She called it the worst mistake of her life." I looked away from my Dad, unable to look at his face. "She admitted that she loved Phil, but she said she'd always regret what she did to our family."

Charlie sniffled, and I didn't dare look up at his face. I could handle a lot of things, but if I saw my father cry, I was sure to fall apart on the spot.

"Thanks Bells," he whispered before kissing the top of my head.

_-V &V—_

Two days after Thanksgiving, we were on a plane again, this time bound for D.C. Edward would be filming there for a few days before going to New York for more filming and to attend the first premiere of  _The Harvest of Avarice._

After that, his calendar was packed with interviews and premieres taking us almost all the way until Christmas.

"Alice and Jasper are going to join us in New York," I told Rose as Lou and I rode to the set. Ever since the story of Edward's past had surfaced, I'd kept Lou close. The paps were relentless, always hoping that Edward or I would crack and respond to their questions.

"Your schedule is crazy Bells, please stay safe. I hope you make it back in time for the baby's arrival."

"Rosalie, I hereby forbid you from going into labor until I'm back in Seattle. If you do go early, promise you'll call me so I can be on the first flight back." I said in a pleading tone.

Rose chuckled. "I will. I promise."

"Rose, I gotta go, we're almost to the set. Love you."

"Love you Bells."

As we neared the security line set up around the film location, the paps that were stationed on the perimeter saw us and rushed straight for Lou and me, their movements a little more frantic than usual.

' _ **Bella, when were you notified that Edward was hurt?'**_

' _ **Is that why you're here?'**_

_What?_

' _ **Bella, how badly is Edward injured?'**_

My heart clenched as all the breath left my body at once. I turned to Lou, bewildered and afraid. He frowned as he shook his head and shrugged, obviously not knowing any more than I did at that moment.

' _ **Is Edward conscious? Have you spoken with him?'**_

_Oh God._

I felt Lou pull me hard against his side and push through the crowd of reporters. Once on set, I never felt my feet touch the ground as we made our way past countless crew members, each one glancing my way with sympathetic eyes.

Even though I was aware that we were moving swiftly toward the center of the commotion, it seemed to take an eternity. My mind reeled with the possibility of what I would find once I got there…

_Edward hurt…_

_No, I can't..._

_Possibly unconscious…_

_Please God, no…_

_Bleeding…_

An involuntary sob escaped my throat as I raised my eyes above the crowd ahead and saw the flashing lights of the ambulance shining like a beacon in the distance. The world around me went into slow motion as I staggered toward it, and all I could see before my mind's eye was the look on Edward's face as he kissed me goodbye that morning and told me that he loved me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, one more chap and this story is done. Not to worry, a sequel is in the works.
> 
> Sequel will be titled 'Lullabies & Eternal Love'.


	81. Blessed Events & One Little Year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Thanks once again to the lovely pixiekat7 for her beta work on this!
> 
> Well, here we are at the end of all things. Sorry, you know my love for Tolkien.
> 
> Even though I know this isn't really the end, sequel looming and all that, it is the end of Virgins & Villains. After all, V-cards were surrendered several chapters back, and it's time to move on to a new phase of Bella and Edward's story….
> 
> *Enjoy!

 

" _Bells, it's time to say goodbye," my father's voice sounded strained, as if he was trying very hard to hold back whatever emotion he was feeling._

_I looked at him dressed in his dark suit, and thought back to the last time I'd seen him dressed so formally._

_My wedding day…_

_Charlie's hand touched my elbow, gently nudging me to stand and go with him._

_I followed along the path, my arm wrapped around my Dad's. The day was beautiful; sunny and warm, so unusual for Forks… I stopped walking and closed my eyes as I took in a deep breath._

" _It smells like springtime," I whispered._

_Dad nodded. "Hard to believe it's December."_

_We approached the small chapel on the cemetery grounds, my steps slowed as my legs began to feel heavy. I forced myself to continue on just a little farther, knowing that soon I could rest._

_Once inside, all eyes turned in my direction and regarded me sadly as I passed. I stared at the familiar faces, not able to attach a single name to any of them. I knew each and every person, but the weight of my mental and physical exhaustion was bearing down on me, making it difficult for my mind to process._

_My steps faltered when I glanced beyond the rows of sad faces and saw the coffin ahead of us, open, waiting for me._

" _You okay?" Dad whispered._

_I shook my head no and dropped my chin to my chest effectively obscuring my face behind a curtain of brown tresses. Charlie let go of my arm and instead wrapped his around my shoulders, pulling me against him._

" _You're not alone Bells. I promise I'll never leave you honey." My Dad said the words he thought I needed to hear._

_I knew they were a lie._

_How could he promise that? It wasn't within his power to do so._

_Through the blur of my tears, I let him guide me to the front. I wiped the moisture from my eyes with the backs of my hands and timidly approached the coffin._

_My breath hitched and my eyes filled with tears yet again when I saw the still form of the man I loved more than life itself._

_How could he be so beautiful even in death?_

_It looks as if he's asleep…_

_Any moment now he'll peek at me from under his eyelids and smile that smile meant only for me._

_He'll pull me into his arms and kiss me, not caring who was around to see. The rest of the world didn't matter. It never did, when Edward held me close._

_Through my musings, I kept my eyes on his face._

_So still…._

_I felt the sudden urge to stroke his cheek, certain that my touch would wake him, would bring him back to me._

_I reached out to touch his serene face with my fingertips._

_Cold_

_The shock of his icy skin caused my hand to jerk away. I heard someone let out a blood curdling scream, before realizing that it had come from me._

_I collapsed against my father's chest and sobbed as he wrapped me in his arms, and tried to soothe me._

_Nothing could help me now. Every hope, every dream, every tomorrow would be buried in the cold ground with the only man I would ever love._

"Bella baby wake up. It's okay, everything's okay," it wasn't my father's voice who called to me. It wasn't my father's arms wrapped around me.

I forced my eyes open, only to find a pair of concerned green ones looking back at me. "Baby, you had a nightmare"

_Edward_

_My Edward_

He wasn't dead.

I pulled him down to me and buried my face in his neck as I held onto him for dear life; my body wracked with sobs, my mind still trapped half in my dream and half in the waking world.

_Just a nightmare_

I tried to pull my thoughts from the dark images of my dream. "You're really here?"

"Of course I am, please don't cry," he soothed.

"I dreamt you died," I sobbed as I whispered the impossible words.

Edward's arms tightened fractionally around me. "I'm not going anywhere Bella."

New tears streamed down my face as I remembered Charlie's words in my dream. "You can't promise that," I croaked out between sobs. "No one can promise that. My Mother couldn't. Charlie can't, and you can't."

I suddenly realized that I was becoming hysterical.

"Baby, you're having a reaction to the accident today. You were frightened and now your subconscious is working overtime." As he spoke, Edward stroked my hair in an effort to calm me.

The rational part of my brain heard his words and understood that he was right. I was overreacting, but I couldn't seem to tame my irrational fears. The part of my mind that remembered all too well the feelings of helplessness and sheer terror I'd experienced as I approached the ambulance earlier that day was in control.

"I couldn't bear it if I lost you," I whispered once my tears had slowed. "You are what matters to me most in this world Edward." I said as I wriggled closer to him until there wasn't an inch of space between us. "For those few moments, when the possibility of losing you became very real in my mind, it brought everything into sharp focus. I couldn't survive it; you have to promise to be more careful." It was true. Now that I'd had a life with Edward, how could I ever face living without him?

_Maybe someday after we've had fifty years or more together….._

_No, not even then._

He nodded sadly.

I reached my hand up to trace the side of his face with my fingertips as we lay facing each other.

_Warm_

I closed my eyes and sighed with relief. When I opened them again, Edward was staring at me intently, his eyes shining in the darkness. I let my eyes drift lower to his lips. "Kiss me," I said in a voice barely above a whisper.

He leaned in and slowly brushed his lips against mine. As soon as he deepened the kiss, I pulled at his t-shirt, signaling that I wanted him to remove it.

I needed to feel him against me. No barriers.

Edward immediately sat up and pulled the shirt over his head before tossing it to the floor. I mimicked his movements, tossing my shirt to the floor as well. His sleep pants and my panties followed and soon we were a tangled mess of naked limbs, our hands and lips moving over each other's bodies with a sense of urgency I'd never felt before.

_Is this real, or is it a dream?_

As the feelings and sensations grew more intense, I was overcome with the compulsion to connect with him physically, knowing that would prove to me that he was really here; that _we_  were really here, together.

I pushed gently until Edward was lying on his back. He let out a small grunt when I moved to straddle him, and I suddenly remembered his bruises and abrasions.

I looked down at his face; "I'm so sorry Edward, I forgot about your injuries." I began to pull away, intending to climb off and get him some painkillers, but he held my hips firmly in place. "I should get you some Tylenol." I explained.

"Bella, don't move. I need you to stay right here," he said as he leaned up in order to kiss my lips. I could feel his erection pressing against me. It wouldn't have taken much effort for him to slip inside. "You're better than any fucking Tylenol baby," he murmured against my mouth.

"Are you sure?"

"Bella," he sighed, sounding a little frustrated. "I doubt I'm in any worse shape than your brother after a game. Please baby, I'm so sorry I was careless today," he whispered sadly. "I need you Bella."

With those simple words, I was lost.

_He needs me_

And I needed him. More than anything else in this world, I needed him.

Edward sat up fully so that we were facing each other as I straddled him and I wrapped my legs around his back. I attacked his mouth urgently, he reacted in kind, kissing and nipping along my jaw and up to my ear. When he took my earlobe between his teeth, I felt the effect all the way in my groin. I began to move my hips so that I was rubbing my sex against his erection.

There was no way that this was a dream. It was real. It had to be. I could feel every kiss, every caress, and every inch of his length as it pressed against me.

His mouth was back on mine then as we continued to touch and stroke and tease until the need to feel him,  _all_ of him, consumed me. We let out identical moans in the darkened room when I finally lowered myself onto Edward's length.

I stilled for a moment, resting my forehead against his as I adjusted to the feel of him inside me.

_So right_

_So perfect_

As we began to move together, I was overcome by the feelings of love I held for this beautiful man. There would probably be those who would call it unhealthy the way he completely owned my heart, my body and my soul. I didn't expect others to understand. This was the way we were, and always would be.

As I rocked against him, and his hips thrust up to meet my every move, I felt the warm tears begin to trickle down my cheeks once again. The sense of relief I felt coupled with the ache in my heart at the thought of what could have been, were enough for the emotions of the day to overwhelm me. Edward wiped at the tears with his thumbs.

"Bella?" he said in a strangled whisper as he pressed his forehead to mine and stilled his movements.

"Happy tears Edward," I whispered with a smile as I rocked against him, urging him to move.

He kissed me, "I love you sweetheart, so much."

With those words, we lost ourselves in the rhythm of our lovemaking, inching higher and higher with each thrust, closer to the moment of ecstasy, until finally Edward threw his head back and moaned loudly, releasing into me as I clenched around him, and then I felt us falling, falling together, panting against each other's lips as we journeyed back down to earth.

And I knew it wasn't a dream.

And I knew that Edward was really there with me. Holding me. Loving me.

And I knew that at that moment, the world was a glorious place because I was in the arms of the man I loved.

I was at peace.

Edward held me and hummed a soft tune in my ear as I attempted to drift off to sleep a short time later.

The events of earlier that day however would not be swept aside, so in an effort to keep them from plaguing my dreams, I thought through everything that had occurred…

_As I had approached the ambulance, I was greeted with the welcome sound of Edward's voice from inside, raised in anger, as he demanded to be released._

" _I'm not going to the fucking hospital," he shouted, "there's nothing wrong with me."_

_When I finally was close enough to look through the door and peer inside, I found him sitting on the stretcher, shirtless, while the EMTs worked on him, one taking his blood pressure and another bandaging his arm._

_As soon as he saw me, a smile of relief came over his face. "Bella," he said in a voice just above a whisper._

_I rushed to his side and wrapped my arms around his neck, barely able to contain my joy at seeing him conscious, "Oh Edward, what happened?"_

" _They didn't tell you?"_

_I shook my head._

" _Wait a minute, how did you know I was injured?"_

" _I didn't. I was just coming to see you when the paps yelled that you were hurt," I said as the tears filled my eyes. "I was so scared; I was imagining the worst…" I managed in a choked whisper._

" _I'm okay Bella," he soothed as he wrapped his arms around me._

" _Mr. Masen, I'm sorry sir but I need your arm," The EMT taking his blood pressure announced. "It will only take a minute." I glanced at the other one and realized he was waiting patiently to continue bandaging Edward._

_My joy at seeing him again was suddenly overshadowed by the realization that he had been injured. "Edward what happened?" I asked again._

" _We were filming a scene and I was grazed by a car."_

" _You were hit by a car?" I asked, my voice rising in alarm._

"Grazed _Bella. It barely touched me."_

_I noticed the EMT bandaging his arm give him a dubious look._

_Edward shrugged and then winced a little. "Besides, it was my fault. The driver of the car did exactly as he was supposed to for the scene, but I stepped into the street a moment too early. The force knocked me down so I'll probably have bruises on one side and I have some abrasions on the other where I hit the pavement."_

_I took a look at the arm being bandaged and noticed the scrape from elbow to shoulder, as well as the road rash on the side of his body._

" _They won't take my word that I didn't hit my head and that I don't have any broken ribs or anything." He said with a scowl. "They're insisting I go to the hospital."_

" _Maybe it's for the best Edward; they need to make sure you're okay."_

_Edward set his lips in a hard line. "The insurance company just wants to make sure I'll be able to finish the film, that's why they're pushing for the hospital visit."_

_I cupped the side of his face with my hand and he appeared to calm down. "Edward, would you get checked out for me?"_

_He closed his eyes and let out a breath, his shoulders slumped in defeat. After a moment, he half-opened his eyes and smirked. "You know I want to argue about this don't you?"_

_I nodded. "But you won't."_

_He continued to smirk. "No, I won't. It seems I can deny you nothing my love." Edward pulled me against him again and kissed me, oblivious to the emergency personnel on either side of him._

_Exactly as he'd said, Edward had no broken bones, no concussion, just bruises and abrasions. On our way back to the hotel, he called Clint to inform him that he'd be on set the next day. I could tell that Clint was trying to convince him to take a day off, but Edward wouldn't hear of it._

_Edward won that round._

_-V &V—_

When I awoke, I had the feeling that it was late, although the grey sky gave no indication of the time.

_I may as well be back in Seattle._

I lifted my head to look at the clock on the nightstand through bleary eyes.

"Ten o'clock!" I said with alarm, although as I looked around I realized there was no one there to hear me.

_Edward probably left for the set hours ago._

I had a sudden pang of worry after what happened on set yesterday, so I sent him a text.

_**E-** _

_**Are you feeling okay? I hope you're being careful. I love you. Never forget that.** _

_**-B** _

I could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on, so I took two Tylenol while I drew a bath.

Not surprisingly, my phone chimed with an incoming text as I climbed into the tub.

_**B-** _

_**I'm fine. I promise I'm being careful. If you pay me a visit, you'll be able to see for yourself. I love you too.** _

_**-E** _

By the time I exited the tub my head was beginning to throb in pain.

_Probably because I haven't eaten and it's almost noon_

I forced down some juice and a yogurt from the mini-fridge, hoping that would lessen the headache. After eating, I crawled back into the bed, with the intention of resting my eyes for an hour while I willed the headache away. After that, hopefully I'd be able to visit Edward on set.

I hadn't realized that I'd fallen asleep until the movement of the bed woke me.

"Bella, sorry I'm a little late," Edward said quietly as he rubbed my back. I looked up to find him hovering over me.

"I was going to visit you," I mumbled. It hurt to open my eyes all the way.

"Baby, are you alright? It's not like you to fall asleep this early."

"I ache all over." I answered honestly, my tongue felt thick. "And I'm cold." I told him with a shiver.

I was in my robe, but all that I had over me was the sheet from our bed. Edward immediately pulled the duvet from the chair where I'd laid it and placed it on top of me before sitting down again and feeling my head. "You're burning up," I could hear the concern in his voice. "Have you had anything to eat or drink today?"

"Um, some juice and yogurt this morning." I whispered as I watched him from under my heavy lids.

"Bella, it's seven o'clock in the evening." He announced before bolting from the bedroom. He appeared back in the room about two minutes later with a glass of juice and Tylenol. "Here, I'll be right back." He said brusquely before leaving the room again.

I sipped the juice as I waited for him to return. Edward's voice sounded from the other room, and I knew he was speaking on the phone with someone. I closed my eyes and lay back against the pillows. "Bella," Edward called softly from beside the bed. "A doctor will be here shortly. My Dad says it sounds like you have the flu." He told me as he rubbed his hand over my head soothingly.

Edward didn't leave my side the entire time the doctor was there. I felt sorry for the poor man with the way my husband was grilling him for information. The concern Edward always showed for me bordered upon insanity, and I smiled to myself when I realized how much alike we were in that regard.

The doctor determined that I did indeed have the flu. He prescribed an anti-viral to shorten the duration and advised Tylenol for the fever and body aches. Edward stayed with me the entire next day. I had no idea how he got out of going to the set, but I was too sick to care.

"Thank you Edward," I whispered between naps.

"For what sweetheart," he said from where he lay beside me, working on his laptop.

"Taking such good care of me," I answered simply.

He leaned down and kissed my head. "Bella, you are the most important thing in my life. Besides, I need you well and strong for the sexcapades I have planned in New York." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

I knew he was only teasing, trying to cheer me up, and it worked.

I smiled up at him. "Thank you for that as well. I'm sure that I'm pretty scary looking right now," I whispered, "not exactly anyone's sexual fantasy, but that was a sweet thing to say."

"Baby, you'll always be my sexual fantasy, it amazes me how, even with the flu, you're still the most beautiful creature I've ever seen." He leaned down to kiss my head again.

"I think  _creature_ is the appropriate term." I teased with a weak smile.

He groaned in frustration. "You're beautiful. Now get some sleep."

If I'd felt well enough I would have laughed out loud at the way he doted on me; taking my temperature, giving me meds to reduce my fever every four to six hours, keeping a never ending supply of tissues handy, and plying me with as much hot tea, juice, and soup as I would accept, until I felt well enough to rejoin the land of the living.

The next day, I put on a good show of feeling better, and forced him to return to work. As soon as the door to our suite closed however, I crawled back in bed and spent the remainder of the day there.

By the time we were on our way to New York, I was almost back to normal, the only residual effects of my bout with the flu being the lingering exhaustion.

_-V &V—_

The next couple of weeks promised to be the busiest of the entire year. New York was the first stop on a tour that would take us to both coasts followed closely by stops in three European cities, before we were able to finally return home to Seattle just in time for Christmas.

My only hope was that little Charles Whitlock Swan wasn't impatient to enter this world before his due date.

I spoke with Rose every day on the phone and gauged how she was feeling. She was still working, and along with her normal television show, she was also recording segments that were scheduled to air while she was on maternity leave. Apart from being a bit fatigued, she said she felt great.

I could hear Edward and Alec talking in the living room of the suite as I unpacked our suitcases. While in D.C. I'd barely unpacked because of the short number of days we had stayed there. In New York it would be different. After two days of shooting  _Enemy Combatant,_ Edward's press tour for  _The Harvest of Avarice_ would begin. The New York premier of the movie was in less than five days.

I carried my toiletry tote into the bathroom and began to unpack all the items I would need. When my fingertips touched upon my basal thermometer I froze. I hadn't unpacked it the entire time we'd been in D.C.; which meant I hadn't  _used_ it the entire time we'd been there.

_Which meant I hadn't kept track of my fertility cycle._

_Shit_

My eyes were fixed on the mirror in front of me, as I recalled those few days in our hotel. We didn't have sex, because I had the flu.

Except…

_The night of Edward's accident…_

_Double shit_

I pulled out the small notebook in which I charted my cycles and realized without a doubt that the night we had sex I was probably still fertile.

I stood stock still for a moment, staring at my reflection. The woman looking back at me had suddenly gone very pale.

_Why was I so nervous about this?_

Edward and I had spoken about wanting children.

_But Edward made it clear that he didn't want any right away…_

I swallowed hard as I thought about that. Would he be disappointed? Would he be angry?

_No. No way. This is Edward we're talking about._

I shoved the thermometer back in the tote because pregnant or not, it was safe to have sex now. My period was due in a week; I'd worry about the other issue then.

_After all, we'd only had sex the one time while I was fertile…_

_It only takes once dummy._

_Shut the hell up._

_Should I tell Edward that there's a possibility that I'm preg…_

My thoughts were interrupted by Edward's soft voice calling from the bathroom doorway, "What has you so deep in thought my love?"

I screamed while I simultaneously jumped out of my own skin. "You scared the shit out of me!" I blurted.

He laughed loudly. "Sorry baby," he said as he walked over and wrapped his arms around me, my heart beating wildly in my chest. "Why are you so jumpy?"

"Jumpy?" I frowned. "I'm not jumpy."

It was a lie.

He chuckled again. "If you say so," he leaned down and kissed my cheek while eyeing me in the mirror. "How about a bath?"

I sighed and smiled, grateful for the suggestion. "That sounds perfect. Exactly what I need." I said as I walked him to the door and began to close him outside. "I'll be out in a bit."

Edward grabbed the door before I could close it all the way. "Bella," he said with another laugh. "I meant together," he eyed the sunken tub as he pulled my hand into his. "That is, if you want to."

I smiled up at him. "Of course I want to."

That was the exact moment when I decided to bury my fear of possible pregnancy deep, deep down and never think of it again.

_Unless I have to…_

_Like if my period's late…_

_And I start puking…_

_Oh cripes…_

_-V &V—_

Alice and Jasper arrived in New York soon after we did. For the next two days, Jasper accompanied Edward to the film set while Alice forced me to go Christmas shopping.

"Alice, I have to admit that if I could always do my shopping in New York, I might actually grow to like it."

Alice grinned widely. We'd been shopping all day and had stopped in a little restaurant called 'Alice's Tea Cup' for a late lunch. I laughed at the name, thinking it very apropos.

We chatted about Christmas as we nibbled on our scones and sandwiches. "So, Rose and Emmett's dinner party is all set. I'll make sure Christopher is there, you just have to be certain that Shane's brother shows up."

I frowned. "Alice, I feel guilty about setting Chris up like this. I don't want him to hate us and I value Shane's friendship. I wouldn't want to hurt his brother..."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Bella, everything will be fine. I know these things." She smiled as she tapped her temple.

_-V &V—_

The wrap party for  _Enemy Combatant_ was held at the Tribeca Grill and turned out to be a rather low key event. Of course that didn't stop the paps from crowding the entrance. We ignored them. Surprisingly, I was getting quite good at that.

"Shane, have you decided about your job?" I asked as we ate.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm resigning. The publishing company is really hot for the next installment of  _Enemy Combatant,_ so I need to devote more time to writing, especially if it's going to be a series."

"Are you still thinking about moving?"

He smiled. "Yes, I'm going back to St Louis, spending a week cleaning out my office and apartment, and then moving to New Orleans. Ethan and I are coming to Seattle for Christmas though, that is if we're still invited." He looked at me hopefully.

"Absolutely," Edward told him with a smile as he gave my hand a little squeeze under the table.

_-V &V—_

" _ **Congratulations on the new film and on your marriage as well. All the best to you Edward."**_ Ann Curry told him as she shook his hand.

Edward had just finished his appearance on the  _Today Show._  It was the first of many interviews he'd be doing today. A suite at the Four Seasons had been reserved for each of the stars of  _The Harvest of Avarice_ to grant interviews to entertainment news programs from all over the world.

I met up with Crystal and Molly, happy that we were able to have lunch together and catch up while the guys were busy.

"We're getting married in February in Lake Placid and I expect both of you to be there." Crystal informed.

I made a mental note to check Edward's film schedule.  _A Tale of Two Cities_ was supposed to begin in late February or early March.

" _ **My next guest is starring in the eagerly anticipated film 'The Harvest of Avarice', opening in theaters on December 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **. Please welcome Edward Masen."**_

I watched from backstage as Edward was greeted by loud applause and screams as he shook hands with David Letterman and took a seat.

" _ **So Edward, last time we met was in L.A., and you were engaged. Now you're a married man. How's that going?"**_

The audience snickered as Edward smiled.

" _ **Very well, couldn't be happier."**_

Dave grinned.

" _ **I heard you had a mishap recently on set."**_

Edward cringed and nodded.

" _ **I actually got hit by a car while filming."**_

The audience let out a collective groan. Edward nervously rubbed his forehead.

" _ **Yes, it knocked me right on my ass."**_

This brought forth laughter from the audience. I rolled my eyes.

" _ **Are you okay?"**_

" _ **Yes, I'm fine. Only my ego was bruised."**_

He gave Dave a cheeky grin and the audience laughed and applauded.

_-V &V—_

Edward left early the next morning for a photo shoot in which the entire cast would participate. Alice and Jasper went with him, so I was on my own for hours. I spent part of the time writing, but had the sudden urge to phone Charlie.

"Hi Dad."

"Hey Bells, how's it going?"

"It's been crazy, but everything's good."

"You homesick?"

_How does he always know?_

I sighed. "I guess I am a little. I mean, I don't want to come home without Edward, but it's getting so close to Christmas, and I don't know how I'll be able to decorate a tree in time, or have the house ready. We've invited company…."

"Bells," Dad interrupted, "take a breath. You'll get everything done, and even if you don't does it really matter?" Charlie always knew how to calm my nerves. "You and Edward have been going full tilt since the wedding. Cut yourself some slack."

I smiled. "I guess you're right."

"I usually am," he chuckled. "The most important thing is that we'll all be together for Christmas, and hopefully there when my grandson arrives."

"Thanks Dad."

_-V &V—_

It was premier night. I waited patiently inside the theater as Edward walked the red carpet and gave interviews alongside the other stars. I saw Yves and Tony arrive and go to sit with Crystal and Molly. Even Rachel had made it into the theater and was sitting with Sean.

I kept turning to watch for Edward, but he hadn't yet appeared. "Bella relax, he'll be here." Alice whispered from beside me.

A moment later he walked through the doors with a wide smile and took his seat just as the lights dimmed. He kissed my lips and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Of course Edward had already been to a screening of the completed film, but I had chosen to wait. I grinned at him. "I'm getting excited."

He smiled. "I hope you like it baby."

_Like it…_

_It was magnificent._

When the house lights came back up, Alice and I were still wiping our eyes. "Edward, I know you told me your character would die, but it didn't make it any easier to watch."

He gave me a small smile and pulled me against him as we exited the theater, Alice and Jazz following behind. "Did you like it?" He asked in a whisper as we walked.

"Oh Edward, it was brilliant.  _You_ were brilliant." I told him with a sniffle.

Alice threw her arms around her brother's neck as she squealed. "You were amazing Edward, I'm sure you'll get an Oscar for this movie."

Edward laughed. "Now Alice, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We'll have to wait and see what everyone else thinks."

It didn't take long for the critics and public alike to sing, sometimes shout, the praises of  _The Harvest of Avarice,_ and in particular Edward's performance in it, with such phrases as:

_fiercely acted..._

_majestic portrayal of one's man's sacrifice…_

_Edward Masen's commanding presence…_

Almost immediately, everyone began to hint that this was the film to watch during the weeks leading up to the Academy Awards.

_-V &V-_

Edward had agreed to make a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live, so the next morning was spent in rehearsals. I decided to hang around our hotel suite to rest, rather than go shopping with Alice because the next few days would be extremely busy.

"I can't believe you agreed to do that, but I'm damned glad you did!" Jasper was still laughing about the SNL skit that Edward had appeared in.

In it, Justin Timberlake, this week's host, had portrayed Edward, while Edward and several other cast members had portrayed some of Edward's 'fan girls'.

We, along with the audience roared with laughter at their antics.

"Don't be surprised if the next wave of scripts we receive are comedies," Jasper continued. "I didn't know you had it in you, son." He said as he slapped Edward on the back.

Our crazy schedule had us flying to L.A. the following morning; our stay there consisted of interviews, television appearances and the L.A. premier of  _The Harvest of Avarice_. After that we would fly to Europe for six days of press tours and premiers.

"Hello darlings," Chris greeted when we arrived at Edward's house. "You look tired. Mrs. Hernandez has your room all ready for you."

I gave him a hug. "Hi Chris. Have you settled in okay?"

"Just fine," he gave me a sad smile. "I haven't lived alone in quite a while; it's taking a little getting used to."

Edward and I found it sweet that Chris had refused to take the Master bedroom for himself, insisting that this was our house, and that he was merely there temporarily.

Instead of heading to bed, we decided to spend the evening with our friend. We ordered in dinner and relaxed. After his second glass of wine, Chris adopted a more serious tone than usual. "You know I discovered that Gerry had been cheating?" he blurted causing me to almost choke on my iced tea.

Edward patted my back before turning to Chris. "Are you sure?"

Chris let out a breath and nodded. "Do you want to know the funny part?"

I somehow knew that nothing about this conversation was going to be the slightest bit funny.

"Remember how he said our age difference was just too great?" We nodded in response. "The guy he was seeing behind my back, the guy he's  _still seeing_ , is one of his students. He can't be more than twenty years old." Chris chuckled darkly before draining his glass.

I covered his other hand with mine. "Christopher, please don't dwell on this. It seems to me that Gerry has issues. You're well rid of him."

Chris nodded. "It's funny. After all these months away from him, I was learning to like myself again. Whenever Gerry was around, I wasn't comfortable being me. When I learned the truth about him, I found I wasn't really upset. I think I'm numb to it all and very regretful that I wasted so much time with the wrong person."

"Amen," I told him with a smile as I raised my glass to touch his and Edward did likewise.

"Fuck him," Edward stated matter-of-factly, causing both Chris and me to giggle. "Bella's right. You're too good for him, always have been."

_-V &V—_

I admit that I was freaking out.

Just a little.

Sort of.

Not a full-blown panic attack, but yes, a little tiny freak out.

I was late.

Not late for a flight, not late for an appointment, not late for the newest episode of Dexter…

I was  _late._

Edward spent the time in L.A. doing interviews and appearing on talk shows, while I accompanied him and hung around behind the scenes, quiet and tense.

I celebrated with him when, before we left for Europe, it was announced that  _The Harvest of Avarice_ had been nominated for several  _Golden Globe Awards,_ including best actor for Edward's performance. As usual, he put on an unaffected front in public, but I knew that he couldn't have been more thrilled, especially given the fact that the  _Globes_ were a good predictor of the  _Academy Award_ nominations.

It was easy to get caught up in the excitement of the news so, by the time we boarded our plane, I'd convinced myself that my cycle was just out of whack. I mean, why wouldn't it be? The last month had been insane. I couldn't even keep track of how many time zones we'd crossed during the last few weeks. Add to that the fact that now and then I would feel a twinge of a cramp; I was convinced that at any moment my period would start.

_Why exactly does that thought disappoint me?_

By the time we landed in London, I'd pushed the subject from my mind. Two more days went by and still nothing…

In Berlin, I decided that because I didn't 'feel' pregnant, I obviously wasn't pregnant. I wasn't nauseous or light headed or whatever else you're supposed to be.

I obviously wasn't pregnant.

_Maybe I'm just skipping a period this month…_

I paid no attention to the little voice in the back of my head reminding me that I'd never skipped a period before, not even during the traumatic year following my mother's death.

In Paris, I studied Edward's handsome face as he sat with the other stars of the film answering questions posed by the press. I imagined a beautiful baby boy in my arms with Edward's hair color and Edward's eyes and, I hoped, his beautiful smile. I thought about how over the moon Esme and Carlisle would be at becoming grandparents.

I was beginning to love my little imaginary baby.

So lost was I in my fantasy that I hadn't noticed the press conference was over until I felt Edward's arms wrap around me from behind. "Have I mentioned how lovely you look today Mrs. Cullen?" he whispered in my ear, causing gooseflesh to appear on my arms.

I leaned back against him and took a cleansing breath before closing my eyes.

"Are you okay sweetheart?"

I nodded. I didn't want to tell him yet. Not until and unless there was actually something to tell. I turned to look at him.

"I'm fine."

He regarded me with a hint of sadness in those piercing green eyes. "I should have known this would be too exhausting for you. Once again my selfishness won out over my common sense. Forgive me Bella."

"Edward, you're talking nonsense. I'm here because I couldn't bear to be anyplace else." I smiled and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

He pulled me against him and smiled back. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you."

"Me either." I giggled.

During the flight home, I watched Edward as he dozed. He really was a beautiful man, inside and out. I smiled to myself when I thought again about the possibility that I was pregnant. Even though it was earlier than we'd planned, I couldn't imagine Edward not being thrilled about becoming a father.

_He will be such a wonderful father…_

I decided that I would sneak out the day after we got home and purchase a pregnancy test. I knew that if it turned out to be positive, I had to plan something special in order to tell him.

_A grand gesture…._

_He did such a beautiful job planning the marriage proposal….._

I sighed and looked at him again. I was a lucky woman.

_-V &V-_

"Do you hear Christmas music?" I whispered to Edward from the heavenly comfort of our bed.

Yes,  _our bed._ We'd arrived back home in Seattle, five days before Christmas. We didn't unpack a single bag before crawling into our massive bed and sleeping right through until the next day.

"Maybe," Edward answered in a groggy voice.

I listened closely as the unmistakable strains of  _Silent Night_ drifted up from the great room.

"Edward, someone is playing Christmas music downstairs." I said, this time with a little more urgency in my tone.

_Who the hell is downstairs?_

His eyes flew open then, and he scrambled to get out of bed. Unfortunately, in his haste his feet tangled in the comforter and the upper half of his body landed on the floor with a thud.

I jumped out of bed and ran around to him. "Edward! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," he whispered as he untangled himself and stood up. "What the hell is going on?" he asked as he pulled a pair of sleep pants on over his boxer briefs.

I shot him a worried look and shrugged. "But, on the other hand, how terrifying can they be if they're playing Christmas music?" I reasoned.

"Good point."

What we did next would probably have earned us a high ranking on the Charlie Swan list of idiots.

Without phoning 9-1-1, or even calling Sidney or Lou for that matter, Edward and I crept from our bedroom in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the intruder.

Yes, he  _did_ argue that I should wait in our room, and I argued back. He sighed in frustration, pulled at his hair, and shot me a menacing glare.

I followed him anyway.

_Typical Bella and Edward._

We breathed a sigh of relief when, about halfway down the stairs, we were able to hear the unmistakable voices of Esme and Alice, singing along with the music.

"Hello sleepyheads!" Alice exclaimed as she came around the corner and found us lurking on the stairs.

"Alice, what's…" Edward began as she cut him off.

"We're decorating your house for Christmas!" She sang.

"And baking cookies," Esme added as she appeared behind Alice. "Welcome home darlings!"

After Esme and Alice hugged us both, we followed them into the great room to find all our loved ones gathered together, trimming a large Christmas tree which stood in front of the windows. I felt my eyes brimming with tears as I hugged and thanked my Dad, Suzanne, Carlisle, Chris, Rose, Emmett, and Jasper. Even Lou and Sidney had been drafted to assist with the task.

"This is beyond wonderful," I told them with a sniffle. "Thank you so much."

Edward smiled and hugged everyone as well.

"Oh, and Bella, you won't have to do any cooking. We're ordering in dinner, and tomorrow, everyone is invited to our house for brunch." Esme insisted.

I was relieved. I had something important on my mind, and really didn't want to have to plan meals.

_-V &V—_

All afternoon I'd been trying to find an excuse to leave. I just needed to make a quick run to the drug store for a pregnancy test, but  _no_.

First it was Esme insisting I help her bake cookies. Alice needed my opinion on the tree, and then Edward unwittingly thwarted my plans by wanting my help decorating the various mantels with greenery.

When I mentioned needing to go to the store, he offered to go with me.

I could see this would require a bit of creativity on my part. I was going to need an accomplice.

I glanced around at our family members, knowing any one of them would be more than willing to help...

No. If the test turned out to be positive, I really wanted Edward to be the first to know.

But even if I were to successfully sneak out, there was a chance someone would see me purchasing the test and by tomorrow photos of me, pregnancy test in hand, would be all over the internet.

_Definitely need an accomplice…_

I spied Lou standing by the kitchen island fixing a cup of coffee. After glancing around to see that no one was watching, I signaled for him to follow me into the foyer.

"What's up Bella?" he asked with his ever-present grin.

"I need your help," I whispered as my eyes darted everywhere in search of eavesdroppers.

Lou chuckled. "What's going on? You're acting like a freak."

Yeah, Lou knew me well.

_Smart ass_

"Listen, I need you to do me a favor and I need you to keep it quiet."

"Okay." He smiled and winked conspiratorially.

"I need you to drive to the Rite Aid and get me a pregnancy test," I whispered so low that Lou had to strain to hear me.

It took a moment for realization to dawn on his face. His smile immediately vanished. "You're serious?"

I swallowed hard and gave him a solemn expression, "Yes. You know what will happen if anyone sees me buying that, and I don't want to tell Edward unless there's something to tell." I bit my lip hoping he understood.

He nodded and then patted my shoulder reassuringly, "I'll be back soon," he said, and without another word he disappeared through the front door.

_-V &V—_

"Bella," Edward called through the bathroom door. "Dinner has arrived. Aren't you hungry sweetheart?"

"Oh, yeah. Um, I'll be out in a minute." I answered in a small voice.

I heard the doorknob rattle. "Baby, are you okay?"

_Baby…_

_That is the word of the day, is it not?_

I stared down at the pregnancy test in my hand, still reeling from the sight of those two pink lines.

_I was pregnant…_

More than anything, I needed a few moments to absorb that information.

_I was going to be a mother…_

As the implication of those simple words began to sink into my shell shocked brain, it brought along with it a strange new mix of feelings. Contentment, giddiness and euphoria all seemed to invade my body in equal measure, with each one vying against the others for control.

_I was carrying mine and Edward's child…_

I ran my hand over my flat stomach, my heart so full it could have easily burst in my chest. The tears overflowed from my eyes and trailed down my cheeks, and I fought the sudden urge to laugh like a madwoman.

_Yes, giddiness seems to have the upper hand at the moment._

The rattle of the doorknob pulled me from my thoughts.

"Bella, please answer me," Edward sounded upset. That wouldn't do. I wanted him to be happy.

_Always_

"I'm fine Edward. Please don't worry darling. I'll be right out."

I heard him let out a breath. "Okay baby. I'm just going to wait out here."

I smiled. He would never change.

_Thank God._

I left Edward waiting in the other room a while longer as I thought about how I wanted to tell him the glorious news. Within minutes a plan was hatched and I tucked the pregnancy test away in my purse.

_-V &V—_

I thought my plans to tell Edward were settled; that was until I received a phone call immediately after dinner.

"Bella!" Shane said excitedly.

"Hi Shane." I was still floating around in a happy pregnant dream state when I answered.

"Ethan has been driving me crazy about coming to town early so we're arriving tonight. But listen, don't worry, we're staying in a hotel, I wouldn't dream of putting you and Edward out."

My heart sank at his words.

"Don't be silly," I told him, trying to remember to be a good friend despite the fact that Shane and Ethan's early arrival had essentially ruined my plans to tell Edward about the pregnancy.

My grand gesture was doomed.

"What time does your flight arrive? We'll send someone to pick you up."

After disconnecting the call, I informed Lou of what time I needed him to pick up our guests, then I slipped into the kitchen to pour coffee and hot tea for everyone.

I was feeling a little low as I tried to come up with an alternate plan to be alone with Edward, when I heard Rose's frantic voice call from the direction of the powder room. "Bella!"

I rushed around the corner to find her standing in the bathroom doorway, visibly upset. "Rose, what's wrong?"

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry." She said, obviously distraught. "I think I peed on the floor."

My mouth fell open in surprise as I glanced down at the small clear puddle at Rose's feet.

"I can't get it to stop, it keep trickling out. It's like I have no bladder control whatsoever," she exclaimed as the tears trailed down her cheeks.

I gasped. "Rose, I don't think you peed." I said as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "I think your water just broke!"

Her eyes widened in surprise and the tears halted immediately. "Really?"

I nodded, feeling a little frantic myself.

"Would you get Emmett please?" she whispered.

I nodded before bolting in the direction of the great room.

As soon as everyone realized what was happening, our house was abuzz with excitement. We all piled into our vehicles and followed Emmett and Rose to the hospital. When we arrived at the maternity wing, we found Rose's parents already there, waiting.

The nurse who greeted us obviously knew Carlisle and Esme, because she winked at them before she spoke. "Mrs. Swan, I'm going to ask you to say goodbye to your entourage now so that I can take you to your room."

Even Rose giggled at the term.

"We need to prepare for this little one's arrival." She told her with a smile.

Rose turned to us then with tear-filled eyes. She hugged each one of us in turn, as did Emmett. "Everything's going to be fine son," I heard my Dad whisper to my brother as he hugged him. I couldn't stop the tears as I thought about the fact that soon, very soon, my brother would be holding his own son in his arms.

Then I was hit with the realization that in less than a year, Edward and I would be parents and my stomach did a little flip.

"Hi everyone," Emmett greeted us about an hour later. "Looks like we're going to be in for a long wait. Rose's water broke, but she wasn't having contractions so they've had to help that along."

"We don't expect all of you to hang around here. If you decide to leave, we'll totally understand…"

Everyone answered him with varying versions of 'no', making him chuckle.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She's good. She's not in much pain," he frowned, "yet."

He sighed. "Well, I'd better get back."

I kissed his cheek. "Love you brother bear." I whispered.

"Love you too Sissy."

_-V &V—_

Another hour went by, but we were all so busy laughing and talking that no one really noticed. "Hey Bella and Edward," I turned to see Shane and Ethan walking toward us, followed closely by Lou.

My mouth fell open in surprise.

Shane laughed at my expression before giving me a hug and shaking Edward's hand. "Lou told us what was going on; we didn't want to miss it. Besides, we both love babies."

Edward and I laughed.

"Hey! It takes a real man to admit that. Seriously though, we didn't want to hang around your empty house while all the excitement was here."

"I brought the eggnog, let's get this party started." Ethan announced with a wide grin as he peeled back the lapel of his overcoat to show a couple bottles of 'alcoholic' eggnog he had hidden there.

I swore Chris had superpower hearing because he flew across the room and reached for one of the bottles. "You are a man after my own heart Sunshine," he sang to Ethan.

Ethan laughed and blushed a bright red at Chris's words. Chris studied him for a moment with a knowing smile. "Let's see if one of Daddy C's nurses will get us some cups. I'm Christopher by the way."

Ethan held out his hand for a shake, still blushing. "I'm Ethan."

"Of course you are." Chris smiled. As they walked away, he turned back toward us and mouthed the word 'HOT', sending Alice, Esme and I into fits of giggles.

When they returned not two minutes later, stacks of paper cups in hand, you would have thought they were old friends.

Carlisle spoke up then. "I think if we're going to indulge in adult beverages, I need to at least find us a private waiting room." He said with a smile before disappearing down the hall.

"Well, well, well, isn't this cozy? If I had known the whole clan was here awaiting the birth of the little  _shitmaker_ , I'd have brought a bigger camera crew."

Edward and I froze at the same moment before turning to find none other than Victor James standing there smirking at us.

"Get the hell out of here  _James;_ I don't want you anywhere near my family." Edward spat.

Victor shrugged casually. "It's a free country  _Masen_  or do you go by  _Cullen._ " He shook his head. "It's so confusing. It's true that I can't film inside without permission, but I'm allowed to be here as much as you are."

Edward was shaking with anger. " _Why_ are you here?"

"Evidently, when the host of a local entertainment show goes into labor it's considered newsworthy. At first I thought it a waste of my time to cover this, but now, I'm  _thrilled_ about it." He sneered.

"Just go away before I finish what I started a few months ago," Edward threatened.

Victor laughed. "I'm not afraid of you. But I do have a question for your pretty little wife, then I'll be on my way.

"Get the hell out of here," Edward was practically shouting now, and I noticed that Jasper and Colonel Whitlock moved until they were positioned on either side of him.

Victor smirked. "Take it easy champ; I just know how women love this  _having babies_ shit, and I wanted to give Bella my condolences. 'Cause after the number your little girlfriend did on you in high school, I'm pretty sure that you're not able to 'get it up'. So, consequently, our poor little Bella won't be having a baby with you anytime soon. Hey, but you know what? I'll bet there are a lot of men who would volunteer for the job…."

"You fucking son of a …" Edward shouted as he tried to lunge at Victor. The rest of us watched as Jasper and Colonel Whitlock held him back.

Suddenly a small figure darted past us, coming to a stop directly in front of Victor James. The next thing I knew, Victor was doubled over in pain as my mother-in-law, sweet little Esme Cullen stood over him, seething with anger, hands planted firmly on her hips.

Carlisle had arrived back during the commotion. He looked both shocked and amazed as he went to stand next to his wife. "Was it my imagination my dear Esme, or did you actually just 'junk punch' Victor James?"

"Damn right I did." Esme announced proudly.

After a moment of absolute quiet, the entire waiting room erupted in laughter. Even Edward no longer looked angry as he watched Victor clutch his man business while still bent over in agony.

"Before we cause any more of an uproar tonight, I'd like you all to follow me. I've found us a private waiting room." Carlisle announced as he tried, and failed to keep a straight face.

As we began to file out of the waiting area, Victor seemed to find his voice again. "Expect to hear from my lawyer lady!" he shouted at Esme.

She stopped walking and turned to glare at him. "Bring it on! My lawyer's  _better._  And after you've lost in court, maybe you'll remember in future not to  _fuck_ with my family," she exclaimed before turning on her heel and storming down the hall, the rest of us following in her wake.

_-V &V—_

"She didn't!" Rose gasped in amazement before wincing and grasping Emmett's hand through another contraction.

The next time Emmett came to give us a report, he informed that Rose wanted to see me. I'd been telling her about Esme's confrontation with Victor James to take her mind off of her pain. Emmett told me the contractions were coming at regular intervals so she'd be getting the epidural soon.

"I wish I could have seen that…." Rose whispered.

"It's okay, Chris filmed it with his phone, so you'll get to watch it soon." We both giggled.

I stepped aside when Rose's doctor entered the room. "Hello Mrs. Swan, let's see how far you've progressed shall we?"

Rose nodded. I went to stand by Rose's head and held her other hand while the doctor did a quick check. "I think you're ready for the anesthesiologist." She announced with a smile.

"Thank fuck," Rose muttered, causing Emmett and me to laugh.

The doctor gave a little wave as she reached for the door handle. "I'll be back soon."

"So Doctor Fuckit, once she gets the epidural, how long 'til the baby arrives?" Emmett asked from across the room.

Rose and I both groaned over his 'mispronunciation' of the doctor's name.

Dr. Phuket gave Emmett a sly smile. "Well, Mr.  _Swine,_ it's hard to say. But I think your little boy is determined to arrive in the next couple of hours."

Rose and I chuckled while Emmett grinned.

I said a tearful goodbye to Rose, and kissed her cheek.

"Next time I see you, you'll be a Mom." I whispered.

"Love you Bells."

"I love you too."

_-V &V—_

Our waiting room had grown quiet as we waited for the next update. A few of us were holding whispered conversations, but for the most part each member of our group was either lost in their own thoughts, or battling against their heavy eyelids.

The eggnog was long gone, although when it was offered to me, I'd declined using the excuse that the alcohol would make me sleepy.

Ironically, when Edward offered to get me a coffee, I declined that as well stating it would keep me awake.

He gave me a curious look, but didn't challenge it; probably chalking my behavior up to nerves.

"Hey everyone," at the sound of my brother's voice, my head shot up from where it had been resting against Edward's shoulder. I looked to see Emmett standing in the doorway, smiling from ear to ear. "If you'll follow me, I'd like you all to meet someone."

"He's beautiful," Mrs. Whitlock said through her tears as she held her grandson. "I know that's what they all say, but it's the truth."

Little Charles Whitlock Swan had arrived a little after one a.m. weighing in at seven pounds twelve ounces and twenty inches in length. He had a tuft of dark hair on the top of his head, the typical blue eyes of most newborns, and when he yawned it was clear to see he'd inherited his father's dimples.

He was tiny and wrinkled, with shriveled fingers and puffy eyes, but looking down at him as I held him in my arms, I realized that he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

"You done good," I whispered to Emmett and Rose through my happy tears before placing a small kiss on baby Whit's forehead. I happened to glance across the room and see Edward watching me intently, a breathtaking smile on his face.

I smiled back.

I needed to tell him.

I kissed baby Whit once more before handing him to my father. It was easy to see that Charlie already adored his namesake.

I walked over to Edward and took his hand in mine. "I need to speak with you outside."

Edward frowned in confusion. "Did you want to go home already?"

I smiled. "Soon."

We donned our coats and gloves and walked to the door but before leaving I turned and took one last look at our family. It had grown so much in the last year, and as it had grown so also had, it would seem, my capacity to love.

Every person in that room had a treasured place in my heart, and my life was much better for just having known them.

I turned to the man who was my forever, and led him from the room. Once we were outside in the clear chill night air, I stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Do you know what today is?" I asked.

He smiled. "Is that a trick question?"

I smiled back. "No. It's December 22nd. I know it doesn't seem like a significant date but…"

"One year ago," he answered in an awed whisper.

He remembered.

I nodded. "A year ago today we met in that conference room where I clumsily spilled coffee all over my shirt and my life was changed forever."

Edward chuckled and pulled me against him. "It was the most important day of my life as well." He brushed his lips against mine. "We should celebrate."

"Well, you see, I had a whole celebration planned." I began with a small smile. "But Ethan and Shane arriving early and Rose going into labor kind of changed things."

"Oh baby, we can still do something. What did you have planned?"

I smiled and placed my gloved hand on his cheek. "I was going to fix us a romantic breakfast and play soft Christmas music while we ate in the glow of the twinkling lights of our tree." I stared lovingly into his eyes. "As we ate, I was going to tell you how much this year has meant me."

Edward glanced at his watch. "We can still do that Bella. It's only a little after three."

"Maybe." I breathed. I moved my hand from his face to his coat, placing it over his heart. "I was going to tell you that you took possession of my heart that very first day, and that it would never belong to anyone else."

Edward leaned down, leaving a warm kiss on my lips.

"In one little year, I went from being a sad, scared, damaged girl to a woman who I'm actually proud of. The fact that you could love me as much as I love you, gave me the strength and confidence to do things I never knew I was capable of doing."

"In one little year, I not only graduated from college, but started a career I love. I'm learning to take the tragedy of my past and use it to help others, all in memory of my mother. Because of that, she will not have died in vain. I couldn't have done that without you."

"On one warm August day during that 'one little year', I pledged myself to the man I loved and promised 'til death do us part' that I would always be his. But, I want you to know that death will not bring an end to our bond. My love for you will endure for all eternity, and that's exactly how long I plan to be with you."

I could see the moisture in Edward's eyes as he swallowed hard and kissed my forehead.

"And lastly, I was going to give you an early Christmas present."

He looked at me with a curious expression.

I took a deep breath and reached into my purse. "I hope you like it, because I have to say I'm quite attached to the idea."

I pulled out the pregnancy test and placed it in his hand. Edward kept his eyes down, fixed on the test, for almost a full minute. I saw no change of expression on his handsome face, but I did notice that his breathing rate had increased significantly.

"Say something," I whispered.

When he raised his head to look at me, his eyes were filled with tears. "Really?" He asked with a small smile.

I nodded. "Really," not bothering to try and stop my own tears from falling. "Yet another thing that you've given me, which a year ago I would not have thought possible: a life beyond my own."

He clutched the test in his hand and wrapped his arms fully around me. I felt him release a sob into my neck before he whispered in my ear, "I love you Bella, so much."

"I love you too." I whispered back just before his lips were on mine, kissing me passionately in the cold night air.

When he broke the kiss, his smile was breathtaking. "I'm going to be a father?"

I nodded.

He pulled me back into his arms, lifting as he twirled me around. "We're going to have a baby!" He announced excitedly. Thankfully no one was around to hear apart from me.

I giggled as he set me back down on the sidewalk and pulled my hand into his.

"When do you want to tell our family?" I asked.

Edward pulled me toward the hospital doors, "I'd say there's no time like the present Mrs. Cullen."

As we rode back up in the elevator, Edward never took his eyes from mine. He unbuttoned my coat and placed his hand on my stomach as he kissed my lips tenderly.

"I hope it's a little girl with your eyes and your hair." He whispered against my lips.

"Or a little boy who looks just like you," I argued with a grin.

Edward smirked. "I guess we'll both have to settle for 'healthy'."

"I can do that." I whispered back before he kissed me again. This kiss almost brought me to my knees by its intensity as Edward poured every ounce of the love he held in his heart for me and our unborn child into it.

When he pulled back to look at my face, his eyes burned with a light I'd never seen before. I cradled his face in my hands and stared into those eyes until we heard the chime of the elevator doors as they opened.

We both knew that our lives would never be the same because of that one little year, and we wouldn't have changed it for the world.

_-So ends 'Virgins & Villains'—_

_-The story will continue in the sequel entitled 'Lullabies & Eternal Love'-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. 
> 
> If you enjoyed this story, I invite you to read the sequel "Lullabies & Eternal Love". Also, if you haven't already, you may wish to read V&V from Edward's point of view. I tried my best to keep 'Love Rescue Me' from merely being a repeat of V&V. Edward has quite a few adventures when Bella isn't around, and I had a lot of fun getting into his head in order to write things from his perspective.
> 
> Love and kisses, Anne (aka Emmamama88)


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